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hledger 1.51.2 → 1.52

raw patch · 22 files changed

+39751/−39382 lines, 22 filesdep ~hledger-libPVP ok

version bump matches the API change (PVP)

Dependency ranges changed: hledger-lib

API changes (from Hackage documentation)

- Hledger.Cli.Commands.Balance: budgetReportAsSpreadsheet :: ReportOpts -> BudgetReport -> [[Cell NumLines Text]]
+ Hledger.Cli.Commands.Balance: budgetReportAsSpreadsheet :: AmountFormat -> ReportOpts -> BudgetReport -> [[Cell NumLines Text]]

Files

CHANGES.md view
@@ -26,6 +26,124 @@ User-visible changes in the hledger command line tool and library.  +# 1.52 2026-03-20++Features++- `aregister` and `register` now support `--drop` for trimming leading account name components,+  like the `balance` command.+  (Caleb Maclennan)++- `print` now preserves and reproduces Ledger-style lot syntax (cost basis annotations) in text and json output,+  and (converted to Beancount syntax) in beancount output.++- Tags can now be declared on commodities, and you can query for postings by their commodity's tags.++- A new `Gain` (`G`) account type has been added, as a subtype of Revenue.+  Certain account names, like `income:gains`, `revenue:capital-gains`, `income:losses`,+  are auto-detected as Gain type.+  This provides a language-independent way of matching capital gain/loss accounts specifically.+  (It is used more in hledger 2.)+  (g. nicholas d'andrea) [#2522]++Fixes++- The `add` and `import` commands once again read all `-f` files, not just the first. +  This fixes a regression in 1.51.2 which broke autocompletion in `add`,+  and multi-file reading in `import`, when multiple `-f` options were given.+  [#2553]++- In balance reports, accounts revealed by `--empty --declared` now respect account display order, instead of being shown last.+  (Juliano Solanho) [#2564]++- `balance --budget`'s csv/tsv output now properly suppresses digit group marks (eg thousands separators),+  preserving valid CSV structure.+  [#2555]++- The `run` command now properly returns a non-zero exit code if there's an error while commands are being provided on standard input.+  (Previously it always returned exit code 0 in this mode.)+  [#2557]++- Options requiring a value (like `--round` or `-f`) now give a clear error if the value is missing+  (rather than trying to consume a following flag).+  [#2556]++- Postings generated by `--infer-equity` no longer inherit the source posting's tags, comment, or real/virtual type.+  (The posting's date and status are still inherited.)+  [#2535]++Improvements++- When converting to value, price lookups are now optimised with pre-built indexes. +  This replaces O(n log n) re-sorting on every valuation date with O(log n) indexed lookups,+  significantly improving performance for `--value=end,COMM` with daily reports+  over long periods and large price databases.+  (Oleg Bulatov) [#2511]++- `date:` queries can now include a report interval, eg `date:weekly` or `date:'weekly from last month'`,+  like the `-p/--period` option.++- Smart dates now understand `last|this|next WEEKDAY` and `last|this|next MONTHNAME`.++- When `add` or `import` are autocreating a requested journal file that did not exist,+  they will also create any required parent directories.++- The less pager is now invoked more robustly; we catch and report more kinds of failure clearly,+  and/or fall back to unpaged output with a warning.+  [#2544]++- The `--quit-at-eof` flag is no longer added when running the less pager (and our less flags are better documented).++- Improvements to the `setup` command:+  - improve top info's layout+  - show the OS version, architecture, and compiler version+  - show if hledger is wrongly built without OS thread support+  - show the value of $LESS more accurately+  - test that it runs with the configured options+  - print a warning before making a http request+  - show more compact output if the http request fails++Docs++- Account tags: new separate section+- COMMON TASKS: Setting LEDGER_FILE: updates+- Cost basis / lot syntax: new section and edits+- Costs: rewrite+- csv: if: field matchers: clarify+- Inferring equity conversion postings: note account tags limitation+- journal: code: mention valid characters, recommend tags [#2563]+- Regular expressions: note no lazy quantifiers+- Tag names: clarify --verbose-tags++Examples++- csv: Fidelity, Open Collective updates+- csv: Interactive Brokers example CSV rules files [#2508] (Ilja Kocken)+- csv/cctax: notes and sample files related to exporting to cryptocurrency tax calculators+- debconf: DebConf ledger files 2017-2025, adapted for hledger+- investing/export-lots-workflow: doc and examples for exporting to Beancount, Ledger or rustledger for lots/gains calculation++Scripts/addons++- bashrc: drop clashy month aliases; fix LEDGER_FILE typo; cleanup.+- fix compilation errors in bin/ scripts (Dmitry Astapov) [#2497]+- `hledger-smooth`: accept ACCTPAT, matching case-insensitively as infix (like `aregister`).+- `hledger-fancyassertions`: use `showMixedAmount` for properly formatted output. (Joshua Chapman)+- `ledgereval`: evaluate Ledger value expressions at the command line++[#2508]: https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/2508+[#2511]: https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/2511+[#2522]: https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/2522+[#2535]: https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/2535+[#2544]: https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/2544+[#2553]: https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/2553+[#2555]: https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/2555+[#2556]: https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/2556+[#2557]: https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/2557+[#2563]: https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/2563+[#2564]: https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/2564++ # 1.51.2 2026-01-08  Fixes@@ -65,6 +183,7 @@ [#2505]: https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/2505 [#2514]: https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/2514 + # 1.51.1 2025-12-08  Fixes@@ -156,6 +275,16 @@ -  Hledger.Cli.Utils:    - stop exporting pivotByOpts, anonymiseByOpts    - renamed withJournalDo -> withJournal. The old name is still available but deprecated.+++# 1.50.5 2025-12-08++Fixes++- Relative includes from a symlinked file work again, fixing some fallout from 1.50.4's fixes.+  [#2503]++[#2503]: https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/2503   # 1.50.4 2025-12-04
Hledger/Cli.hs view
@@ -224,9 +224,6 @@   starttime <- getPOSIXTime   -- give ghc-debug a chance to take control   when (ghcDebugMode == GDPauseAtStart) $ ghcDebugPause'-  -- try to encourage user's $PAGER to display ANSI when supported-  usecolor <- useColorOnStdout-  when usecolor setupPager   -- Search PATH for addon commands. Exclude any that match builtin command names.   addons <- addonCommandNames @@ -548,8 +545,8 @@ moveFlagsAfterCommand args =   case moveFlagAndVal (as1, []) of     ([],as1')                    -> ("", as, as) where as = as1' <> as2-    (unmoved@(('-':_):_), moved) -> ("", as, as) where as = unmoved <> moved <> as2-    (cmdarg:unmoved, moved)      -> (cmdarg, as, cmdarg:as) where as = unmoved <> moved <> as2+    (unmoved@(('-':_):_), moved) -> ("", as, as) where as = moved <> unmoved <> as2+    (cmdarg:unmoved, moved)      -> (cmdarg, as, cmdarg:as) where as = moved <> unmoved <> as2   where     (as1, as2) = break (== "--") args     -- Move the next argument to the end if it is a movable flag, along with its subsequent value argument if any.
Hledger/Cli/CliOptions.hs view
@@ -638,9 +638,10 @@               where err = error' $ "Unable to parse date \"" ++ d ++ "\""     command = stringopt "command" rawopts     moutputformat = maybestringopt "output-format" rawopts-    postingaccttags = not $ command == "print" && moutputformat == Just "beancount"+    -- if printing beancount format, don't propagate account and commodity tags to postings+    autopostingtags = not $ command == "print" && moutputformat == Just "beancount"   usecolor <- useColorOnStdout-  let iopts = rawOptsToInputOpts day usecolor postingaccttags rawopts+  let iopts = rawOptsToInputOpts day usecolor autopostingtags rawopts   rspec <- either error' pure $ rawOptsToReportSpec day usecolor rawopts  -- PARTIAL:   mtermwidth <- getTerminalWidth   let availablewidth = fromMaybe defaultWidth mtermwidth
Hledger/Cli/Commands/Add.txt view
@@ -42,6 +42,11 @@   repeated on amounts in the journal. - add creates entries in journal format; it won't work with timeclock or   timedot files.+- There is a known issue on Windows if this hledger version is built+  from stackage: the prompts will show ANSI junk instead of colours+  (#2410). You can avoid this by using official hledger release binaries+  or by building it with haskeline >=0.8.4; or by running add with+  --color=no, perhaps configured in your config file.  Examples:
Hledger/Cli/Commands/Aregister.hs view
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import Data.Text.Lazy.Builder qualified as TB import Control.Monad (when) import Lucid qualified as L hiding (Html)+import Safe (readMay) import System.Console.CmdArgs.Explicit (flagNone, flagReq) import System.IO qualified as IO import Text.Tabular.AsciiWide hiding (render)@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@   --    "show running average of posting amounts instead of total (implies --empty)"   -- ,flagNone ["related","r"] (setboolopt "related") "show postings' siblings instead"   ,flagNone ["invert"] (setboolopt "invert") "display all amounts with reversed sign"+  ,flagReq  ["drop"] (\s opts -> Right $ setopt "drop" s opts) "N" "omit N leading account name parts"   ,flagReq  ["heading"] (\s opts -> Right $ setopt "heading" s opts) "YN"      "show heading row above table: yes (default) or no"   ,flagReq  ["width","w"] (\s opts -> Right $ setopt "width" s opts) "N"@@ -120,12 +122,12 @@     -- select renderer     render | fmt=="txt"  = accountTransactionsReportAsText opts (_rsQuery rspec') thisacctq            | fmt=="html" = accountTransactionsReportAsHTML opts (_rsQuery rspec') thisacctq-           | fmt=="csv"  = printCSV . accountTransactionsReportAsCsv hd wd (_rsQuery rspec') thisacctq-           | fmt=="tsv"  = printTSV . accountTransactionsReportAsCsv hd wd (_rsQuery rspec') thisacctq-           | fmt=="fods" =-                printFods IO.localeEncoding . Map.singleton "Aregister" .-                (,) (1,0) .-                accountTransactionsReportAsSpreadsheet oneLineNoCostFmt hd wd (_rsQuery rspec') thisacctq+            | fmt=="csv"  = printCSV . accountTransactionsReportAsCsv opts hd wd (_rsQuery rspec') thisacctq+            | fmt=="tsv"  = printTSV . accountTransactionsReportAsCsv opts hd wd (_rsQuery rspec') thisacctq+            | fmt=="fods" =+                 printFods IO.localeEncoding . Map.singleton "Aregister" .+                 (,) (1,0) .+                 accountTransactionsReportAsSpreadsheet opts oneLineNoCostFmt hd wd (_rsQuery rspec') thisacctq            | fmt=="json" = toJsonText            | otherwise   = error' $ unsupportedOutputFormatError fmt  -- PARTIAL:       where@@ -135,37 +137,38 @@   writeOutputLazyText opts $ render items'  accountTransactionsReportAsCsv ::-  Bool -> WhichDate -> Query -> Query -> AccountTransactionsReport -> CSV-accountTransactionsReportAsCsv hd wd reportq thisacctq =+  CliOpts -> Bool -> WhichDate -> Query -> Query -> AccountTransactionsReport -> CSV+accountTransactionsReportAsCsv opts hd wd reportq thisacctq =   Spr.rawTableContent .-  accountTransactionsReportAsSpreadsheet machineFmt hd wd reportq thisacctq+  accountTransactionsReportAsSpreadsheet opts machineFmt hd wd reportq thisacctq  accountTransactionsReportAsSpreadsheet ::-  AmountFormat -> Bool ->+  CliOpts -> AmountFormat -> Bool ->   WhichDate -> Query -> Query -> AccountTransactionsReport ->   [[Spr.Cell Spr.NumLines Text]]-accountTransactionsReportAsSpreadsheet fmt hd wd reportq thisacctq is =+accountTransactionsReportAsSpreadsheet opts fmt hd wd reportq thisacctq is =   optional hd     [Spr.addHeaderBorders $ map Spr.headerCell $       ["txnidx","date","code","description","otheraccounts","change","balance"]]   ++-  map (accountTransactionsReportItemAsRecord fmt True wd reportq thisacctq) is+  map (accountTransactionsReportItemAsRecord opts fmt True wd reportq thisacctq) is  accountTransactionsReportItemAsRecord ::-  AmountFormat -> Bool ->+  CliOpts -> AmountFormat -> Bool ->   WhichDate -> Query -> Query -> AccountTransactionsReportItem ->   [Spr.Cell Spr.NumLines Text] accountTransactionsReportItemAsRecord-  fmt internals wd reportq thisacctq+  opts fmt internals wd reportq thisacctq   (t@Transaction{tindex,tcode,tdescription}, _, _issplit, otheraccts, change, balance)   = (optional internals [Spr.integerCell tindex]) ++     date :     (optional internals [cell tcode]) ++     [cell tdescription,-     cell $ T.intercalate ", " $ nub otheraccts,+     cell $ T.intercalate ", " $ map dropAcct $ nub otheraccts,      amountCell change,      amountCell balance]   where+    dropAcct = accountNameDrop (fromMaybe 0 $ readMay =<< maybestringopt "drop" (rawopts_ opts))     cell = Spr.defaultCell     date =         (Spr.defaultCell $ showDate $@@ -188,7 +191,7 @@         L.th_ "balance"       L.tbody_ $ for_ items $         formatRow . map (fmap toHtml) .-        accountTransactionsReportItemAsRecord+        accountTransactionsReportItemAsRecord copts           oneLineNoCostFmt False           (whichDate $ _rsReportOpts $ reportspec_ copts)           reportq thisacctq@@ -253,6 +256,7 @@     -- MixedAmount -- the register's running total or the current account(s)'s historical balance, after this transaction     table <> TB.singleton '\n'   where+    dropAcct = accountNameDrop (fromMaybe 0 $ readMay =<< maybestringopt "drop" (rawopts_ copts))     table = renderRowB def{tableBorders=False, borderSpaces=False} . Group NoLine $ map Header       [ textCell TopLeft $ fitText (Just datewidth) (Just datewidth) True True date       , spacerCell@@ -279,7 +283,7 @@         mincolwidth = 2 -- columns always show at least an ellipsis         maxamtswidth = max 0 (totalwidth - (datewidth + 1 + mincolwidth + 2 + mincolwidth + 2 + 2))         shortfall = (preferredamtwidth + preferredbalwidth) - maxamtswidth-        amtwidthproportion = fromIntegral preferredamtwidth / fromIntegral (preferredamtwidth + preferredbalwidth)+        amtwidthproportion = fromIntegral preferredamtwidth `divideSafe` fromIntegral (preferredamtwidth + preferredbalwidth)         adjustedamtwidth = round $ amtwidthproportion * fromIntegral maxamtswidth         adjustedbalwidth = maxamtswidth - adjustedamtwidth @@ -287,7 +291,7 @@     (descwidth, acctwidth) = (w, remaining - 2 - w)       where w = fromMaybe ((remaining - 2) `div` 2) mdescwidth -    accts = T.intercalate ", " . map accountSummarisedName $ nub otheraccts+    accts = T.intercalate ", " . map (dropAcct . accountSummarisedName) $ nub otheraccts  -- tests
Hledger/Cli/Commands/Aregister.txt view
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@                             total/balance (includes postings before report                             start date) (default)      --invert               display all amounts with reversed sign+     --drop=N               omit N leading account name parts      --heading=YN           show heading row above table: yes (default) or no   -w --width=N              set output width (default: terminal width). -wN,M                             sets description width as well.
Hledger/Cli/Commands/Balance.hs view
@@ -396,9 +396,9 @@             "csv"  -> printCSV . budgetReportAsCsv ropts             "tsv"  -> printTSV . budgetReportAsCsv ropts             "html" -> (<>"\n") . htmlAsLazyText .-                      styledTableHtml . map (map (fmap toHtml)) . budgetReportAsSpreadsheet ropts+                      styledTableHtml . map (map (fmap toHtml)) . budgetReportAsSpreadsheet oneLineNoCostFmt ropts             "fods" -> printFods IO.localeEncoding .-                      Map.singleton "Budget Report" . (,) (1,0) . budgetReportAsSpreadsheet ropts+                      Map.singleton "Budget Report" . (,) (1,0) . budgetReportAsSpreadsheet oneLineNoCostFmt ropts             _      -> error' $ unsupportedOutputFormatError fmt       writeOutputLazyText opts $ render budgetreport @@ -1140,11 +1140,12 @@ budgetReportAsCsv :: ReportOpts -> BudgetReport -> [[Text]] budgetReportAsCsv ropts report   = rawTableContent $-    budgetReportAsSpreadsheet ropts report+    budgetReportAsSpreadsheet machineFmt ropts report  budgetReportAsSpreadsheet ::-  ReportOpts -> BudgetReport -> [[Ods.Cell Ods.NumLines Text]]+  AmountFormat -> ReportOpts -> BudgetReport -> [[Ods.Cell Ods.NumLines Text]] budgetReportAsSpreadsheet+  fmt   ropts@ReportOpts{..}   (PeriodicReport colspans items totrow)   = (if transpose_ then Ods.transpose else id) $@@ -1179,7 +1180,7 @@     flattentuples rc tups =         concat [[(amountClass rc, a),(budgetClass rc, b)] | (a,b) <- tups]     showNorm (cls,mval) =-        maybe Ods.emptyCell (fmap wbToText . curry (cellFromMixedAmount oneLineNoCostFmt) cls) mval+        maybe Ods.emptyCell (fmap wbToText . curry (cellFromMixedAmount fmt) cls) mval      rowAsTexts :: RowClass                -> Ods.Cell Ods.NumLines Text@@ -1196,7 +1197,7 @@         _ -> [map showNorm vals]       where         cs = S.toList . mconcat . map maCommodities $ mapMaybe snd vals-        dopts = oneLineNoCostFmt{displayCommodity=layout_ /= LayoutBare, displayCommodityOrder=Just cs, displayMinWidth=Nothing}+        dopts = fmt{displayCommodity=layout_ /= LayoutBare, displayCommodityOrder=Just cs, displayMinWidth=Nothing}         vals = flattentuples rc (if not summary_only_ then as else [])             ++ concat [[(rowTotalClass rc, rowtot),                         (budgetTotalClass rc, budgettot)]
Hledger/Cli/Commands/Register.hs view
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import Data.Text.Lazy qualified as TL import Data.Text.Lazy.IO qualified as TL import Data.Text.Lazy.Builder qualified as TB+import Safe (readMay) import System.Console.CmdArgs.Explicit (flagNone, flagReq)  import Hledger hiding (per)@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@     ("fuzzy search for one recent posting with description closest to "++arg)   ,flagNone ["related","r"] (setboolopt "related") "show postings' siblings instead"   ,flagNone ["invert"] (setboolopt "invert") "display all amounts with reversed sign"+  ,flagReq  ["drop"] (\s opts -> Right $ setopt "drop" s opts) "N" "omit N leading account name parts"   ,flagReq  ["sort"] (\s opts -> Right $ setopt "sort" s opts) "FIELDS"      ("sort by: " <> sortKeysDescription     <> ", or a comma-separated combination of these. For a descending sort, prefix with -. (Default: date)")@@ -101,36 +103,36 @@     rpt = postingsReport rspec j     render | fmt=="txt"  = postingsReportAsText opts            | fmt=="json" = toJsonText-           | fmt=="csv"  = printCSV . postingsReportAsCsv-           | fmt=="tsv"  = printTSV . postingsReportAsCsv+           | fmt=="csv"  = printCSV . postingsReportAsCsv opts+           | fmt=="tsv"  = printTSV . postingsReportAsCsv opts            | fmt=="html" =                 (<>"\n") . Lucid.renderText . styledTableHtml .                 map (map (fmap Lucid.toHtml)) .-                postingsReportAsSpreadsheet oneLineNoCostFmt baseUrl query+                postingsReportAsSpreadsheet opts oneLineNoCostFmt baseUrl query            | fmt=="fods" =                 printFods IO.localeEncoding . Map.singleton "Register" .                 (,) (1,0) .-                postingsReportAsSpreadsheet oneLineNoCostFmt baseUrl query+                postingsReportAsSpreadsheet opts oneLineNoCostFmt baseUrl query            | otherwise   = error' $ unsupportedOutputFormatError fmt  -- PARTIAL:       where fmt = outputFormatFromOpts opts             baseUrl = balance_base_url_ $ _rsReportOpts rspec             query = querystring_ $ _rsReportOpts rspec -postingsReportAsCsv :: PostingsReport -> CSV-postingsReportAsCsv =-  Spr.rawTableContent . postingsReportAsSpreadsheet machineFmt Nothing []+postingsReportAsCsv :: CliOpts -> PostingsReport -> CSV+postingsReportAsCsv opts =+  Spr.rawTableContent . postingsReportAsSpreadsheet opts machineFmt Nothing []  -- ToDo: --layout=bare etc. -- ToDo: Text output does not show headers, but Spreadsheet does postingsReportAsSpreadsheet ::-  AmountFormat -> Maybe Text -> [Text] ->+  CliOpts -> AmountFormat -> Maybe Text -> [Text] ->   PostingsReport -> [[Spr.Cell Spr.NumLines Text]]-postingsReportAsSpreadsheet fmt baseUrl query is =+postingsReportAsSpreadsheet opts fmt baseUrl query is =   Spr.addHeaderBorders     (map Spr.headerCell       ["txnidx","date","code","description","account","amount","total"])   :-  map (postingsReportItemAsRecord fmt baseUrl query) is+  map (postingsReportItemAsRecord opts fmt baseUrl query) is  {- ToDo: link txnidx to journal URL,@@ -138,9 +140,9 @@ -} postingsReportItemAsRecord ::     (Spr.Lines border) =>-    AmountFormat -> Maybe Text -> [Text] ->+    CliOpts -> AmountFormat -> Maybe Text -> [Text] ->     PostingsReportItem -> [Spr.Cell border Text]-postingsReportItemAsRecord fmt baseUrl query (_, _, _, p, b) =+postingsReportItemAsRecord opts@CliOpts{reportspec_=rspec} fmt baseUrl query (_, _, _, p, b) =     [idx,      (dateCell baseUrl query (paccount p) date) {Spr.cellType = Spr.TypeDate},      cell code, cell desc,@@ -153,8 +155,10 @@     date = postingDate p -- XXX csv should show date2 with --date2     code = maybe "" tcode $ ptransaction p     desc = maybe "" tdescription $ ptransaction p-    acct = bracket $ paccount p+    acct = bracket . dropAcct . clipAcct $ paccount p       where+        clipAcct = clipOrEllipsifyAccountName (depth_ $ _rsReportOpts rspec)+        dropAcct = accountNameDrop (fromMaybe 0 $ readMay =<< maybestringopt "drop" (rawopts_ opts))         bracket = case ptype p of                              BalancedVirtualPosting -> wrap "[" "]"                              VirtualPosting -> wrap "(" ")"@@ -199,7 +203,7 @@ postingsReportItemAsText :: CliOpts -> Int -> Int                          -> (PostingsReportItem, [WideBuilder], [WideBuilder])                          -> TB.Builder-postingsReportItemAsText opts preferredamtwidth preferredbalwidth ((mdate, mperiod, mdesc, p, _), amt, bal) =+postingsReportItemAsText opts@CliOpts{reportspec_=rspec} preferredamtwidth preferredbalwidth ((mdate, mperiod, mdesc, p, _), amt, bal) =     table <> TB.singleton '\n'   where     table = renderRowB def{tableBorders=False, borderSpaces=False} . Group NoLine $ map Header@@ -243,8 +247,10 @@      -- gather content     desc = fromMaybe "" mdesc-    acct = parenthesise . elideAccountName awidth $ paccount p+    acct = parenthesise . elideAccountName awidth . dropAcct . clipAcct $ paccount p       where+        clipAcct = clipOrEllipsifyAccountName (depth_ $ _rsReportOpts rspec)+        dropAcct = accountNameDrop (fromMaybe 0 $ readMay =<< maybestringopt "drop" (rawopts_ opts))         (parenthesise, awidth) = case ptype p of             BalancedVirtualPosting -> (wrap "[" "]", acctwidth-2)             VirtualPosting         -> (wrap "(" ")", acctwidth-2)
Hledger/Cli/Commands/Register.txt view
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@                             description closest to DESC   -r --related              show postings' siblings instead      --invert               display all amounts with reversed sign+     --drop=N               omit N leading account name parts      --sort=FIELDS          sort by: date, desc, account, amount, absamount,                             or a comma-separated combination of these. For a                             descending sort, prefix with -. (Default: date)@@ -66,6 +67,8 @@  The --depth option limits the amount of sub-account detail displayed. +The --drop option will trim leading segments from account names.+ The --average/-A flag shows the running average posting amount instead of the running total (so, the final number displayed is the average for the whole report period). This flag implies --empty (see below). It is@@ -125,6 +128,13 @@ will be adjusted outward if necessary to contain a whole number of intervals. This ensures that the first and last intervals are full length and comparable to the others in the report.++If you have a deeply nested account tree some reports might benefit from+trimming leading segments from the account names using --drop.++$ hledger register --monthly income --drop 1+2008/01                 salary                                 $-1          $-1+2008/06                 gifts                                  $-1          $-2  With -m DESC/--match=DESC, register does a fuzzy search for one recent posting whose description is most similar to DESC. DESC should contain
Hledger/Cli/Commands/Run.hs view
@@ -170,27 +170,29 @@ runREPL defaultJournalOverride findBuiltinCommand addons = do   isTerminal <- isStdinTerminal   if not isTerminal-    then runInputT defaultSettings (loop "")+    then runInputT defaultSettings (loop False "")     else do       putStrLn "Enter hledger commands. To exit, enter 'quit' or 'exit', or send EOF."-      runInputT defaultSettings (loop "% ")+      runInputT defaultSettings (loop True "% ")   where-  loop :: String -> InputT IO ()-  loop prompt = do+  loop :: Bool -> String -> InputT IO ()+  loop interactive prompt = do     minput <- getInputLine prompt     case minput of       Nothing -> return ()       Just "quit" -> return ()       Just "exit" -> return ()       Just input -> do-        liftIO $ (runCommand defaultJournalOverride findBuiltinCommand addons $ argsAddDoubleDash $ parseCommand input)-                  `catches`+        let cmd = runCommand defaultJournalOverride findBuiltinCommand addons $ argsAddDoubleDash $ parseCommand input+        liftIO $ if interactive+          then cmd `catches`                   [Handler (\(e::ErrorCall) -> putStrLn $ rstrip $ show e)                   ,Handler (\(e::IOError)   -> putStrLn $ rstrip $ show e)                   ,Handler (\(_::ExitCode)  -> return ())                   ,Handler (\UserInterrupt  -> return ())                   ]-        loop prompt+          else cmd+        loop interactive prompt  isStdinTerminal = do   op <- hIsOpen stdin
Hledger/Cli/Commands/Setup.hs view
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ ) where +import Control.Concurrent (rtsSupportsBoundThreads) import Control.Exception import Control.Monad -- import Data.ByteString qualified as B@@ -61,23 +62,24 @@ import Data.Maybe import Data.Text qualified as T import Data.Text.Encoding qualified as T+import Data.Version qualified (showVersion) import Network.HTTP.Client import Network.HTTP.Types (statusCode, hLocation) import Network.HTTP.Req as R import Safe import System.Directory-import System.Environment (lookupEnv)+import System.Environment (getEnvironment, lookupEnv) import System.Exit import System.FilePath import System.Info import System.Process import Text.Printf (printf) -import Hledger hiding (setupPager)+import Hledger import Hledger.Cli.CliOptions import Hledger.Cli.Conf import Hledger.Cli.Version-import System.IO (localeEncoding)+import System.IO (localeEncoding, stdout, hFlush)   setupmode = hledgerCommandMode@@ -129,27 +131,42 @@ setupHledger = do   pgroup "hledger" +  let+    os'+      | os=="darwin" = "macos"+      | os=="mingw32" = "windows"+      | otherwise = os+  mosversion <- getOSVersion+  let osdesc = os' <> maybe "" (" "<>) mosversion+  pdesc "is running on"+  putStrLn $ "      " <> osdesc <> " on " <> arch++  pdesc "is built with a supported compiler/RTS"+  p (if rtsSupportsBoundThreads then Y else N) $ +    compilerName <> " " <> Data.Version.showVersion fullCompilerVersion+      <> if rtsSupportsBoundThreads then ", using threaded RTS" else ", RTS does not have threads enabled"++  pdesc "is a native binary for this machine ?"+  case hbinArch binaryinfo of+    Nothing -> p U $ "couldn't detect this binary's architecture"+    Just a | a /= arch -> p N $ "binary is for " <> a <> ", system is " <> arch <> ", may run slowly"+    Just a -> p Y a+   pdesc "is a released version ?"   if isReleaseVersion $ hbinPackageVersion binaryinfo   then p Y prognameandversion   else i N prognameandversion -  pdesc "is up to date ?"+  pdesc "is up to date ? checking latest..." >> hFlush stdout   elatestversionnumstr <- getLatestHledgerVersion   case elatestversionnumstr of-    Left e -> p U ("couldn't read " <> latestHledgerVersionUrlStr <> " , " <> e)+    Left e -> p U ("couldn't read " <> latestHledgerVersionUrlStr <> " " <> e)     Right latestversionnumstr ->       case toVersion latestversionnumstr of         Nothing -> p U "couldn't parse latest version number"         Just latestversion -> p           (if hbinPackageVersion binaryinfo >= latestversion then Y else N)-          (showVersion (hbinPackageVersion binaryinfo) <> " installed, latest is " <> latestversionnumstr)--  pdesc "is a native binary for this machine ?"-  case hbinArch binaryinfo of-    Nothing -> p U $ "couldn't detect this binary's architecture"-    Just a | a /= arch -> p N $ "binary is for " <> a <> ", system is " <> arch <> ", may run slowly"-    Just a -> p Y a+          ("latest is " <> latestversionnumstr <> ", " <> showVersion (hbinPackageVersion binaryinfo) <> " is installed")    pdesc "is installed in PATH (this version) ?"   pathexes  <- findExecutables progname@@ -293,24 +310,35 @@               Just v  -> i Y v            when (map toLower (takeBaseName pager) == "less") $ do-            pdesc "the LESS variable is defined ?"+            mHLEDGER_LESS <- lookupEnv "HLEDGER_LESS"             mLESS <- lookupEnv "LESS"++            pdesc "the LESS variable is defined ?"             case mLESS of               Nothing -> i N ""-              Just _  -> i Y ""+              Just v  -> i Y $ v <> if isJust mHLEDGER_LESS then " (overridden)" else ""              pdesc "the HLEDGER_LESS variable is defined ?"-            mHLEDGER_LESS <- lookupEnv "HLEDGER_LESS"             case mHLEDGER_LESS of               Nothing -> i N ""               Just v  -> i Y v              when (isNothing mHLEDGER_LESS) $ do-              pdesc "adjusting LESS variable for color etc. ?"+              pdesc "adjusting LESS var for consistent UX ?"               usecolor <- useColorOnStdout-              i (if usecolor then Y else N) ""+              i Y $ lessVarValue mHLEDGER_LESS mLESS usecolor -  pdesc "tables will use box-drawing chars ?"+            pdesc "less is working with these options ?"+            usecolor <- useColorOnStdout+            let newlessvar = lessVarValue mHLEDGER_LESS mLESS usecolor+            env <- getEnvironment+            let customEnv = ("LESS", newlessvar) : filter ((/= "LESS") . fst) env+            lessHasError <- lessIsWorking (Just customEnv)+            if lessHasError+              then p N "less --version shows a problem, check LESS/HLEDGER_LESS settings"+              else p Y ""++  pdesc "box-drawing chars are used by default ?"   if isJust $ conflookup ("--pretty"==)   then p Y ""   else i N "you can use --pretty to enable them"@@ -550,7 +578,7 @@   do     result <- try $ runReq defaultHttpConfig $ req GET url NoReqBody bsResponse (R.responseTimeout httptimeout)     case result of-      Left (e :: R.HttpException) -> return $ Left $ show e+      Left (_ :: R.HttpException) -> return $ Left "(HTTP failure)"       Right rsp -> case T.decodeUtf8' $ R.responseBody rsp of         Left e  -> return $ Left $ show e         Right t -> return $@@ -560,7 +588,7 @@             versionline = take 1 $ dropWhile (not . ("current hledger release" `isInfixOf`)) $ lines $ T.unpack t             version = takeWhile (`elem` ("0123456789."::[Char])) $ dropWhile (not . isDigit) $ headDef "" $ versionline   -- work around potential failure on mac (& possible security issue, reported upstream)-  `catch` (\(_ :: IOError) -> return $ Left "req failed (mac PATH issue ?)")+  `catch` (\(_ :: IOError) -> return $ Left $ "(IO error" <> if os=="darwin" then " - mac PATH issue ?)" else ")")  -- | Try to run the hledger in PATH with one or more sets of command line arguments. -- Returns the output from the first set of arguments that runs successfully,@@ -581,3 +609,16 @@   pure $ case exit of     ExitSuccess -> Right out     ExitFailure _ -> Left err++-- | Get the operating system version string, if possible.+-- Uses platform-specific commands to detect the OS version.+getOSVersion :: IO (Maybe String)+getOSVersion = case os of+  "darwin"  -> tryCommand "sw_vers" ["-productVersion"]+  "mingw32" -> tryCommand "cmd" ["/c", "ver"]+  "linux"   -> tryCommand "uname" ["-r"]+  _         -> return Nothing+  where+    tryCommand cmd args =+      (Just . strip <$> readProcess cmd args "")+      `catch` (\(_ :: SomeException) -> return Nothing)
Hledger/Cli/Utils.hs view
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ import Control.Monad.Except (ExceptT) import Control.Monad.IO.Class (liftIO) import Data.List-import Data.List.NonEmpty qualified as NE (head, toList)+import Data.List.NonEmpty qualified as NE (toList) import Data.Maybe import Data.Text qualified as T import Data.Text.IO qualified as T@@ -79,16 +79,17 @@ {-# DEPRECATED withJournalDo "renamed, please use withJournal instead" #-} withJournalDo = withJournal --- | Like withJournal, but if the journal file does not exist, provides an empty--- journal with the file path set. This is useful for commands like add and import--- that need to work with a potentially non-existent journal file.+-- | Like withJournal, but if the first journal file does not exist, provides an empty+-- journal with that file path set. This is useful for commands like add and import+-- that need to work with a potentially non-existent first journal file,+-- while still reading all specified files (for completions, etc). withPossibleJournal :: CliOpts -> (Journal -> IO a) -> IO a withPossibleJournal opts cmd = do   journalpaths <- journalFilePathFromOptsNoDefault opts-  f <- case journalpaths of-    Just paths -> return $ NE.head paths-    Nothing -> defaultJournalPath-  j <- runExceptT $ journalTransform opts <$> readPossibleJournalFile (inputopts_ opts) f+  fs <- case journalpaths of+    Just paths -> return $ NE.toList paths+    Nothing -> (:[]) <$> defaultJournalPath+  j <- runExceptT $ journalTransform opts <$> readPossibleJournalFiles (inputopts_ opts) fs   either error' cmd j  -- PARTIAL:  -- | Apply some journal transformations, if enabled by options, that should happen late.
embeddedfiles/hledger-ui.1 view
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@ -.TH "HLEDGER\-UI" "1" "December 2025" "hledger-ui-1.51.2 " "hledger User Manuals"+.TH "HLEDGER\-UI" "1" "March 2026" "hledger-ui-1.52 " "hledger User Manuals"   @@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ .PD \f[CR]hledger ui [OPTS] [QUERYARGS]\f[R] .SH DESCRIPTION-This manual is for hledger\[aq]s terminal interface, version 1.51.2.+This manual is for hledger\(aqs terminal interface, version 1.52. See also the hledger manual for common concepts and file formats. .PP hledger is a robust, user\-friendly, cross\-platform set of programs for@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@ hledger is inspired by and largely compatible with ledger(1), and largely interconvertible with beancount(1). .PP-hledger\-ui is hledger\[aq]s terminal interface, providing an efficient+hledger\-ui is hledger\(aqs terminal interface, providing an efficient full\-window text UI for viewing accounts and transactions, and some limited data entry capability.-It is easier than hledger\[aq]s command\-line interface, and sometimes+It is easier than hledger\(aqs command\-line interface, and sometimes quicker and more convenient than the web interface. .PP Like hledger, it reads from (and appends to) a journal file specified by@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ default. They can be revealed, along with any rule\-generated periodic transactions, by pressing the F key (or starting with \-\-forecast) to-enable \[dq]forecast mode\[dq].+enable \(dqforecast mode\(dq. .SH OPTIONS Any arguments are interpreted as a hledger query which filters the data. hledger\-ui provides the following options:@@ -53,20 +53,20 @@ Flags:   \-w \-\-watch                watch for data and date changes and reload                             automatically-     \-\-theme=THEME          use this custom display theme (default,-                            greenterm, terminal, dark)+     \-\-theme=THEME          use this custom display theme (light,+                            dark, terminal, greenterm)      \-\-cash                 start in the cash accounts screen      \-\-bs                   start in the balance sheet accounts screen      \-\-is                   start in the income statement accounts screen      \-\-all                  start in the all accounts screen-     \-\-register=ACCTREGEX   start in the (first matched) account\[aq]s register+     \-\-register=ACCTREGEX   start in the (first matched) account\(aqs register      \-\-change               show period balances (changes) at startup instead                             of historical balances   \-l \-\-flat                 show accounts as a flat list (default)   \-t \-\-tree                 show accounts as a tree .EE .PP-and also supports many of hledger\[aq]s general options:+and also supports many of hledger\(aqs general options: .IP .EX General input/data transformation flags:@@ -80,18 +80,18 @@      \-\-alias=A=B|/RGX/=RPL  transform account names from A to B, or by                             replacing regular expression matches      \-\-auto                 generate extra postings by applying auto posting-                            rules (\[dq]=\[dq]) to all transactions+                            rules (\(dq=\(dq) to all transactions      \-\-forecast[=PERIOD]    Generate extra transactions from periodic rules-                            (\[dq]\[ti]\[dq]), from after the latest ordinary transaction+                            (\(dq\(ti\(dq), from after the latest ordinary transaction                             until 6 months from now. Or, during the specified                             PERIOD (the equals is required). Auto posting rules                             will also be applied to these transactions. In                             hledger\-ui, also make future\-dated transactions                             visible at startup.-  \-I \-\-ignore\-assertions    don\[aq]t check balance assertions by default+  \-I \-\-ignore\-assertions    don\(aqt check balance assertions by default      \-\-txn\-balancing=...    how to check that transactions are balanced:-                            \[aq]old\[aq]:   use global display precision-                            \[aq]exact\[aq]: use transaction precision (default)+                            \(aqold\(aq:   use global display precision+                            \(aqexact\(aq: use transaction precision (default)      \-\-infer\-costs          infer conversion equity postings from costs      \-\-infer\-equity         infer costs from conversion equity postings      \-\-infer\-market\-prices  infer market prices from costs@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@   \-Y \-\-yearly               multiperiod report with 1 year interval   \-p \-\-period=PERIODEXP     set begin date, end date, and/or report interval,                             with more flexibility-     \-\-today=DATE           override today\[aq]s date (affects relative dates)+     \-\-today=DATE           override today\(aqs date (affects relative dates)      \-\-date2                match/use secondary dates instead (deprecated)   \-U \-\-unmarked             include only unmarked postings/transactions   \-P \-\-pending              include only pending postings/transactions@@ -133,14 +133,14 @@      \-\-value=WHEN[,COMM]    show amounts converted to their value on the                             specified date(s) in their default valuation                             commodity or a specified commodity. WHEN can be:-                            \[aq]then\[aq]:     value on transaction dates-                            \[aq]end\[aq]:      value at period end(s)-                            \[aq]now\[aq]:      value today+                            \(aqthen\(aq:     value on transaction dates+                            \(aqend\(aq:      value at period end(s)+                            \(aqnow\(aq:      value today                             YYYY\-MM\-DD: value on given date-  \-c \-\-commodity\-style=S    Override a commodity\[aq]s display style.-                            Eg: \-c \[aq].\[aq] or \-c \[aq]1.000,00 EUR\[aq]+  \-c \-\-commodity\-style=S    Override a commodity\(aqs display style.+                            Eg: \-c \(aq.\(aq or \-c \(aq1.000,00 EUR\(aq      \-\-pretty[=YN]          Use box\-drawing characters in text output? Can be-                            \[aq]y\[aq]/\[aq]yes\[aq] or \[aq]n\[aq]/\[aq]no\[aq].+                            \(aqy\(aq/\(aqyes\(aq or \(aqn\(aq/\(aqno\(aq.                             If YN is specified, the equals is required.  General help flags:@@ -163,11 +163,11 @@ .SH MOUSE In most modern terminals, you can navigate through the screens with a mouse or touchpad:-.IP \[bu] 2+.IP \(bu 2 Use mouse wheel or trackpad to scroll up and down-.IP \[bu] 2+.IP \(bu 2 Click on list items to go deeper-.IP \[bu] 2+.IP \(bu 2 Click on the left margin (column 0) to go back. .SH KEYS Keyboard gives more control.@@ -183,6 +183,7 @@ deeper, \f[CR]LEFT\f[R] returns to the previous screen, \f[CR]UP\f[R]/\f[CR]DOWN\f[R]/\f[CR]PGUP\f[R]/\f[CR]PGDN\f[R]/\f[CR]HOME\f[R]/\f[CR]END\f[R] move up and down through lists.+\f[CR]J\f[R]/\f[CR]K\f[R] jump down/up 10 items at a time. Emacs\-style (\f[CR]CTRL\-p\f[R]/\f[CR]CTRL\-n\f[R]/\f[CR]CTRL\-f\f[R]/\f[CR]CTRL\-b\f[R]) and VI\-style (\f[CR]k\f[R],\f[CR]j\f[R],\f[CR]l\f[R],\f[CR]h\f[R])@@ -212,7 +213,7 @@ When narrowed, the current report period is displayed in the header line, pressing \f[CR]SHIFT\-LEFT\f[R] or \f[CR]SHIFT\-RIGHT\f[R] moves to the previous or next period, and pressing \f[CR]T\f[R] sets the-period to \[dq]today\[dq].+period to \(dqtoday\(dq. If you are using \f[CR]\-w/\-\-watch\f[R] and viewing a narrowed period containing today, the view will follow any changes in system date (moving to the period containing the new date).@@ -226,22 +227,22 @@ .PP (Tip: arrow keys with Shift do not work out of the box in all terminal software.-Eg in Apple\[aq]s Terminal, the SHIFT\-DOWN and SHIFT\-UP keys must be-configured as follows: in Terminal\[aq]s preferences, click Profiles,+Eg in Apple\(aqs Terminal, the SHIFT\-DOWN and SHIFT\-UP keys must be+configured as follows: in Terminal\(aqs preferences, click Profiles, select your current profile on the left, click Keyboard on the right,-click + and add this for SHIFT\-DOWN: \f[CR]\[rs]033[1;2B\f[R], click +-and add this for SHIFT\-UP: \f[CR]\[rs]033[1;2A\f[R].+click + and add this for SHIFT\-DOWN: \f[CR]\(rs033[1;2B\f[R], click ++and add this for SHIFT\-UP: \f[CR]\(rs033[1;2A\f[R]. \ In other terminals (Windows Terminal ?) you might need to configure SHIFT\-RIGHT and SHIFT\-LEFT to emit-\f[CR]\[rs]033[1;2C\f[R] and \f[CR]\[rs]033[1;2D\f[R] respectively.)+\f[CR]\(rs033[1;2C\f[R] and \f[CR]\(rs033[1;2D\f[R] respectively.) .PP \f[CR]ESCAPE\f[R] resets the UI state and jumps back to the top screen,-restoring the app\[aq]s initial state at startup.+restoring the app\(aqs initial state at startup. Or, it cancels minibuffer data entry or the help dialog. .PP \f[CR]CTRL\-l\f[R] redraws the screen and centers the selection if-possible (selections near the top won\[aq]t be centered, since we-don\[aq]t scroll above the top).+possible (selections near the top won\(aqt be centered, since we+don\(aqt scroll above the top). .PP \f[CR]g\f[R] reloads from the data file(s) and updates the current screen and any previous screens.@@ -254,7 +255,7 @@ re\-enabling balance assertions with the \f[CR]I\f[R] key also reloads the journal, like \f[CR]g\f[R].) .PP-\f[CR]a\f[R] runs command\-line hledger\[aq]s add command, and reloads+\f[CR]a\f[R] runs command\-line hledger\(aqs add command, and reloads the updated file. This allows some basic data entry. .PP@@ -264,14 +265,14 @@ $path. .PP \f[CR]E\f[R] runs $HLEDGER_UI_EDITOR, or $EDITOR, or a default-(\f[CR]emacsclient \-a \[dq]\[dq] \-nw\f[R]) on the journal file.+(\f[CR]emacsclient \-a \(dq\(dq \-nw\f[R]) on the journal file. With some editors (emacs, vi), the cursor will be positioned at the current transaction when invoked from the register and transaction screens, and at the error location (if possible) when invoked from the error screen. .PP \f[CR]B\f[R] toggles cost mode, showing amounts converted to their-cost\[aq]s commodity (see hledger manual > Cost reporting.+cost\(aqs commodity (see hledger manual > Cost reporting. .PP \f[CR]V\f[R] toggles value mode, showing amounts converted to their market value (see hledger manual > Valuation flag).@@ -291,7 +292,7 @@ like \f[CR]date:..YYYY\-MM\-DD\f[R]. \- Either cost mode, or value mode, can be active, but not both at once. Cost mode takes precedence.-\- There\[aq]s not yet any visual indicator that cost or value mode is+\- There\(aqs not yet any visual indicator that cost or value mode is active, other than the amount values. .PP \f[CR]q\f[R] quits the application.@@ -314,7 +315,7 @@ Note some of these may not show anything until you have configured account types. .SS Cash accounts screen-This screen shows \[dq]cash\[dq] (ie, liquid asset) accounts (like+This screen shows \(dqcash\(dq (ie, liquid asset) accounts (like \f[CR]hledger balancesheet type:c\f[R]). It always shows balances (historical ending balances on the date shown in the title line).@@ -335,38 +336,38 @@ .SS Register screen This screen shows the transactions affecting a particular account. Each line represents one transaction, and shows:-.IP \[bu] 2+.IP \(bu 2 the other account(s) involved, in abbreviated form. (If there are both real and virtual postings, it shows only the accounts affected by real postings.)-.IP \[bu] 2-the overall change to the current account\[aq]s balance; positive for an+.IP \(bu 2+the overall change to the current account\(aqs balance; positive for an inflow to this account, negative for an outflow.-.IP \[bu] 2+.IP \(bu 2 the running total after the transaction. With the \f[CR]H\f[R] key you can toggle between .RS 2-.IP \[bu] 2+.IP \(bu 2 the period total, which is from just the transactions displayed-.IP \[bu] 2+.IP \(bu 2 or the historical total, which includes any undisplayed transactions before the start of the report period (and matching the filter query if any). This will be the running historical balance (what you would see on a-bank\[aq]s website, eg) if not disturbed by a query.+bank\(aqs website, eg) if not disturbed by a query. .RE .PP-Note, this screen combines each transaction\[aq]s in\-period postings to+Note, this screen combines each transaction\(aqs in\-period postings to a single line item, dated with the earliest in\-period transaction or-posting date (like hledger\[aq]s \f[CR]aregister\f[R]).+posting date (like hledger\(aqs \f[CR]aregister\f[R]). So custom posting dates can cause the running balance to be temporarily inaccurate. (See hledger manual > aregister and posting dates.) .PP-Transactions affecting this account\[aq]s subaccounts will be included-in the register if the accounts screen is in tree mode, or if it\[aq]s-in list mode but this account has subaccounts which are not shown due to-a depth limit.+Transactions affecting this account\(aqs subaccounts will be included in+the register if the accounts screen is in tree mode, or if it\(aqs in+list mode but this account has subaccounts which are not shown due to a+depth limit. In other words, the register always shows the transactions contributing to the balance shown on the accounts screen. Tree mode/list mode can be toggled with \f[CR]t\f[R] here also.@@ -388,10 +389,10 @@ Press \f[CR]RIGHT\f[R] to view the selected transaction in detail. .SS Transaction screen This screen shows a single transaction, as a general journal entry,-similar to hledger\[aq]s print command and journal format+similar to hledger\(aqs print command and journal format (hledger_journal(5)). .PP-The transaction\[aq]s date(s) and any cleared flag, transaction code,+The transaction\(aqs date(s) and any cleared flag, transaction code, description, comments, along with all of its account postings are shown. Simple transactions have two postings, but there can be more (or in certain cases, fewer).@@ -402,9 +403,9 @@ that account register. They will vary depending on which account register you came from (remember most transactions appear in multiple account registers).-The #N number preceding them is the transaction\[aq]s position within-the complete unfiltered journal, which is a more stable id (at least-until the next reload).+The #N number preceding them is the transaction\(aqs position within the+complete unfiltered journal, which is a more stable id (at least until+the next reload). .PP On this screen (and the register screen), the \f[CR]E\f[R] key will open your text editor with the cursor positioned at the current transaction@@ -416,13 +417,13 @@ normal operation. (Or, you can press escape to cancel the reload attempt.) .SH WATCH MODE-One of hledger\-ui\[aq]s best features is the auto\-reloading+One of hledger\-ui\(aqs best features is the auto\-reloading \f[CR]\-w/\-\-watch\f[R] mode. With this flag, it will update the display automatically whenever changes are saved to the data files. .PP This is very useful when reconciling.-A good workflow is to have your bank\[aq]s online register open in a+A good workflow is to have your bank\(aqs online register open in a browser window, for reference; the journal file open in an editor window; and hledger\-ui in watch mode in a terminal window, eg: .IP@@ -438,18 +439,18 @@ .SS \-\-watch problems \f[I]However.\f[R] There are limitations/unresolved bugs with \f[CR]\-\-watch\f[R]:-.IP \[bu] 2+.IP \(bu 2 It may not work at all for you, depending on platform or system configuration. On some unix systems, increasing fs.inotify.max_user_watches or fs.file\-max parameters in /etc/sysctl.conf might help. (#836)-.IP \[bu] 2+.IP \(bu 2 It may not detect changes made from outside a virtual machine, ie by an editor running on the host system.-.IP \[bu] 2+.IP \(bu 2 It may not detect file changes on certain less common filesystems.-.IP \[bu] 2+.IP \(bu 2 It may use increasing CPU and RAM over time, especially with large files. (This is probably not \-\-watch specific, you may be able to reproduce@@ -457,16 +458,16 @@ (#1825) .PP Tips/workarounds:-.IP \[bu] 2-If \-\-watch won\[aq]t work for you, press \f[CR]g\f[R] to reload data+.IP \(bu 2+If \-\-watch won\(aqt work for you, press \f[CR]g\f[R] to reload data manually instead.-.IP \[bu] 2+.IP \(bu 2 If \-\-watch is leaking resources over time, quit and restart (or-suspend and resume) hledger\-ui when you\[aq]re not using it.-.IP \[bu] 2+suspend and resume) hledger\-ui when you\(aqre not using it.+.IP \(bu 2 When running hledger\-ui inside a VM, also make file changes inside the VM.-.IP \[bu] 2+.IP \(bu 2 When working with files mounted from another machine, make sure the system clocks on both machines are roughly in agreement. .SH ENVIRONMENT@@ -480,8 +481,7 @@ .PP Some known issues: .PP-\f[CR]\-f\-\f[R] doesn\[aq]t work (hledger\-ui can\[aq]t read from-stdin).+\f[CR]\-f\-\f[R] doesn\(aqt work (hledger\-ui can\(aqt read from stdin). .PP \f[CR]\-\-watch\f[R] is not robust, especially with large files (see WATCH MODE above).
embeddedfiles/hledger-ui.info view
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@-This is hledger-ui.info, produced by makeinfo version 7.2 from stdin.+This is hledger-ui.info, produced by makeinfo version 7.3 from stdin.  INFO-DIR-SECTION User Applications START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ or 'hledger ui [OPTS] [QUERYARGS]' -   This manual is for hledger's terminal interface, version 1.51.2.  See+   This manual is for hledger's terminal interface, version 1.52.  See also the hledger manual for common concepts and file formats.     hledger is a robust, user-friendly, cross-platform set of programs@@ -66,8 +66,8 @@ Flags:   -w --watch                watch for data and date changes and reload                             automatically-     --theme=THEME          use this custom display theme (default,-                            greenterm, terminal, dark)+     --theme=THEME          use this custom display theme (light,+                            dark, terminal, greenterm)      --cash                 start in the cash accounts screen      --bs                   start in the balance sheet accounts screen      --is                   start in the income statement accounts screen@@ -199,9 +199,9 @@     The cursor keys navigate: 'RIGHT' or 'ENTER' goes deeper, 'LEFT' returns to the previous screen, 'UP'/'DOWN'/'PGUP'/'PGDN'/'HOME'/'END'-move up and down through lists.  Emacs-style-('CTRL-p'/'CTRL-n'/'CTRL-f'/'CTRL-b') and VI-style ('k','j','l','h')-movement keys are also supported.+move up and down through lists.  'J'/'K' jump down/up 10 items at a+time.  Emacs-style ('CTRL-p'/'CTRL-n'/'CTRL-f'/'CTRL-b') and VI-style+('k','j','l','h') movement keys are also supported.     (Tip: movement speed is limited by your keyboard repeat rate, to move faster you may want to adjust it.  On a mac, the Karabiner app is one@@ -555,22 +555,22 @@  Tag Table: Node: Top221-Node: OPTIONS1869-Node: MOUSE8755-Node: KEYS9087-Node: SCREENS14229-Node: Menu screen14969-Node: Cash accounts screen15285-Node: Balance sheet accounts screen15646-Node: Income statement accounts screen15982-Node: All accounts screen16367-Node: Register screen16730-Node: Transaction screen19173-Node: Error screen20353-Node: WATCH MODE20719-Node: --watch problems21617-Node: ENVIRONMENT22864-Node: BUGS23097+Node: OPTIONS1867+Node: MOUSE8751+Node: KEYS9083+Node: SCREENS14267+Node: Menu screen15007+Node: Cash accounts screen15323+Node: Balance sheet accounts screen15684+Node: Income statement accounts screen16020+Node: All accounts screen16405+Node: Register screen16768+Node: Transaction screen19211+Node: Error screen20391+Node: WATCH MODE20757+Node: --watch problems21655+Node: ENVIRONMENT22902+Node: BUGS23135  End Tag Table
embeddedfiles/hledger-ui.txt view
@@ -1,463 +1,450 @@ -HLEDGER-UI(1)                hledger User Manuals                HLEDGER-UI(1)+HLEDGER-UI(1)                 hledger User Manuals                 HLEDGER-UI(1)  NAME-       hledger-ui  -  terminal interface (TUI) for hledger, a robust, friendly-       plain text accounting app.+     hledger-ui - terminal interface (TUI) for hledger, a robust, friendly plain+     text accounting app.  SYNOPSIS-       hledger-ui [OPTS] [QUERYARGS]-       or-       hledger ui [OPTS] [QUERYARGS]+     hledger-ui [OPTS] [QUERYARGS]+     or+     hledger ui [OPTS] [QUERYARGS]  DESCRIPTION-       This manual is for hledger's terminal interface, version  1.51.2.   See-       also the hledger manual for common concepts and file formats.+     This  manual  is  for hledger's terminal interface, version 1.52.  See also+     the hledger manual for common concepts and file formats. -       hledger  is a robust, user-friendly, cross-platform set of programs for-       tracking money, time, or any other commodity,  using  double-entry  ac--       counting  and  a  simple, editable file format.  hledger is inspired by-       and largely compatible with  ledger(1),  and  largely  interconvertible-       with beancount(1).+     hledger is a robust, user-friendly,  cross-platform  set  of  programs  for+     tracking money, time, or any other commodity, using double-entry accounting+     and  a  simple,  editable  file format.  hledger is inspired by and largely+     compatible with ledger(1), and largely interconvertible with beancount(1). -       hledger-ui  is  hledger's  terminal  interface,  providing an efficient-       full-window text UI for viewing accounts  and  transactions,  and  some-       limited  data  entry  capability.   It  is  easier  than hledger's com--       mand-line interface, and sometimes quicker and more convenient than the-       web interface.+     hledger-ui  is  hledger's  terminal  interface,  providing   an   efficient+     full-window text UI for viewing accounts and transactions, and some limited+     data entry capability.  It is easier than hledger's command-line interface,+     and sometimes quicker and more convenient than the web interface. -       Like hledger, it reads from (and appends to) a journal  file  specified-       by    the    LEDGER_FILE    environment    variable    (defaulting   to-       $HOME/.hledger.journal); or you can specify files with -f options.   It-       can  also  read timeclock files, timedot files, or any CSV/SSV/TSV file-       with a date field.  (See hledger(1) -> Input for details.)+     Like  hledger,  it  reads from (and appends to) a journal file specified by+     the LEDGER_FILE environment variable  (defaulting  to  $HOME/.hledger.jour-+     nal); or you can specify files with -f options.  It can also read timeclock+     files,  timedot  files,  or  any  CSV/SSV/TSV file with a date field.  (See+     hledger(1) -> Input for details.) -       Unlike hledger, hledger-ui hides all future-dated transactions  by  de--       fault.   They  can  be revealed, along with any rule-generated periodic-       transactions, by pressing the F key (or starting  with  --forecast)  to-       enable "forecast mode".+     Unlike hledger, hledger-ui hides all future-dated transactions by  default.+     They  can be revealed, along with any rule-generated periodic transactions,+     by pressing the F key (or starting with  --forecast)  to  enable  "forecast+     mode".  OPTIONS-       Any  arguments  are  interpreted  as  a hledger query which filters the-       data.  hledger-ui provides the following options:+     Any  arguments  are  interpreted as a hledger query which filters the data.+     hledger-ui provides the following options: -              Flags:-                -w --watch                watch for data and date changes and reload-                                          automatically-                   --theme=THEME          use this custom display theme (default,-                                          greenterm, terminal, dark)-                   --cash                 start in the cash accounts screen-                   --bs                   start in the balance sheet accounts screen-                   --is                   start in the income statement accounts screen-                   --all                  start in the all accounts screen-                   --register=ACCTREGEX   start in the (first matched) account's register-                   --change               show period balances (changes) at startup instead-                                          of historical balances-                -l --flat                 show accounts as a flat list (default)-                -t --tree                 show accounts as a tree+            Flags:+              -w --watch                watch for data and date changes and reload+                                        automatically+                 --theme=THEME          use this custom display theme (light,+                                        dark, terminal, greenterm)+                 --cash                 start in the cash accounts screen+                 --bs                   start in the balance sheet accounts screen+                 --is                   start in the income statement accounts screen+                 --all                  start in the all accounts screen+                 --register=ACCTREGEX   start in the (first matched) account's register+                 --change               show period balances (changes) at startup instead+                                        of historical balances+              -l --flat                 show accounts as a flat list (default)+              -t --tree                 show accounts as a tree -       and also supports many of hledger's general options:+     and also supports many of hledger's general options: -              General input/data transformation flags:-                -f --file=[FMT:]FILE      Read data from FILE, or from stdin if FILE is -,-                                          inferring format from extension or a FMT: prefix.-                                          Can be specified more than once. If not specified,-                                          reads from $LEDGER_FILE or $HOME/.hledger.journal.-                   --rules=RULESFILE      Use rules defined in this rules file for-                                          converting subsequent CSV/SSV/TSV files. If not-                                          specified, uses FILE.csv.rules for each FILE.csv.-                   --alias=A=B|/RGX/=RPL  transform account names from A to B, or by-                                          replacing regular expression matches-                   --auto                 generate extra postings by applying auto posting-                                          rules ("=") to all transactions-                   --forecast[=PERIOD]    Generate extra transactions from periodic rules-                                          ("~"), from after the latest ordinary transaction-                                          until 6 months from now. Or, during the specified-                                          PERIOD (the equals is required). Auto posting rules-                                          will also be applied to these transactions. In-                                          hledger-ui, also make future-dated transactions-                                          visible at startup.-                -I --ignore-assertions    don't check balance assertions by default-                   --txn-balancing=...    how to check that transactions are balanced:-                                          'old':   use global display precision-                                          'exact': use transaction precision (default)-                   --infer-costs          infer conversion equity postings from costs-                   --infer-equity         infer costs from conversion equity postings-                   --infer-market-prices  infer market prices from costs-                   --pivot=TAGNAME        use a different field or tag as account names-                -s --strict               do extra error checks (and override -I)-                   --verbose-tags         add tags indicating generated/modified data+            General input/data transformation flags:+              -f --file=[FMT:]FILE      Read data from FILE, or from stdin if FILE is -,+                                        inferring format from extension or a FMT: prefix.+                                        Can be specified more than once. If not specified,+                                        reads from $LEDGER_FILE or $HOME/.hledger.journal.+                 --rules=RULESFILE      Use rules defined in this rules file for+                                        converting subsequent CSV/SSV/TSV files. If not+                                        specified, uses FILE.csv.rules for each FILE.csv.+                 --alias=A=B|/RGX/=RPL  transform account names from A to B, or by+                                        replacing regular expression matches+                 --auto                 generate extra postings by applying auto posting+                                        rules ("=") to all transactions+                 --forecast[=PERIOD]    Generate extra transactions from periodic rules+                                        ("~"), from after the latest ordinary transaction+                                        until 6 months from now. Or, during the specified+                                        PERIOD (the equals is required). Auto posting rules+                                        will also be applied to these transactions. In+                                        hledger-ui, also make future-dated transactions+                                        visible at startup.+              -I --ignore-assertions    don't check balance assertions by default+                 --txn-balancing=...    how to check that transactions are balanced:+                                        'old':   use global display precision+                                        'exact': use transaction precision (default)+                 --infer-costs          infer conversion equity postings from costs+                 --infer-equity         infer costs from conversion equity postings+                 --infer-market-prices  infer market prices from costs+                 --pivot=TAGNAME        use a different field or tag as account names+              -s --strict               do extra error checks (and override -I)+                 --verbose-tags         add tags indicating generated/modified data -              General output/reporting flags (supported by some commands):-                -b --begin=DATE           include postings/transactions on/after this date-                -e --end=DATE             include postings/transactions before this date-                                          (with a report interval, will be adjusted to-                                          following subperiod end)-                -D --daily                multiperiod report with 1 day interval-                -W --weekly               multiperiod report with 1 week interval-                -M --monthly              multiperiod report with 1 month interval-                -Q --quarterly            multiperiod report with 1 quarter interval-                -Y --yearly               multiperiod report with 1 year interval-                -p --period=PERIODEXP     set begin date, end date, and/or report interval,-                                          with more flexibility-                   --today=DATE           override today's date (affects relative dates)-                   --date2                match/use secondary dates instead (deprecated)-                -U --unmarked             include only unmarked postings/transactions-                -P --pending              include only pending postings/transactions-                -C --cleared              include only cleared postings/transactions-                                          (-U/-P/-C can be combined)-                -R --real                 include only non-virtual postings-                -E --empty                Show zero items, which are normally hidden.-                                          In hledger-ui & hledger-web, do the opposite.-                   --depth=DEPTHEXP       if a number (or -NUM): show only top NUM levels-                                          of accounts. If REGEXP=NUM, only apply limiting to-                                          accounts matching the regular expression.-                -B --cost                 show amounts converted to their cost/sale amount-                -V --market               Show amounts converted to their value at period-                                          end(s) in their default valuation commodity.-                                          Equivalent to --value=end.-                -X --exchange=COMM        Show amounts converted to their value at period-                                          end(s) in the specified commodity.-                                          Equivalent to --value=end,COMM.-                   --value=WHEN[,COMM]    show amounts converted to their value on the-                                          specified date(s) in their default valuation-                                          commodity or a specified commodity. WHEN can be:-                                          'then':     value on transaction dates-                                          'end':      value at period end(s)-                                          'now':      value today-                                          YYYY-MM-DD: value on given date-                -c --commodity-style=S    Override a commodity's display style.-                                          Eg: -c '.' or -c '1.000,00 EUR'-                   --pretty[=YN]          Use box-drawing characters in text output? Can be-                                          'y'/'yes' or 'n'/'no'.-                                          If YN is specified, the equals is required.+            General output/reporting flags (supported by some commands):+              -b --begin=DATE           include postings/transactions on/after this date+              -e --end=DATE             include postings/transactions before this date+                                        (with a report interval, will be adjusted to+                                        following subperiod end)+              -D --daily                multiperiod report with 1 day interval+              -W --weekly               multiperiod report with 1 week interval+              -M --monthly              multiperiod report with 1 month interval+              -Q --quarterly            multiperiod report with 1 quarter interval+              -Y --yearly               multiperiod report with 1 year interval+              -p --period=PERIODEXP     set begin date, end date, and/or report interval,+                                        with more flexibility+                 --today=DATE           override today's date (affects relative dates)+                 --date2                match/use secondary dates instead (deprecated)+              -U --unmarked             include only unmarked postings/transactions+              -P --pending              include only pending postings/transactions+              -C --cleared              include only cleared postings/transactions+                                        (-U/-P/-C can be combined)+              -R --real                 include only non-virtual postings+              -E --empty                Show zero items, which are normally hidden.+                                        In hledger-ui & hledger-web, do the opposite.+                 --depth=DEPTHEXP       if a number (or -NUM): show only top NUM levels+                                        of accounts. If REGEXP=NUM, only apply limiting to+                                        accounts matching the regular expression.+              -B --cost                 show amounts converted to their cost/sale amount+              -V --market               Show amounts converted to their value at period+                                        end(s) in their default valuation commodity.+                                        Equivalent to --value=end.+              -X --exchange=COMM        Show amounts converted to their value at period+                                        end(s) in the specified commodity.+                                        Equivalent to --value=end,COMM.+                 --value=WHEN[,COMM]    show amounts converted to their value on the+                                        specified date(s) in their default valuation+                                        commodity or a specified commodity. WHEN can be:+                                        'then':     value on transaction dates+                                        'end':      value at period end(s)+                                        'now':      value today+                                        YYYY-MM-DD: value on given date+              -c --commodity-style=S    Override a commodity's display style.+                                        Eg: -c '.' or -c '1.000,00 EUR'+                 --pretty[=YN]          Use box-drawing characters in text output? Can be+                                        'y'/'yes' or 'n'/'no'.+                                        If YN is specified, the equals is required. -              General help flags:-                -h --help                 show command line help-                   --tldr                 show command examples with tldr-                   --info                 show the manual with info-                   --man                  show the manual with man-                   --version              show version information-                   --debug=[1-9]          show this much debug output (default: 1)-                   --pager=YN             use a pager when needed ? y/yes (default) or n/no-                   --color=YNA --colour   use ANSI color ? y/yes, n/no, or auto (default)+            General help flags:+              -h --help                 show command line help+                 --tldr                 show command examples with tldr+                 --info                 show the manual with info+                 --man                  show the manual with man+                 --version              show version information+                 --debug=[1-9]          show this much debug output (default: 1)+                 --pager=YN             use a pager when needed ? y/yes (default) or n/no+                 --color=YNA --colour   use ANSI color ? y/yes, n/no, or auto (default) -       With  hledger-ui,  the  --debug  option  sends  debug   output   to   a-       hledger-ui.log file in the current directory.+     With hledger-ui, the --debug option sends debug output to a  hledger-ui.log+     file in the current directory. -       If  you use the bash shell, you can auto-complete flags by pressing TAB-       in the command line.  If this is not working see Install >  Shell  com--       pletions.+     If  you  use the bash shell, you can auto-complete flags by pressing TAB in+     the command line.  If this is not working see Install > Shell completions.  MOUSE-       In  most  modern terminals, you can navigate through the screens with a-       mouse or touchpad:+     In most modern terminals, you can navigate through the screens with a mouse+     or touchpad: -       o Use mouse wheel or trackpad to scroll up and down+     * Use mouse wheel or trackpad to scroll up and down -       o Click on list items to go deeper+     * Click on list items to go deeper -       o Click on the left margin (column 0) to go back.+     * Click on the left margin (column 0) to go back.  KEYS-       Keyboard gives more control.+     Keyboard gives more control. -       ? shows a help dialog listing all keys.  (Some of these also appear  in-       the  quick  help  at the bottom of each screen.)  Press ? again (or ES--       CAPE, or LEFT, or q) to close it.  The  following  keys  work  on  most-       screens:+     ? shows a help dialog listing all keys.  (Some of these also appear in  the+     quick  help  at  the  bottom of each screen.)  Press ? again (or ESCAPE, or+     LEFT, or q) to close it.  The following keys work on most screens: -       The  cursor  keys navigate: RIGHT or ENTER goes deeper, LEFT returns to-       the  previous  screen,  UP/DOWN/PGUP/PGDN/HOME/END  move  up  and  down-       through  lists.  Emacs-style (CTRL-p/CTRL-n/CTRL-f/CTRL-b) and VI-style-       (k,j,l,h) movement keys are also supported.+     The cursor keys navigate: RIGHT or ENTER goes deeper, LEFT returns  to  the+     previous screen, UP/DOWN/PGUP/PGDN/HOME/END move up and down through lists.+     J/K     jump     down/up    10    items    at    a    time.     Emacs-style+     (CTRL-p/CTRL-n/CTRL-f/CTRL-b) and VI-style (k,j,l,h) movement keys are also+     supported. -       (Tip: movement speed is limited by your keyboard repeat rate,  to  move-       faster  you  may want to adjust it.  On a mac, the Karabiner app is one-       way to do that.)+     (Tip: movement speed is limited by  your  keyboard  repeat  rate,  to  move+     faster  you  may want to adjust it.  On a mac, the Karabiner app is one way+     to do that.) -       / lets you set a general filter query limiting the  data  shown,  using-       the  same query terms as in hledger and hledger-web.  While editing the-       query, you can use CTRL-a/e/d/k, BS, cursor keys; press  ENTER  to  set-       it, or ESCAPEto cancel.  There are also keys for quickly adjusting some-       common  filters  like account depth and transaction status (see below).-       BACKSPACE or DELETE removes all filters, showing all transactions.+     / lets you set a general filter query limiting the data  shown,  using  the+     same  query  terms as in hledger and hledger-web.  While editing the query,+     you can use CTRL-a/e/d/k, BS, cursor keys; press ENTER to set  it,  or  ES-+     CAPEto  cancel.  There are also keys for quickly adjusting some common fil-+     ters like account depth and transaction status (see below).   BACKSPACE  or+     DELETE removes all filters, showing all transactions. -       As mentioned above, by default hledger-ui hides future  transactions  --       both ordinary transactions recorded in the journal, and periodic trans--       actions  generated  by  rule.   F  toggles  forecast mode, in which fu--       ture/forecasted transactions are shown.+     As  mentioned above, by default hledger-ui hides future transactions - both+     ordinary transactions recorded in the journal,  and  periodic  transactions+     generated  by  rule.   F  toggles forecast mode, in which future/forecasted+     transactions are shown. -       Pressing SHIFT-DOWN narrows the report period,  and  pressing  SHIFT-UP-       expands  it  again.   When  narrowed, the current report period is dis--       played in the header line, pressing SHIFT-LEFT or SHIFT-RIGHT moves  to-       the previous or next period, and pressing T sets the period to "today".-       If  you  are  using -w/--watch and viewing a narrowed period containing-       today, the view will follow any changes in system date (moving  to  the-       period  containing the new date).  (These keys work only with the stan--       dard Julian calendar year/quarter/month/week/day periods; they are  not-       affected by a custom report interval specified at the command line.)+     Pressing SHIFT-DOWN narrows the report period, and  pressing  SHIFT-UP  ex-+     pands  it  again.  When narrowed, the current report period is displayed in+     the header line, pressing SHIFT-LEFT or SHIFT-RIGHT moves to  the  previous+     or  next period, and pressing T sets the period to "today".  If you are us-+     ing -w/--watch and viewing a narrowed period  containing  today,  the  view+     will follow any changes in system date (moving to the period containing the+     new  date).   (These  keys  work  only  with  the  standard Julian calendar+     year/quarter/month/week/day periods; they are not affected by a custom  re-+     port interval specified at the command line.) -       You can also specify a non-standard period with / and a date: query; in-       this case, the period is not movable with the arrow keys.+     You  can  also  specify  a non-standard period with / and a date: query; in+     this case, the period is not movable with the arrow keys. -       (Tip:  arrow keys with Shift do not work out of the box in all terminal-       software.  Eg in Apple's Terminal, the  SHIFT-DOWN  and  SHIFT-UP  keys-       must  be  configured  as follows: in Terminal's preferences, click Pro--       files, select your current profile on the left, click Keyboard  on  the-       right,  click + and add this for SHIFT-DOWN: \033[1;2B, click + and add-       this for SHIFT-UP: \033[1;2A.   In other terminals (Windows Terminal ?)-       you  might  need  to  configure  SHIFT-RIGHT  and  SHIFT-LEFT  to  emit-       \033[1;2C and \033[1;2D respectively.)+     (Tip: arrow keys with Shift do not work out of  the  box  in  all  terminal+     software.  Eg in Apple's Terminal, the SHIFT-DOWN and SHIFT-UP keys must be+     configured  as  follows:  in Terminal's preferences, click Profiles, select+     your current profile on the left, click Keyboard on the right, click +  and+     add  this  for  SHIFT-DOWN:  \033[1;2B,  click + and add this for SHIFT-UP:+     \033[1;2A.   In other terminals (Windows Terminal ?)   you  might  need  to+     configure  SHIFT-RIGHT  and  SHIFT-LEFT to emit \033[1;2C and \033[1;2D re-+     spectively.) -       ESCAPE  resets the UI state and jumps back to the top screen, restoring-       the app's initial state at startup.  Or, it cancels minibuffer data en--       try or the help dialog.+     ESCAPE resets the UI state and jumps back to the top screen, restoring  the+     app's  initial  state  at startup.  Or, it cancels minibuffer data entry or+     the help dialog. -       CTRL-l redraws the screen and centers the selection if possible (selec--       tions near the top won't be centered, since we don't scroll  above  the-       top).+     CTRL-l redraws the screen and centers the selection if possible (selections+     near the top won't be centered, since we don't scroll above the top). -       g  reloads from the data file(s) and updates the current screen and any-       previous screens.  (With large files, this  could  cause  a  noticeable-       pause.)+     g reloads from the data file(s) and updates the current screen and any pre-+     vious screens.  (With large files, this could cause a noticeable pause.) -       I  toggles  balance  assertion  checking.  Disabling balance assertions-       temporarily can be useful  for  troubleshooting.   (If  hledger-ui  was-       started  with a --pivot option, re-enabling balance assertions with the-       I key also reloads the journal, like g.)+     I toggles balance assertion checking.  Disabling  balance  assertions  tem-+     porarily  can  be  useful  for troubleshooting.  (If hledger-ui was started+     with a --pivot option, re-enabling balance assertions with the I  key  also+     reloads the journal, like g.) -       a runs command-line hledger's add  command,  and  reloads  the  updated-       file.  This allows some basic data entry.+     a  runs  command-line  hledger's add command, and reloads the updated file.+     This allows some basic data entry. -       A  is like a, but runs the hledger-iadd tool, which provides a terminal-       interface.  This key will be available if hledger-iadd is installed  in-       $path.+     A is like a, but runs the hledger-iadd tool, which provides a terminal  in-+     terface.  This key will be available if hledger-iadd is installed in $path. -       E  runs $HLEDGER_UI_EDITOR, or $EDITOR, or a default (emacsclient -a ""-       -nw) on the journal file.  With some editors (emacs,  vi),  the  cursor-       will  be  positioned  at  the current transaction when invoked from the-       register and transaction screens, and at the error location (if  possi--       ble) when invoked from the error screen.+     E runs $HLEDGER_UI_EDITOR, or $EDITOR, or a default (emacsclient -a "" -nw)+     on the journal file.  With some editors (emacs, vi), the cursor will be po-+     sitioned  at  the  current  transaction  when invoked from the register and+     transaction screens, and at the error location (if possible)  when  invoked+     from the error screen. -       B  toggles cost mode, showing amounts converted to their cost's commod--       ity (see hledger manual > Cost reporting.+     B  toggles  cost  mode, showing amounts converted to their cost's commodity+     (see hledger manual > Cost reporting. -       V toggles value mode, showing amounts converted to their  market  value-       (see hledger manual > Valuation flag).  More specifically,+     V toggles value mode, showing amounts converted to their market value  (see+     hledger manual > Valuation flag).  More specifically, -       1. By  default, the V key toggles showing end value (--value=end) on or-          off.  The valuation date will be the report end date  if  specified,-          otherwise today.+     1. By default, the V key toggles showing end value (--value=end) on or off.+        The  valuation  date will be the report end date if specified, otherwise+        today. -       2. If  you  started  hledger-ui  with  some  other  valuation  (such as-          --value=then,EUR), the V key toggles that off or on.+     2. If  you  started  hledger-ui  with  some  other   valuation   (such   as+        --value=then,EUR), the V key toggles that off or on. -       Cost/value tips: - When showing end value, you can  change  the  report-       end  date  without  restarting,  by  pressing / and adding a query like-       date:..YYYY-MM-DD.  - Either cost mode, or value mode, can  be  active,-       but  not  both at once.  Cost mode takes precedence.  - There's not yet-       any visual indicator that cost or value mode is active, other than  the-       amount values.+     Cost/value  tips:  -  When showing end value, you can change the report end+     date  without  restarting,  by  pressing  /  and  adding   a   query   like+     date:..YYYY-MM-DD.   -  Either cost mode, or value mode, can be active, but+     not both at once.  Cost mode takes precedence.  - There's not yet  any  vi-+     sual  indicator  that  cost  or value mode is active, other than the amount+     values. -       q quits the application.+     q quits the application. -       Additional screen-specific keys are described below.+     Additional screen-specific keys are described below.  SCREENS-       At  startup,  hledger-ui shows a menu screen by default.  From here you-       can navigate to other screens using the cursor keys: UP/DOWN to select,-       RIGHT to move to the selected screen, LEFT to return  to  the  previous-       screen.  Or you can use ESC to return directly to the top menu screen.+     At startup, hledger-ui shows a menu screen by default.  From here  you  can+     navigate  to  other screens using the cursor keys: UP/DOWN to select, RIGHT+     to move to the selected screen, LEFT to return to the previous screen.   Or+     you can use ESC to return directly to the top menu screen. -       You  can  also  use a command line flag to specific a different startup-       screen (--cs, --bs, --is, --all, or --register=ACCT).+     You can also use a command line flag to specific a different startup screen+     (--cs, --bs, --is, --all, or --register=ACCT).     Menu screen-       This is the top-most screen.  From here you  can  navigate  to  several-       screens  listing accounts of various types.  Note some of these may not-       show anything until you have configured account types.+     This is the top-most screen.  From here you can navigate to several screens+     listing  accounts  of  various types.  Note some of these may not show any-+     thing until you have configured account types.     Cash accounts screen-       This screen shows "cash" (ie, liquid asset) accounts (like hledger bal--       ancesheet type:c).  It always shows balances  (historical  ending  bal--       ances on the date shown in the title line).+     This screen shows "cash" (ie, liquid asset)  accounts  (like  hledger  bal-+     ancesheet type:c).  It always shows balances (historical ending balances on+     the date shown in the title line).     Balance sheet accounts screen-       This  screen  shows  asset, liability and equity accounts (like hledger-       balancesheetequity).  It always shows balances.+     This  screen  shows asset, liability and equity accounts (like hledger bal-+     ancesheetequity).  It always shows balances.     Income statement accounts screen-       This screen shows revenue and expense accounts (like  hledger  incomes--       tatement).   It  always  shows  changes  (balance changes in the period-       shown in the title line).+     This screen shows revenue and expense accounts (like  hledger  incomestate-+     ment).  It always shows changes (balance changes in the period shown in the+     title line).     All accounts screen-       This screen shows all accounts in your journal (unless  filtered  by  a-       query;  like  hledger  balance).  It shows balances by default; you can-       toggle showing changes with the H key.+     This screen shows all accounts in your journal (unless filtered by a query;+     like  hledger balance).  It shows balances by default; you can toggle show-+     ing changes with the H key.     Register screen-       This screen shows the  transactions  affecting  a  particular  account.-       Each line represents one transaction, and shows:+     This screen shows the transactions affecting a  particular  account.   Each+     line represents one transaction, and shows: -       o the  other  account(s)  involved, in abbreviated form.  (If there are-         both real and virtual postings, it shows only the  accounts  affected-         by real postings.)+     * the  other  account(s) involved, in abbreviated form.  (If there are both+       real and virtual postings, it shows only the accounts  affected  by  real+       postings.) -       o the  overall change to the current account's balance; positive for an-         inflow to this account, negative for an outflow.+     * the  overall change to the current account's balance; positive for an in-+       flow to this account, negative for an outflow. -       o the running total after the transaction.  With the H key you can tog--         gle between+     * the running total after the transaction.  With the H key you  can  toggle+       between -         o the period total, which is from just the transactions displayed+       * the period total, which is from just the transactions displayed -         o or the historical total, which includes  any  undisplayed  transac--           tions  before the start of the report period (and matching the fil--           ter query if any).  This will be  the  running  historical  balance-           (what  you would see on a bank's website, eg) if not disturbed by a-           query.+       * or  the  historical  total, which includes any undisplayed transactions+         before the start of the report period (and matching the filter query if+         any).  This will be the running historical balance (what you would  see+         on a bank's website, eg) if not disturbed by a query. -       Note, this screen combines each transaction's in-period postings  to  a-       single  line  item,  dated  with  the earliest in-period transaction or-       posting date (like hledger's aregister).  So custom posting  dates  can-       cause  the  running balance to be temporarily inaccurate.  (See hledger-       manual > aregister and posting dates.)+     Note,  this screen combines each transaction's in-period postings to a sin-+     gle line item, dated with the earliest  in-period  transaction  or  posting+     date  (like  hledger's  aregister).   So custom posting dates can cause the+     running balance to be temporarily inaccurate.  (See hledger manual >  areg-+     ister and posting dates.) -       Transactions affecting this account's subaccounts will be  included  in-       the register if the accounts screen is in tree mode, or if it's in list-       mode  but  this  account  has  subaccounts which are not shown due to a-       depth limit.  In other words, the register always  shows  the  transac--       tions  contributing  to the balance shown on the accounts screen.  Tree-       mode/list mode can be toggled with t here also.+     Transactions  affecting  this account's subaccounts will be included in the+     register if the accounts screen is in tree mode, or if it's  in  list  mode+     but  this account has subaccounts which are not shown due to a depth limit.+     In other words, the register always shows the transactions contributing  to+     the  balance shown on the accounts screen.  Tree mode/list mode can be tog-+     gled with t here also. -       U toggles filtering by unmarked  status,  showing  or  hiding  unmarked-       transactions.  Similarly, P toggles pending transactions, and C toggles-       cleared  transactions.  (By default, transactions with all statuses are-       shown; if you activate one or two status filters, only  those  transac--       tions are shown; and if you activate all three, the filter is removed.)+     U toggles filtering by unmarked status, showing or hiding unmarked transac-+     tions.  Similarly, P toggles pending transactions, and  C  toggles  cleared+     transactions.   (By  default,  transactions with all statuses are shown; if+     you activate one or two status filters, only those transactions are  shown;+     and if you activate all three, the filter is removed.) -       R toggles real mode, in which virtual postings are ignored.+     R toggles real mode, in which virtual postings are ignored. -       z  toggles  nonzero  mode, in which only transactions posting a nonzero-       change are shown (hledger-ui shows zero items by default,  unlike  com--       mand-line hledger).+     z toggles nonzero mode, in which only transactions posting a nonzero change+     are  shown  (hledger-ui  shows  zero  items by default, unlike command-line+     hledger). -       Press RIGHT to view the selected transaction in detail.+     Press RIGHT to view the selected transaction in detail.     Transaction screen-       This  screen  shows  a  single transaction, as a general journal entry,-       similar to hledger's print command and  journal  format  (hledger_jour--       nal(5)).+     This screen shows a single transaction, as a general journal entry, similar+     to hledger's print command and journal format (hledger_journal(5)). -       The  transaction's  date(s) and any cleared flag, transaction code, de--       scription, comments, along with all of its account postings are  shown.-       Simple  transactions  have  two  postings, but there can be more (or in-       certain cases, fewer).+     The transaction's date(s) and any cleared flag, transaction code,  descrip-+     tion,  comments,  along with all of its account postings are shown.  Simple+     transactions have two postings, but there can be more (or in certain cases,+     fewer). -       UP and DOWN will step through all transactions listed in  the  previous-       account  register screen.  In the title bar, the numbers in parentheses-       show your position within that account register.  They  will  vary  de--       pending on which account register you came from (remember most transac--       tions  appear  in multiple account registers).  The #N number preceding-       them is the transaction's position within the complete unfiltered jour--       nal, which is a more stable id (at least until the next reload).+     UP and DOWN will step through all transactions listed in the  previous  ac-+     count  register  screen.  In the title bar, the numbers in parentheses show+     your position within that account register.  They will  vary  depending  on+     which  account register you came from (remember most transactions appear in+     multiple account registers).  The #N number preceding them is the  transac-+     tion's  position  within  the  complete unfiltered journal, which is a more+     stable id (at least until the next reload). -       On this screen (and the register screen), the E key will open your text-       editor with the cursor positioned at the current transaction if  possi--       ble.+     On this screen (and the register screen), the E key will open your text ed-+     itor with the cursor positioned at the current transaction if possible.     Error screen-       This  screen  will appear if there is a problem, such as a parse error,-       when you press g to reload.  Once you have fixed the problem,  press  g-       again to reload and resume normal operation.  (Or, you can press escape-       to cancel the reload attempt.)+     This screen will appear if there is a problem, such as a parse error,  when+     you  press  g to reload.  Once you have fixed the problem, press g again to+     reload and resume normal operation.  (Or, you can press  escape  to  cancel+     the reload attempt.)  WATCH MODE-       One  of  hledger-ui's  best  features  is the auto-reloading -w/--watch-       mode.  With this flag, it will update the display  automatically  when--       ever changes are saved to the data files.+     One  of  hledger-ui's  best features is the auto-reloading -w/--watch mode.+     With this flag, it will update the display automatically  whenever  changes+     are saved to the data files. -       This  is very useful when reconciling.  A good workflow is to have your-       bank's online register open in a browser  window,  for  reference;  the-       journal  file open in an editor window; and hledger-ui in watch mode in-       a terminal window, eg:+     This  is  very  useful  when  reconciling.  A good workflow is to have your+     bank's online register open in a browser window, for reference; the journal+     file open in an editor window; and hledger-ui in watch mode in  a  terminal+     window, eg: -              $ hledger-ui --watch --register checking -C+            $ hledger-ui --watch --register checking -C -       As you mark things cleared in the editor, you can see the effect  imme--       diately  without  having  to  context  switch.  This leaves more mental-       bandwidth for your accounting.  Of course you can still  interact  with-       hledger-ui  when  needed,  eg to toggle cleared mode, or to explore the-       history.+     As  you  mark  things cleared in the editor, you can see the effect immedi-+     ately without having to context switch.  This leaves more mental  bandwidth+     for your accounting.  Of course you can still interact with hledger-ui when+     needed, eg to toggle cleared mode, or to explore the history.     --watch problems-       However. There are limitations/unresolved bugs with --watch:+     However. There are limitations/unresolved bugs with --watch: -       o It may not work at all for you, depending on platform or system  con--         figuration.     On    some    unix    systems,   increasing   fs.ino--         tify.max_user_watches or fs.file-max parameters  in  /etc/sysctl.conf-         might help.  (#836)+     * It  may not work at all for you, depending on platform or system configu-+       ration.  On some unix systems, increasing fs.inotify.max_user_watches  or+       fs.file-max parameters in /etc/sysctl.conf might help.  (#836) -       o It  may not detect changes made from outside a virtual machine, ie by-         an editor running on the host system.+     * It  may  not detect changes made from outside a virtual machine, ie by an+       editor running on the host system. -       o It may not detect file changes on certain less common filesystems.+     * It may not detect file changes on certain less common filesystems. -       o It may use increasing CPU and RAM over time,  especially  with  large-         files.   (This  is  probably not --watch specific, you may be able to-         reproduce it by pressing g repeatedly.)  (#1825)+     * It may use increasing CPU and RAM over time, especially with large files.+       (This is probably not --watch specific, you may be able to  reproduce  it+       by pressing g repeatedly.)  (#1825) -       Tips/workarounds:+     Tips/workarounds: -       o If --watch won't work for you, press g to reload  data  manually  in--         stead.+     * If --watch won't work for you, press g to reload data manually instead. -       o If  --watch is leaking resources over time, quit and restart (or sus--         pend and resume) hledger-ui when you're not using it.+     * If  --watch  is leaking resources over time, quit and restart (or suspend+       and resume) hledger-ui when you're not using it. -       o When running hledger-ui inside a VM, also make  file  changes  inside-         the VM.+     * When running hledger-ui inside a VM, also make file  changes  inside  the+       VM. -       o When  working  with files mounted from another machine, make sure the-         system clocks on both machines are roughly in agreement.+     * When  working with files mounted from another machine, make sure the sys-+       tem clocks on both machines are roughly in agreement.  ENVIRONMENT-       LEDGER_FILE The main journal  file  to  use  when  not  specified  with-       -f/--file.  Default: $HOME/.hledger.journal.+     LEDGER_FILE The main journal file to use when not specified with -f/--file.+     Default: $HOME/.hledger.journal.  BUGS-       We    welcome    bug    reports    in   the   hledger   issue   tracker-       (https://bugs.hledger.org),  or  on  the  hledger  chat  or  mail  list-       (https://hledger.org/support).+     We    welcome    bug    reports    in    the    hledger    issue    tracker+     (https://bugs.hledger.org),   or   on   the   hledger  chat  or  mail  list+     (https://hledger.org/support). -       Some known issues:+     Some known issues: -       -f- doesn't work (hledger-ui can't read from stdin).+     -f- doesn't work (hledger-ui can't read from stdin). -       --watch  is  not  robust,  especially  with large files (see WATCH MODE-       above).+     --watch is not robust, especially with large files (see WATCH MODE above). -       If you press g with large files, there could be a noticeable pause with-       the UI unresponsive.+     If you press g with large files, there could be a noticeable pause with the+     UI unresponsive.    AUTHORS-       Simon Michael <simon@joyful.com> and contributors.-       See http://hledger.org/CREDITS.html+     Simon Michael <simon@joyful.com> and contributors.+     See http://hledger.org/CREDITS.html   COPYRIGHT-       Copyright 2007-2023 Simon Michael and contributors.+     Copyright 2007-2023 Simon Michael and contributors.   LICENSE-       Released under GNU GPL v3 or later.+     Released under GNU GPL v3 or later.   SEE ALSO-       hledger(1), hledger-ui(1), hledger-web(1), ledger(1)+     hledger(1), hledger-ui(1), hledger-web(1), ledger(1) -hledger-ui-1.51.2                December 2025                   HLEDGER-UI(1)+hledger-ui-1.52                    March 2026                      HLEDGER-UI(1)
embeddedfiles/hledger-web.1 view
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@ -.TH "HLEDGER\-WEB" "1" "December 2025" "hledger-web-1.51.2 " "hledger User Manuals"+.TH "HLEDGER\-WEB" "1" "March 2026" "hledger-web-1.52 " "hledger User Manuals"   @@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ .PD \f[CR]hledger web [OPTS] [QUERY]\f[R] .SH DESCRIPTION-This manual is for hledger\[aq]s web interface, version 1.51.2.+This manual is for hledger\(aqs web interface, version 1.52. See also the hledger manual for common concepts and file formats. .PP hledger is a robust, user\-friendly, cross\-platform set of programs for@@ -50,14 +50,14 @@ (See hledger(1) \-> Input for details.) .PP hledger\-web can be run in three modes:-.IP \[bu] 2+.IP \(bu 2 \f[CR]\-\-serve\-browse\f[R] mode (the default): the app serves the web UI and JSON API, and opens your default web browser to show the app if possible, and exits automatically after two minutes of inactivity (with no requests received and no open browser windows viewing it).-.IP \[bu] 2+.IP \(bu 2 \f[CR]\-\-serve\f[R]: the app just serves the web UI and JSON API.-.IP \[bu] 2+.IP \(bu 2 \f[CR]\-\-serve\-api\f[R]: the app just serves the JSON API. .PP In all cases hledger\-web runs as a foreground process, logging requests@@ -67,22 +67,22 @@ .IP .EX Flags:-     \-\-serve \-\-server       serve and log requests, don\[aq]t browse or auto\-exit+     \-\-serve \-\-server       serve and log requests, don\(aqt browse or auto\-exit      \-\-serve\-api            like \-\-serve, but serve only the JSON web API,                             not the web UI-     \-\-allow=view|add|edit  set the user\[aq]s access level for changing data-                            (default: \[ga]add\[ga]). It also accepts \[ga]sandstorm\[ga] for+     \-\-allow=view|add|edit  set the user\(aqs access level for changing data+                            (default: \(gaadd\(ga). It also accepts \(gasandstorm\(ga for                             use on that platform (reads permissions from the-                            \[ga]X\-Sandstorm\-Permissions\[ga] request header).+                            \(gaX\-Sandstorm\-Permissions\(ga request header).      \-\-cors=ORIGIN          allow cross\-origin requests from the specified-                            origin; setting ORIGIN to \[dq]*\[dq] allows requests from+                            origin; setting ORIGIN to \(dq*\(dq allows requests from                             any origin      \-\-host=IPADDR          listen on this IP address (default: 127.0.0.1)      \-\-port=PORT            listen on this TCP port (default: 5000)      \-\-socket=SOCKET        listen on the given unix socket instead of an IP                             address and port (unix only; implies \-\-serve)      \-\-base\-url=BASEURL     set the base url (default: http://IPADDR:PORT)-     \-\-test                 run hledger\-web\[aq]s tests and exit. hspec test+     \-\-test                 run hledger\-web\(aqs tests and exit. hspec test                             runner args may follow a \-\-, eg: hledger\-web \-\-test                             \-\-help .EE@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ To allow access from elsewhere, use \f[CR]\-\-host\f[R] to specify an externally accessible address configured on this machine, The special address \f[CR]0.0.0.0\f[R] causes it to listen on all of this-machine\[aq]s addresses.+machine\(aqs addresses. .PP Similarly, you can use \f[CR]\-\-port\f[R] to listen on a TCP port other than 5000.@@ -109,14 +109,14 @@ \f[CR]proxy_pass http://unix:/tmp/hledger/${remote_user}.socket;\f[R].) .PP You can use \f[CR]\-\-base\-url\f[R] to change the protocol, hostname,-port and path that appear in hledger\-web\[aq]s hyperlinks.+port and path that appear in hledger\-web\(aqs hyperlinks. This is useful eg when integrating hledger\-web within a larger website.-The default is \f[CR]http://HOST:PORT/\f[R] using the server\[aq]s+The default is \f[CR]http://HOST:PORT/\f[R] using the server\(aqs configured host address and TCP port (or \f[CR]http://HOST\f[R] if PORT is 80). Note this affects url generation but not route parsing. .PP-hledger\-web also supports many of hledger\[aq]s general options:+hledger\-web also supports many of hledger\(aqs general options: .IP .EX General input/data transformation flags:@@ -130,18 +130,18 @@      \-\-alias=A=B|/RGX/=RPL  transform account names from A to B, or by                             replacing regular expression matches      \-\-auto                 generate extra postings by applying auto posting-                            rules (\[dq]=\[dq]) to all transactions+                            rules (\(dq=\(dq) to all transactions      \-\-forecast[=PERIOD]    Generate extra transactions from periodic rules-                            (\[dq]\[ti]\[dq]), from after the latest ordinary transaction+                            (\(dq\(ti\(dq), from after the latest ordinary transaction                             until 6 months from now. Or, during the specified                             PERIOD (the equals is required). Auto posting rules                             will also be applied to these transactions. In                             hledger\-ui, also make future\-dated transactions                             visible at startup.-  \-I \-\-ignore\-assertions    don\[aq]t check balance assertions by default+  \-I \-\-ignore\-assertions    don\(aqt check balance assertions by default      \-\-txn\-balancing=...    how to check that transactions are balanced:-                            \[aq]old\[aq]:   use global display precision-                            \[aq]exact\[aq]: use transaction precision (default)+                            \(aqold\(aq:   use global display precision+                            \(aqexact\(aq: use transaction precision (default)      \-\-infer\-costs          infer conversion equity postings from costs      \-\-infer\-equity         infer costs from conversion equity postings      \-\-infer\-market\-prices  infer market prices from costs@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@   \-Y \-\-yearly               multiperiod report with 1 year interval   \-p \-\-period=PERIODEXP     set begin date, end date, and/or report interval,                             with more flexibility-     \-\-today=DATE           override today\[aq]s date (affects relative dates)+     \-\-today=DATE           override today\(aqs date (affects relative dates)      \-\-date2                match/use secondary dates instead (deprecated)   \-U \-\-unmarked             include only unmarked postings/transactions   \-P \-\-pending              include only pending postings/transactions@@ -183,14 +183,14 @@      \-\-value=WHEN[,COMM]    show amounts converted to their value on the                             specified date(s) in their default valuation                             commodity or a specified commodity. WHEN can be:-                            \[aq]then\[aq]:     value on transaction dates-                            \[aq]end\[aq]:      value at period end(s)-                            \[aq]now\[aq]:      value today+                            \(aqthen\(aq:     value on transaction dates+                            \(aqend\(aq:      value at period end(s)+                            \(aqnow\(aq:      value today                             YYYY\-MM\-DD: value on given date-  \-c \-\-commodity\-style=S    Override a commodity\[aq]s display style.-                            Eg: \-c \[aq].\[aq] or \-c \[aq]1.000,00 EUR\[aq]+  \-c \-\-commodity\-style=S    Override a commodity\(aqs display style.+                            Eg: \-c \(aq.\(aq or \-c \(aq1.000,00 EUR\(aq      \-\-pretty[=YN]          Use box\-drawing characters in text output? Can be-                            \[aq]y\[aq]/\[aq]yes\[aq] or \[aq]n\[aq]/\[aq]no\[aq].+                            \(aqy\(aq/\(aqyes\(aq or \(aqn\(aq/\(aqno\(aq.                             If YN is specified, the equals is required.  General help flags:@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ \f[CR]hledger\-ui\f[R], and unlike \f[CR]hledger\f[R]). Using the \f[CR]\-E/\-\-empty\f[R] flag will reverse this behaviour. If you see accounts which appear to have a zero balance, but cannot be-hidden with \f[CR]\-E\f[R], it\[aq]s because they have a mixed\-cost+hidden with \f[CR]\-E\f[R], it\(aqs because they have a mixed\-cost balance, which looks like zero when costs are hidden. (hledger\-web does not show costs.) .PP@@ -224,27 +224,27 @@ journal and to add new transactions, but not to change existing data. .PP You can restrict who can reach it, by-.IP \[bu] 2+.IP \(bu 2 setting the IP address it listens on (see \f[CR]\-\-host\f[R] above). By default it listens on 127.0.0.1, accessible to users on the local machine only.-.IP \[bu] 2+.IP \(bu 2 putting it behind an authenticating proxy, such as caddy or apache-.IP \[bu] 2+.IP \(bu 2 putting it behind a firewall .PP And you can restrict what the users reaching it can do, by specifying the \f[CR]\-\-allow=ACCESSLEVEL\f[R] option at startup. ACCESSLEVEL is one of:-.IP \[bu] 2+.IP \(bu 2 \f[CR]view\f[R] \- allows viewing the journal file(s)-.IP \[bu] 2+.IP \(bu 2 \f[CR]add\f[R] \- also allows adding new transactions to the main journal file-.IP \[bu] 2+.IP \(bu 2 \f[CR]edit\f[R] \- also allows editing, uploading or downloading the journal file(s)-.IP \[bu] 2+.IP \(bu 2 \f[CR]sandstorm\f[R] \- (for the hledger\-web Sandstorm app:) allows whichever of \f[CR]view\f[R], \f[CR]add\f[R], or \f[CR]edit\f[R] are specified in the \f[CR]X\-Sandstorm\-Permissions\f[R] HTTP header@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ The default access level is \f[CR]add\f[R]. .SH EDITING, UPLOADING, DOWNLOADING If you enable the \f[CR]manage\f[R] capability mentioned above,-you\[aq]ll see a new \[dq]spanner\[dq] button to the right of the search+you\(aqll see a new \(dqspanner\(dq button to the right of the search form. Clicking this will let you edit, upload, or download the journal file or any files it includes.@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ numbered backup (assuming file permissions allow it, the disk is not full, etc.) hledger\-web is not aware of version control systems, currently; if you-use one, you\[aq]ll have to arrange to commit the changes yourself (eg+use one, you\(aqll have to arrange to commit the changes yourself (eg with a cron job or a file watcher like entr). .PP Changes which would leave the journal file(s) unparseable or non\-valid@@ -305,25 +305,25 @@ .EE .PP Eg, all account names in the journal (similar to the accounts command).-(hledger\-web\[aq]s JSON does not include newlines, here we use python-to prettify it):+(hledger\-web\(aqs JSON does not include newlines, here we use python to+prettify it): .IP .EX $ curl \-s http://127.0.0.1:5000/accountnames | python \-m json.tool [-    \[dq]assets\[dq],-    \[dq]assets:bank\[dq],-    \[dq]assets:bank:checking\[dq],-    \[dq]assets:bank:saving\[dq],-    \[dq]assets:cash\[dq],-    \[dq]expenses\[dq],-    \[dq]expenses:food\[dq],-    \[dq]expenses:supplies\[dq],-    \[dq]income\[dq],-    \[dq]income:gifts\[dq],-    \[dq]income:salary\[dq],-    \[dq]liabilities\[dq],-    \[dq]liabilities:debts\[dq]+    \(dqassets\(dq,+    \(dqassets:bank\(dq,+    \(dqassets:bank:checking\(dq,+    \(dqassets:bank:saving\(dq,+    \(dqassets:cash\(dq,+    \(dqexpenses\(dq,+    \(dqexpenses:food\(dq,+    \(dqexpenses:supplies\(dq,+    \(dqincome\(dq,+    \(dqincome:gifts\(dq,+    \(dqincome:salary\(dq,+    \(dqliabilities\(dq,+    \(dqliabilities:debts\(dq ] .EE .PP@@ -333,35 +333,35 @@ $ curl \-s http://127.0.0.1:5000/transactions | python \-m json.tool [     {-        \[dq]tcode\[dq]: \[dq]\[dq],-        \[dq]tcomment\[dq]: \[dq]\[dq],-        \[dq]tdate\[dq]: \[dq]2008\-01\-01\[dq],-        \[dq]tdate2\[dq]: null,-        \[dq]tdescription\[dq]: \[dq]income\[dq],-        \[dq]tindex\[dq]: 1,-        \[dq]tpostings\[dq]: [+        \(dqtcode\(dq: \(dq\(dq,+        \(dqtcomment\(dq: \(dq\(dq,+        \(dqtdate\(dq: \(dq2008\-01\-01\(dq,+        \(dqtdate2\(dq: null,+        \(dqtdescription\(dq: \(dqincome\(dq,+        \(dqtindex\(dq: 1,+        \(dqtpostings\(dq: [             {-                \[dq]paccount\[dq]: \[dq]assets:bank:checking\[dq],-                \[dq]pamount\[dq]: [+                \(dqpaccount\(dq: \(dqassets:bank:checking\(dq,+                \(dqpamount\(dq: [                     {-                        \[dq]acommodity\[dq]: \[dq]$\[dq],-                        \[dq]aismultiplier\[dq]: false,-                        \[dq]aprice\[dq]: null,+                        \(dqacommodity\(dq: \(dq$\(dq,+                        \(dqaismultiplier\(dq: false,+                        \(dqaprice\(dq: null, \&... .EE .PP-Most of the JSON corresponds to hledger\[aq]s data types; for details of+Most of the JSON corresponds to hledger\(aqs data types; for details of what the fields mean, see the Hledger.Data.Json haddock docs and click on the various data types, eg Transaction. And for a higher level understanding, see the journal docs. There is also a basic OpenAPI specification. .PP-In some cases there is outer JSON corresponding to a \[dq]Report\[dq]+In some cases there is outer JSON corresponding to a \(dqReport\(dq type. To understand that, go to the Hledger.Web.Handler.MiscR haddock and look at the source for the appropriate handler to see what it returns.-Eg for \f[CR]/accounttransactions\f[R] it\[aq]s getAccounttransactionsR,-returning a \[dq]\f[CR]accountTransactionsReport ...\f[R]\[dq].+Eg for \f[CR]/accounttransactions\f[R] it\(aqs getAccounttransactionsR,+returning a \(dq\f[CR]accountTransactionsReport ...\f[R]\(dq. Looking up the haddock for that we can see that /accounttransactions returns an AccountTransactionsReport, which consists of a report title and a list of AccountTransactionsReportItem (etc).@@ -370,113 +370,113 @@ \f[CR]/add\f[R], if hledger\-web was started with the \f[CR]add\f[R] capability (enabled by default). The payload must be the full, exact JSON representation of a hledger-transaction (partial data won\[aq]t do).-You can get sample JSON from hledger\-web\[aq]s \f[CR]/transactions\f[R]+transaction (partial data won\(aqt do).+You can get sample JSON from hledger\-web\(aqs \f[CR]/transactions\f[R] or \f[CR]/accounttransactions\f[R], or you can export it with hledger\-lib, eg like so: .IP .EX \&.../hledger$ stack ghci hledger\-lib->>> writeJsonFile \[dq]txn.json\[dq] (head $ jtxns samplejournal)+>>> writeJsonFile \(dqtxn.json\(dq (head $ jtxns samplejournal) >>> :q .EE .PP-Here\[aq]s how it looks as of hledger\-1.17 (remember, this JSON-corresponds to hledger\[aq]s Transaction and related data types):+Here\(aqs how it looks as of hledger\-1.17 (remember, this JSON+corresponds to hledger\(aqs Transaction and related data types): .IP .EX {-    \[dq]tcomment\[dq]: \[dq]\[dq],-    \[dq]tpostings\[dq]: [+    \(dqtcomment\(dq: \(dq\(dq,+    \(dqtpostings\(dq: [         {-            \[dq]pbalanceassertion\[dq]: \f[B]null\f[R],-            \[dq]pstatus\[dq]: \[dq]Unmarked\[dq],-            \[dq]pamount\[dq]: [+            \(dqpbalanceassertion\(dq: \f[B]null\f[R],+            \(dqpstatus\(dq: \(dqUnmarked\(dq,+            \(dqpamount\(dq: [                 {-                    \[dq]aprice\[dq]: \f[B]null\f[R],-                    \[dq]acommodity\[dq]: \[dq]$\[dq],-                    \[dq]aquantity\[dq]: {-                        \[dq]floatingPoint\[dq]: 1,-                        \[dq]decimalPlaces\[dq]: 10,-                        \[dq]decimalMantissa\[dq]: 10000000000+                    \(dqaprice\(dq: \f[B]null\f[R],+                    \(dqacommodity\(dq: \(dq$\(dq,+                    \(dqaquantity\(dq: {+                        \(dqfloatingPoint\(dq: 1,+                        \(dqdecimalPlaces\(dq: 10,+                        \(dqdecimalMantissa\(dq: 10000000000                     },-                    \[dq]aismultiplier\[dq]: \f[B]false\f[R],-                    \[dq]astyle\[dq]: {-                        \[dq]ascommodityside\[dq]: \[dq]L\[dq],-                        \[dq]asdigitgroups\[dq]: \f[B]null\f[R],-                        \[dq]ascommodityspaced\[dq]: \f[B]false\f[R],-                        \[dq]asprecision\[dq]: 2,-                        \[dq]asdecimalpoint\[dq]: \[dq].\[dq]+                    \(dqaismultiplier\(dq: \f[B]false\f[R],+                    \(dqastyle\(dq: {+                        \(dqascommodityside\(dq: \(dqL\(dq,+                        \(dqasdigitgroups\(dq: \f[B]null\f[R],+                        \(dqascommodityspaced\(dq: \f[B]false\f[R],+                        \(dqasprecision\(dq: 2,+                        \(dqasdecimalpoint\(dq: \(dq.\(dq                     }                 }             ],-            \[dq]ptransaction_\[dq]: \[dq]1\[dq],-            \[dq]paccount\[dq]: \[dq]assets:bank:checking\[dq],-            \[dq]pdate\[dq]: \f[B]null\f[R],-            \[dq]ptype\[dq]: \[dq]RegularPosting\[dq],-            \[dq]pcomment\[dq]: \[dq]\[dq],-            \[dq]pdate2\[dq]: \f[B]null\f[R],-            \[dq]ptags\[dq]: [],-            \[dq]poriginal\[dq]: \f[B]null\f[R]+            \(dqptransaction_\(dq: \(dq1\(dq,+            \(dqpaccount\(dq: \(dqassets:bank:checking\(dq,+            \(dqpdate\(dq: \f[B]null\f[R],+            \(dqptype\(dq: \(dqRegularPosting\(dq,+            \(dqpcomment\(dq: \(dq\(dq,+            \(dqpdate2\(dq: \f[B]null\f[R],+            \(dqptags\(dq: [],+            \(dqporiginal\(dq: \f[B]null\f[R]         },         {-            \[dq]pbalanceassertion\[dq]: \f[B]null\f[R],-            \[dq]pstatus\[dq]: \[dq]Unmarked\[dq],-            \[dq]pamount\[dq]: [+            \(dqpbalanceassertion\(dq: \f[B]null\f[R],+            \(dqpstatus\(dq: \(dqUnmarked\(dq,+            \(dqpamount\(dq: [                 {-                    \[dq]aprice\[dq]: \f[B]null\f[R],-                    \[dq]acommodity\[dq]: \[dq]$\[dq],-                    \[dq]aquantity\[dq]: {-                        \[dq]floatingPoint\[dq]: \-1,-                        \[dq]decimalPlaces\[dq]: 10,-                        \[dq]decimalMantissa\[dq]: \-10000000000+                    \(dqaprice\(dq: \f[B]null\f[R],+                    \(dqacommodity\(dq: \(dq$\(dq,+                    \(dqaquantity\(dq: {+                        \(dqfloatingPoint\(dq: \-1,+                        \(dqdecimalPlaces\(dq: 10,+                        \(dqdecimalMantissa\(dq: \-10000000000                     },-                    \[dq]aismultiplier\[dq]: \f[B]false\f[R],-                    \[dq]astyle\[dq]: {-                        \[dq]ascommodityside\[dq]: \[dq]L\[dq],-                        \[dq]asdigitgroups\[dq]: \f[B]null\f[R],-                        \[dq]ascommodityspaced\[dq]: \f[B]false\f[R],-                        \[dq]asprecision\[dq]: 2,-                        \[dq]asdecimalpoint\[dq]: \[dq].\[dq]+                    \(dqaismultiplier\(dq: \f[B]false\f[R],+                    \(dqastyle\(dq: {+                        \(dqascommodityside\(dq: \(dqL\(dq,+                        \(dqasdigitgroups\(dq: \f[B]null\f[R],+                        \(dqascommodityspaced\(dq: \f[B]false\f[R],+                        \(dqasprecision\(dq: 2,+                        \(dqasdecimalpoint\(dq: \(dq.\(dq                     }                 }             ],-            \[dq]ptransaction_\[dq]: \[dq]1\[dq],-            \[dq]paccount\[dq]: \[dq]income:salary\[dq],-            \[dq]pdate\[dq]: \f[B]null\f[R],-            \[dq]ptype\[dq]: \[dq]RegularPosting\[dq],-            \[dq]pcomment\[dq]: \[dq]\[dq],-            \[dq]pdate2\[dq]: \f[B]null\f[R],-            \[dq]ptags\[dq]: [],-            \[dq]poriginal\[dq]: \f[B]null\f[R]+            \(dqptransaction_\(dq: \(dq1\(dq,+            \(dqpaccount\(dq: \(dqincome:salary\(dq,+            \(dqpdate\(dq: \f[B]null\f[R],+            \(dqptype\(dq: \(dqRegularPosting\(dq,+            \(dqpcomment\(dq: \(dq\(dq,+            \(dqpdate2\(dq: \f[B]null\f[R],+            \(dqptags\(dq: [],+            \(dqporiginal\(dq: \f[B]null\f[R]         }     ],-    \[dq]ttags\[dq]: [],-    \[dq]tsourcepos\[dq]: {-        \[dq]tag\[dq]: \[dq]JournalSourcePos\[dq],-        \[dq]contents\[dq]: [-            \[dq]\[dq],+    \(dqttags\(dq: [],+    \(dqtsourcepos\(dq: {+        \(dqtag\(dq: \(dqJournalSourcePos\(dq,+        \(dqcontents\(dq: [+            \(dq\(dq,             [                 1,                 1             ]         ]     },-    \[dq]tdate\[dq]: \[dq]2008\-01\-01\[dq],-    \[dq]tcode\[dq]: \[dq]\[dq],-    \[dq]tindex\[dq]: 1,-    \[dq]tprecedingcomment\[dq]: \[dq]\[dq],-    \[dq]tdate2\[dq]: \f[B]null\f[R],-    \[dq]tdescription\[dq]: \[dq]income\[dq],-    \[dq]tstatus\[dq]: \[dq]Unmarked\[dq]+    \(dqtdate\(dq: \(dq2008\-01\-01\(dq,+    \(dqtcode\(dq: \(dq\(dq,+    \(dqtindex\(dq: 1,+    \(dqtprecedingcomment\(dq: \(dq\(dq,+    \(dqtdate2\(dq: \f[B]null\f[R],+    \(dqtdescription\(dq: \(dqincome\(dq,+    \(dqtstatus\(dq: \(dqUnmarked\(dq } .EE .PP-And here\[aq]s how to test adding it with curl.+And here\(aqs how to test adding it with curl. This should add a new entry to your journal: .IP .EX-$ curl http://127.0.0.1:5000/add \-X PUT \-H \[aq]Content\-Type: application/json\[aq] \-\-data\-binary \[at]txn.json+$ curl http://127.0.0.1:5000/add \-X PUT \-H \(aqContent\-Type: application/json\(aq \-\-data\-binary \(attxn.json .EE .SH DEBUG OUTPUT .SS Debug output
embeddedfiles/hledger-web.info view
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@-This is hledger-web.info, produced by makeinfo version 7.2 from stdin.+This is hledger-web.info, produced by makeinfo version 7.3 from stdin.  INFO-DIR-SECTION User Applications START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ or 'hledger web [OPTS] [QUERY]' -   This manual is for hledger's web interface, version 1.51.2.  See also+   This manual is for hledger's web interface, version 1.52.  See also the hledger manual for common concepts and file formats.     hledger is a robust, user-friendly, cross-platform set of programs@@ -528,15 +528,15 @@  Tag Table: Node: Top223-Node: OPTIONS2577-Node: PERMISSIONS11475-Node: EDITING UPLOADING DOWNLOADING12625-Node: RELOADING13640-Node: JSON API14207-Node: DEBUG OUTPUT19856-Node: Debug output20008-Node: ENVIRONMENT20526-Node: BUGS20762+Node: OPTIONS2575+Node: PERMISSIONS11473+Node: EDITING UPLOADING DOWNLOADING12623+Node: RELOADING13638+Node: JSON API14205+Node: DEBUG OUTPUT19854+Node: Debug output20006+Node: ENVIRONMENT20524+Node: BUGS20760  End Tag Table
embeddedfiles/hledger-web.txt view
@@ -1,483 +1,473 @@ -HLEDGER-WEB(1)               hledger User Manuals               HLEDGER-WEB(1)+HLEDGER-WEB(1)                hledger User Manuals                HLEDGER-WEB(1)  NAME-       hledger-web  -  web  interface  and API for hledger, a robust, friendly-       plain text accounting app.+     hledger-web  -  web interface and API for hledger, a robust, friendly plain+     text accounting app.  SYNOPSIS-       hledger-web [OPTS] [QUERY]-       or-       hledger web [OPTS] [QUERY]+     hledger-web [OPTS] [QUERY]+     or+     hledger web [OPTS] [QUERY]  DESCRIPTION-       This manual is for hledger's web interface, version 1.51.2.   See  also-       the hledger manual for common concepts and file formats.+     This manual is for hledger's web interface, version  1.52.   See  also  the+     hledger manual for common concepts and file formats. -       hledger  is a robust, user-friendly, cross-platform set of programs for-       tracking money, time, or any other commodity,  using  double-entry  ac--       counting  and  a  simple, editable file format.  hledger is inspired by-       and largely compatible with  ledger(1),  and  largely  interconvertible-       with beancount(1).+     hledger  is  a  robust,  user-friendly,  cross-platform set of programs for+     tracking money, time, or any other commodity, using double-entry accounting+     and a simple, editable file format.  hledger is  inspired  by  and  largely+     compatible with ledger(1), and largely interconvertible with beancount(1). -       hledger-web  is a simple web application for browsing and adding trans--       actions.  It provides a more user-friendly UI than the hledger  CLI  or-       hledger-ui  TUI,  showing  more  at once (accounts, the current account-       register, balance charts) and allowing history-aware data entry, inter--       active searching, and bookmarking.+     hledger-web  is  a  simple web application for browsing and adding transac-+     tions.  It provides a  more  user-friendly  UI  than  the  hledger  CLI  or+     hledger-ui  TUI, showing more at once (accounts, the current account regis-+     ter, balance charts) and allowing  history-aware  data  entry,  interactive+     searching, and bookmarking. -       hledger-web also lets you share a journal with multiple users, or  even-       the  public  web.   There is no access control, so if you need that you-       should put it behind a suitable  web  proxy.   As  a  small  protection-       against  data  loss  when  running an unprotected instance, it writes a-       numbered backup of the main journal file (only) on every edit.+     hledger-web  also lets you share a journal with multiple users, or even the+     public web.  There is no access control, so if you need that you should put+     it behind a suitable web proxy.  As a small protection  against  data  loss+     when  running  an  unprotected instance, it writes a numbered backup of the+     main journal file (only) on every edit. -       Like hledger, it reads from (and appends to) a journal  file  specified-       by    the    LEDGER_FILE    environment    variable    (defaulting   to-       $HOME/.hledger.journal); or you can specify files with -f options.   It-       can  also  read timeclock files, timedot files, or any CSV/SSV/TSV file-       with a date field.  (See hledger(1) -> Input for details.)+     Like hledger, it reads from (and appends to) a journal  file  specified  by+     the  LEDGER_FILE  environment  variable (defaulting to $HOME/.hledger.jour-+     nal); or you can specify files with -f options.  It can also read timeclock+     files, timedot files, or any CSV/SSV/TSV file  with  a  date  field.   (See+     hledger(1) -> Input for details.) -       hledger-web can be run in three modes:+     hledger-web can be run in three modes: -       o --serve-browse mode (the default): the app serves the web UI and JSON-         API, and opens your default web browser to show the app if  possible,-         and  exits automatically after two minutes of inactivity (with no re--         quests received and no open browser windows viewing it).+     * --serve-browse  mode  (the  default):  the app serves the web UI and JSON+       API, and opens your default web browser to show the app if possible,  and+       exits automatically after two minutes of inactivity (with no requests re-+       ceived and no open browser windows viewing it). -       o --serve: the app just serves the web UI and JSON API.+     * --serve: the app just serves the web UI and JSON API. -       o --serve-api: the app just serves the JSON API.+     * --serve-api: the app just serves the JSON API. -       In all cases hledger-web runs as a foreground process, logging requests-       to stdout.+     In  all cases hledger-web runs as a foreground process, logging requests to+     stdout.  OPTIONS-       hledger-web provides the following options:+     hledger-web provides the following options: -              Flags:-                   --serve --server       serve and log requests, don't browse or auto-exit-                   --serve-api            like --serve, but serve only the JSON web API,-                                          not the web UI-                   --allow=view|add|edit  set the user's access level for changing data-                                          (default: `add`). It also accepts `sandstorm` for-                                          use on that platform (reads permissions from the-                                          `X-Sandstorm-Permissions` request header).-                   --cors=ORIGIN          allow cross-origin requests from the specified-                                          origin; setting ORIGIN to "*" allows requests from-                                          any origin-                   --host=IPADDR          listen on this IP address (default: 127.0.0.1)-                   --port=PORT            listen on this TCP port (default: 5000)-                   --socket=SOCKET        listen on the given unix socket instead of an IP-                                          address and port (unix only; implies --serve)-                   --base-url=BASEURL     set the base url (default: http://IPADDR:PORT)-                   --test                 run hledger-web's tests and exit. hspec test-                                          runner args may follow a --, eg: hledger-web --test-                                          --help+            Flags:+                 --serve --server       serve and log requests, don't browse or auto-exit+                 --serve-api            like --serve, but serve only the JSON web API,+                                        not the web UI+                 --allow=view|add|edit  set the user's access level for changing data+                                        (default: `add`). It also accepts `sandstorm` for+                                        use on that platform (reads permissions from the+                                        `X-Sandstorm-Permissions` request header).+                 --cors=ORIGIN          allow cross-origin requests from the specified+                                        origin; setting ORIGIN to "*" allows requests from+                                        any origin+                 --host=IPADDR          listen on this IP address (default: 127.0.0.1)+                 --port=PORT            listen on this TCP port (default: 5000)+                 --socket=SOCKET        listen on the given unix socket instead of an IP+                                        address and port (unix only; implies --serve)+                 --base-url=BASEURL     set the base url (default: http://IPADDR:PORT)+                 --test                 run hledger-web's tests and exit. hspec test+                                        runner args may follow a --, eg: hledger-web --test+                                        --help -       By default hledger-web listens only on IP address 127.0.0.1,  which  be-       accessed only from the local machine.+     By default hledger-web listens only on IP address 127.0.0.1, which  be  ac-+     cessed only from the local machine. -       To allow access from elsewhere, use --host to specify an externally ac--       cessible  address  configured  on  this  machine,  The  special address-       0.0.0.0 causes it to listen on all of this machine's addresses.+     To  allow access from elsewhere, use --host to specify an externally acces-+     sible address configured on  this  machine,  The  special  address  0.0.0.0+     causes it to listen on all of this machine's addresses. -       Similarly, you can use --port to listen on a TCP port other than  5000.-       This  is  useful if you want to run multiple hledger-web instances on a-       machine.+     Similarly,  you  can  use  --port  to listen on a TCP port other than 5000.+     This is useful if you want to run multiple hledger-web instances on  a  ma-+     chine. -       When --socket is used,  hledger-web  creates  and  communicates  via  a-       socket  file  instead of a TCP port.  This can be more secure, respects-       unix file permissions, and makes certain use cases easier, such as run--       ning per-user instances behind an nginx reverse proxy.  (Eg: proxy_pass-       http://unix:/tmp/hledger/${remote_user}.socket;.)+     When  --socket  is  used, hledger-web creates and communicates via a socket+     file instead of a TCP port.  This can be more secure,  respects  unix  file+     permissions,  and  makes certain use cases easier, such as running per-user+     instances   behind   an   nginx    reverse    proxy.     (Eg:    proxy_pass+     http://unix:/tmp/hledger/${remote_user}.socket;.) -       You can use --base-url to change the protocol, hostname, port and  path-       that  appear in hledger-web's hyperlinks.  This is useful eg when inte--       grating  hledger-web  within  a  larger  website.    The   default   is-       http://HOST:PORT/  using  the  server's configured host address and TCP-       port (or http://HOST if PORT is 80).  Note this affects url  generation-       but not route parsing.+     You can use --base-url to change the protocol, hostname, port and path that+     appear  in  hledger-web's  hyperlinks.   This is useful eg when integrating+     hledger-web within a larger website.  The default is http://HOST:PORT/  us-+     ing  the  server's  configured host address and TCP port (or http://HOST if+     PORT is 80).  Note this affects url generation but not route parsing. -       hledger-web also supports many of hledger's general options:+     hledger-web also supports many of hledger's general options: -              General input/data transformation flags:-                -f --file=[FMT:]FILE      Read data from FILE, or from stdin if FILE is -,-                                          inferring format from extension or a FMT: prefix.-                                          Can be specified more than once. If not specified,-                                          reads from $LEDGER_FILE or $HOME/.hledger.journal.-                   --rules=RULESFILE      Use rules defined in this rules file for-                                          converting subsequent CSV/SSV/TSV files. If not-                                          specified, uses FILE.csv.rules for each FILE.csv.-                   --alias=A=B|/RGX/=RPL  transform account names from A to B, or by-                                          replacing regular expression matches-                   --auto                 generate extra postings by applying auto posting-                                          rules ("=") to all transactions-                   --forecast[=PERIOD]    Generate extra transactions from periodic rules-                                          ("~"), from after the latest ordinary transaction-                                          until 6 months from now. Or, during the specified-                                          PERIOD (the equals is required). Auto posting rules-                                          will also be applied to these transactions. In-                                          hledger-ui, also make future-dated transactions-                                          visible at startup.-                -I --ignore-assertions    don't check balance assertions by default-                   --txn-balancing=...    how to check that transactions are balanced:-                                          'old':   use global display precision-                                          'exact': use transaction precision (default)-                   --infer-costs          infer conversion equity postings from costs-                   --infer-equity         infer costs from conversion equity postings-                   --infer-market-prices  infer market prices from costs-                   --pivot=TAGNAME        use a different field or tag as account names-                -s --strict               do extra error checks (and override -I)-                   --verbose-tags         add tags indicating generated/modified data+            General input/data transformation flags:+              -f --file=[FMT:]FILE      Read data from FILE, or from stdin if FILE is -,+                                        inferring format from extension or a FMT: prefix.+                                        Can be specified more than once. If not specified,+                                        reads from $LEDGER_FILE or $HOME/.hledger.journal.+                 --rules=RULESFILE      Use rules defined in this rules file for+                                        converting subsequent CSV/SSV/TSV files. If not+                                        specified, uses FILE.csv.rules for each FILE.csv.+                 --alias=A=B|/RGX/=RPL  transform account names from A to B, or by+                                        replacing regular expression matches+                 --auto                 generate extra postings by applying auto posting+                                        rules ("=") to all transactions+                 --forecast[=PERIOD]    Generate extra transactions from periodic rules+                                        ("~"), from after the latest ordinary transaction+                                        until 6 months from now. Or, during the specified+                                        PERIOD (the equals is required). Auto posting rules+                                        will also be applied to these transactions. In+                                        hledger-ui, also make future-dated transactions+                                        visible at startup.+              -I --ignore-assertions    don't check balance assertions by default+                 --txn-balancing=...    how to check that transactions are balanced:+                                        'old':   use global display precision+                                        'exact': use transaction precision (default)+                 --infer-costs          infer conversion equity postings from costs+                 --infer-equity         infer costs from conversion equity postings+                 --infer-market-prices  infer market prices from costs+                 --pivot=TAGNAME        use a different field or tag as account names+              -s --strict               do extra error checks (and override -I)+                 --verbose-tags         add tags indicating generated/modified data -              General output/reporting flags (supported by some commands):-                -b --begin=DATE           include postings/transactions on/after this date-                -e --end=DATE             include postings/transactions before this date-                                          (with a report interval, will be adjusted to-                                          following subperiod end)-                -D --daily                multiperiod report with 1 day interval-                -W --weekly               multiperiod report with 1 week interval-                -M --monthly              multiperiod report with 1 month interval-                -Q --quarterly            multiperiod report with 1 quarter interval-                -Y --yearly               multiperiod report with 1 year interval-                -p --period=PERIODEXP     set begin date, end date, and/or report interval,-                                          with more flexibility-                   --today=DATE           override today's date (affects relative dates)-                   --date2                match/use secondary dates instead (deprecated)-                -U --unmarked             include only unmarked postings/transactions-                -P --pending              include only pending postings/transactions-                -C --cleared              include only cleared postings/transactions-                                          (-U/-P/-C can be combined)-                -R --real                 include only non-virtual postings-                -E --empty                Show zero items, which are normally hidden.-                                          In hledger-ui & hledger-web, do the opposite.-                   --depth=DEPTHEXP       if a number (or -NUM): show only top NUM levels-                                          of accounts. If REGEXP=NUM, only apply limiting to-                                          accounts matching the regular expression.-                -B --cost                 show amounts converted to their cost/sale amount-                -V --market               Show amounts converted to their value at period-                                          end(s) in their default valuation commodity.-                                          Equivalent to --value=end.-                -X --exchange=COMM        Show amounts converted to their value at period-                                          end(s) in the specified commodity.-                                          Equivalent to --value=end,COMM.-                   --value=WHEN[,COMM]    show amounts converted to their value on the-                                          specified date(s) in their default valuation-                                          commodity or a specified commodity. WHEN can be:-                                          'then':     value on transaction dates-                                          'end':      value at period end(s)-                                          'now':      value today-                                          YYYY-MM-DD: value on given date-                -c --commodity-style=S    Override a commodity's display style.-                                          Eg: -c '.' or -c '1.000,00 EUR'-                   --pretty[=YN]          Use box-drawing characters in text output? Can be-                                          'y'/'yes' or 'n'/'no'.-                                          If YN is specified, the equals is required.+            General output/reporting flags (supported by some commands):+              -b --begin=DATE           include postings/transactions on/after this date+              -e --end=DATE             include postings/transactions before this date+                                        (with a report interval, will be adjusted to+                                        following subperiod end)+              -D --daily                multiperiod report with 1 day interval+              -W --weekly               multiperiod report with 1 week interval+              -M --monthly              multiperiod report with 1 month interval+              -Q --quarterly            multiperiod report with 1 quarter interval+              -Y --yearly               multiperiod report with 1 year interval+              -p --period=PERIODEXP     set begin date, end date, and/or report interval,+                                        with more flexibility+                 --today=DATE           override today's date (affects relative dates)+                 --date2                match/use secondary dates instead (deprecated)+              -U --unmarked             include only unmarked postings/transactions+              -P --pending              include only pending postings/transactions+              -C --cleared              include only cleared postings/transactions+                                        (-U/-P/-C can be combined)+              -R --real                 include only non-virtual postings+              -E --empty                Show zero items, which are normally hidden.+                                        In hledger-ui & hledger-web, do the opposite.+                 --depth=DEPTHEXP       if a number (or -NUM): show only top NUM levels+                                        of accounts. If REGEXP=NUM, only apply limiting to+                                        accounts matching the regular expression.+              -B --cost                 show amounts converted to their cost/sale amount+              -V --market               Show amounts converted to their value at period+                                        end(s) in their default valuation commodity.+                                        Equivalent to --value=end.+              -X --exchange=COMM        Show amounts converted to their value at period+                                        end(s) in the specified commodity.+                                        Equivalent to --value=end,COMM.+                 --value=WHEN[,COMM]    show amounts converted to their value on the+                                        specified date(s) in their default valuation+                                        commodity or a specified commodity. WHEN can be:+                                        'then':     value on transaction dates+                                        'end':      value at period end(s)+                                        'now':      value today+                                        YYYY-MM-DD: value on given date+              -c --commodity-style=S    Override a commodity's display style.+                                        Eg: -c '.' or -c '1.000,00 EUR'+                 --pretty[=YN]          Use box-drawing characters in text output? Can be+                                        'y'/'yes' or 'n'/'no'.+                                        If YN is specified, the equals is required. -              General help flags:-                -h --help                 show command line help-                   --tldr                 show command examples with tldr-                   --info                 show the manual with info-                   --man                  show the manual with man-                   --version              show version information-                   --debug=[1-9]          show this much debug output (default: 1)-                   --pager=YN             use a pager when needed ? y/yes (default) or n/no-                   --color=YNA --colour   use ANSI color ? y/yes, n/no, or auto (default)+            General help flags:+              -h --help                 show command line help+                 --tldr                 show command examples with tldr+                 --info                 show the manual with info+                 --man                  show the manual with man+                 --version              show version information+                 --debug=[1-9]          show this much debug output (default: 1)+                 --pager=YN             use a pager when needed ? y/yes (default) or n/no+                 --color=YNA --colour   use ANSI color ? y/yes, n/no, or auto (default) -       hledger-web   shows  accounts  with  zero  balances  by  default  (like-       hledger-ui, and unlike hledger).  Using the -E/--empty  flag  will  re--       verse  this behaviour.  If you see accounts which appear to have a zero-       balance, but cannot be  hidden  with  -E,  it's  because  they  have  a-       mixed-cost  balance,  which  looks  like  zero  when  costs are hidden.-       (hledger-web does not show costs.)+     hledger-web shows accounts with zero balances by default (like  hledger-ui,+     and  unlike  hledger).   Using the -E/--empty flag will reverse this behav-+     iour.  If you see accounts which appear to have a zero balance, but  cannot+     be hidden with -E, it's because they have a mixed-cost balance, which looks+     like zero when costs are hidden.  (hledger-web does not show costs.) -       Reporting options and/or query arguments can be used to set an  initial-       query, which although not shown in the UI, will restrict the data shown-       (in addition to any search query entered in the UI).+     Reporting  options  and/or  query  arguments  can be used to set an initial+     query, which although not shown in the UI, will restrict the data shown (in+     addition to any search query entered in the UI). -       If  you use the bash shell, you can auto-complete flags by pressing TAB-       in the command line.  If this is not working see Install >  Shell  com--       pletions.+     If you use the bash shell, you can auto-complete flags by pressing  TAB  in+     the command line.  If this is not working see Install > Shell completions.  PERMISSIONS-       By  default,  hledger-web  allows  anyone  who can reach it to view the-       journal and to add new transactions, but not to change existing data.+     By  default, hledger-web allows anyone who can reach it to view the journal+     and to add new transactions, but not to change existing data. -       You can restrict who can reach it, by+     You can restrict who can reach it, by -       o setting the IP address it listens on (see --host above).  By  default-         it  listens  on  127.0.0.1,  accessible to users on the local machine-         only.+     * setting the IP address it listens on (see --host above).  By  default  it+       listens on 127.0.0.1, accessible to users on the local machine only. -       o putting it behind an authenticating proxy, such as caddy or apache+     * putting it behind an authenticating proxy, such as caddy or apache -       o putting it behind a firewall+     * putting it behind a firewall -       And you can restrict what the users reaching it can do,  by  specifying-       the --allow=ACCESSLEVEL option at startup.  ACCESSLEVEL is one of:+     And  you  can restrict what the users reaching it can do, by specifying the+     --allow=ACCESSLEVEL option at startup.  ACCESSLEVEL is one of: -       o view - allows viewing the journal file(s)+     * view - allows viewing the journal file(s) -       o add - also allows adding new transactions to the main journal file+     * add - also allows adding new transactions to the main journal file -       o edit  -  also  allows  editing,  uploading or downloading the journal-         file(s)+     * edit - also allows editing, uploading or downloading the journal file(s) -       o sandstorm - (for the hledger-web Sandstorm app:) allows whichever  of-         view,  add, or edit are specified in the X-Sandstorm-Permissions HTTP-         header+     * sandstorm - (for the hledger-web  Sandstorm  app:)  allows  whichever  of+       view,  add,  or  edit  are  specified in the X-Sandstorm-Permissions HTTP+       header -       The default access level is add.+     The default access level is add.  EDITING, UPLOADING, DOWNLOADING-       If you enable the manage capability mentioned above, you'll see  a  new-       "spanner"  button  to the right of the search form.  Clicking this will-       let you edit, upload, or download the journal file or any files it  in--       cludes.+     If you enable the manage capability  mentioned  above,  you'll  see  a  new+     "spanner"  button  to the right of the search form.  Clicking this will let+     you edit, upload, or download the journal file or any files it includes. -       Note,  unlike any other hledger command, in this mode you (or any visi--       tor) can alter or wipe the data files.+     Note, unlike any other hledger command, in this mode you (or  any  visitor)+     can alter or wipe the data files. -       Normally whenever a file is changed in this way,  hledger-web  saves  a-       numbered  backup  (assuming  file permissions allow it, the disk is not-       full, etc.)  hledger-web is not aware of version control systems,  cur--       rently;  if  you  use one, you'll have to arrange to commit the changes-       yourself (eg with a cron job or a file watcher like entr).+     Normally  whenever  a file is changed in this way, hledger-web saves a num-+     bered backup (assuming file permissions allow it, the  disk  is  not  full,+     etc.)   hledger-web  is not aware of version control systems, currently; if+     you use one, you'll have to arrange to commit the changes yourself (eg with+     a cron job or a file watcher like entr). -       Changes which would leave the journal file(s) unparseable or  non-valid-       (eg  with  failing balance assertions) are prevented.  (Probably.  This-       needs re-testing.)+     Changes which would leave the journal file(s) unparseable or non-valid  (eg+     with  failing  balance  assertions)  are prevented.  (Probably.  This needs+     re-testing.)  RELOADING-       hledger-web detects changes made to the files by other means (eg if you-       edit it directly, outside of hledger-web), and it  will  show  the  new-       data  when  you reload the page or navigate to a new page.  If a change-       makes a file unparseable, hledger-web will display an error message un--       til the file has been fixed.+     hledger-web detects changes made to the files by other  means  (eg  if  you+     edit  it  directly,  outside of hledger-web), and it will show the new data+     when you reload the page or navigate to a new page.  If a  change  makes  a+     file  unparseable, hledger-web will display an error message until the file+     has been fixed. -       (Note: if you are viewing files mounted from another machine, make sure-       that both machine clocks are roughly in step.)+     (Note: if you are viewing files mounted from  another  machine,  make  sure+     that both machine clocks are roughly in step.)  JSON API-       In addition to the web UI, hledger-web also serves a JSON API that  can-       be  used to get data or add new transactions.  If you want the JSON API-       only, you can use the --serve-api flag.  Eg:+     In  addition  to the web UI, hledger-web also serves a JSON API that can be+     used to get data or add new transactions.  If you want the JSON  API  only,+     you can use the --serve-api flag.  Eg: -              $ hledger-web -f examples/sample.journal --serve-api-              ...+            $ hledger-web -f examples/sample.journal --serve-api+            ... -       You can get JSON data from these routes:+     You can get JSON data from these routes: -              /version-              /accountnames-              /transactions-              /prices-              /commodities-              /accounts-              /accounttransactions/ACCOUNTNAME+            /version+            /accountnames+            /transactions+            /prices+            /commodities+            /accounts+            /accounttransactions/ACCOUNTNAME -       Eg, all account names in the journal (similar to the accounts command).-       (hledger-web's JSON does not include newlines, here we  use  python  to-       prettify it):+     Eg,  all  account  names  in the journal (similar to the accounts command).+     (hledger-web's JSON does not include newlines, here we use python to  pret-+     tify it): -              $ curl -s http://127.0.0.1:5000/accountnames | python -m json.tool-              [-                  "assets",-                  "assets:bank",-                  "assets:bank:checking",-                  "assets:bank:saving",-                  "assets:cash",-                  "expenses",-                  "expenses:food",-                  "expenses:supplies",-                  "income",-                  "income:gifts",-                  "income:salary",-                  "liabilities",-                  "liabilities:debts"-              ]+            $ curl -s http://127.0.0.1:5000/accountnames | python -m json.tool+            [+                "assets",+                "assets:bank",+                "assets:bank:checking",+                "assets:bank:saving",+                "assets:cash",+                "expenses",+                "expenses:food",+                "expenses:supplies",+                "income",+                "income:gifts",+                "income:salary",+                "liabilities",+                "liabilities:debts"+            ] -       Or all transactions:+     Or all transactions: -              $ curl -s http://127.0.0.1:5000/transactions | python -m json.tool-              [-                  {-                      "tcode": "",-                      "tcomment": "",-                      "tdate": "2008-01-01",-                      "tdate2": null,-                      "tdescription": "income",-                      "tindex": 1,-                      "tpostings": [-                          {-                              "paccount": "assets:bank:checking",-                              "pamount": [-                                  {-                                      "acommodity": "$",-                                      "aismultiplier": false,-                                      "aprice": null,-              ...+            $ curl -s http://127.0.0.1:5000/transactions | python -m json.tool+            [+                {+                    "tcode": "",+                    "tcomment": "",+                    "tdate": "2008-01-01",+                    "tdate2": null,+                    "tdescription": "income",+                    "tindex": 1,+                    "tpostings": [+                        {+                            "paccount": "assets:bank:checking",+                            "pamount": [+                                {+                                    "acommodity": "$",+                                    "aismultiplier": false,+                                    "aprice": null,+            ... -       Most  of  the  JSON corresponds to hledger's data types; for details of-       what the fields mean, see the Hledger.Data.Json haddock docs and  click-       on  the various data types, eg Transaction.  And for a higher level un--       derstanding, see the journal docs.  There is also a basic OpenAPI spec--       ification.+     Most  of  the JSON corresponds to hledger's data types; for details of what+     the fields mean, see the Hledger.Data.Json haddock docs and  click  on  the+     various  data types, eg Transaction.  And for a higher level understanding,+     see the journal docs.  There is also a basic OpenAPI specification. -       In some cases there is outer JSON corresponding to a "Report" type.  To-       understand that, go to the Hledger.Web.Handler.MiscR haddock  and  look-       at  the  source for the appropriate handler to see what it returns.  Eg-       for /accounttransactions it's getAccounttransactionsR, returning a "ac--       countTransactionsReport ...".  Looking up the haddock for that  we  can-       see  that  /accounttransactions  returns  an AccountTransactionsReport,-       which consists of a report title and a list  of  AccountTransactionsRe--       portItem (etc).+     In some cases there is outer JSON corresponding to a "Report" type.  To un-+     derstand that, go to the Hledger.Web.Handler.MiscR haddock and look at  the+     source  for  the  appropriate  handler to see what it returns.  Eg for /ac-+     counttransactions it's getAccounttransactionsR, returning a  "accountTrans-+     actionsReport  ...".   Looking up the haddock for that we can see that /ac-+     counttransactions returns an AccountTransactionsReport, which consists of a+     report title and a list of AccountTransactionsReportItem (etc). -       You  can  add  a  new  transaction to the journal with a PUT request to-       /add, if hledger-web was started with the add  capability  (enabled  by-       default).  The payload must be the full, exact JSON representation of a-       hledger  transaction  (partial data won't do).  You can get sample JSON-       from hledger-web's /transactions or /accounttransactions,  or  you  can-       export it with hledger-lib, eg like so:+     You can add a new transaction to the journal with a PUT request to /add, if+     hledger-web was started with the add capability (enabled by default).   The+     payload  must  be the full, exact JSON representation of a hledger transac-+     tion (partial data won't do).  You can get sample JSON  from  hledger-web's+     /transactions   or   /accounttransactions,   or  you  can  export  it  with+     hledger-lib, eg like so: -              .../hledger$ stack ghci hledger-lib-              >>> writeJsonFile "txn.json" (head $ jtxns samplejournal)-              >>> :q+            .../hledger$ stack ghci hledger-lib+            >>> writeJsonFile "txn.json" (head $ jtxns samplejournal)+            >>> :q -       Here's how it looks as of hledger-1.17 (remember, this JSON corresponds-       to hledger's Transaction and related data types):+     Here's how it looks as of hledger-1.17 (remember, this JSON corresponds  to+     hledger's Transaction and related data types): -              {-                  "tcomment": "",-                  "tpostings": [-                      {-                          "pbalanceassertion": null,-                          "pstatus": "Unmarked",-                          "pamount": [-                              {-                                  "aprice": null,-                                  "acommodity": "$",-                                  "aquantity": {-                                      "floatingPoint": 1,-                                      "decimalPlaces": 10,-                                      "decimalMantissa": 10000000000-                                  },-                                  "aismultiplier": false,-                                  "astyle": {-                                      "ascommodityside": "L",-                                      "asdigitgroups": null,-                                      "ascommodityspaced": false,-                                      "asprecision": 2,-                                      "asdecimalpoint": "."-                                  }-                              }-                          ],-                          "ptransaction_": "1",-                          "paccount": "assets:bank:checking",-                          "pdate": null,-                          "ptype": "RegularPosting",-                          "pcomment": "",-                          "pdate2": null,-                          "ptags": [],-                          "poriginal": null-                      },-                      {-                          "pbalanceassertion": null,-                          "pstatus": "Unmarked",-                          "pamount": [-                              {-                                  "aprice": null,-                                  "acommodity": "$",-                                  "aquantity": {-                                      "floatingPoint": -1,-                                      "decimalPlaces": 10,-                                      "decimalMantissa": -10000000000-                                  },-                                  "aismultiplier": false,-                                  "astyle": {-                                      "ascommodityside": "L",-                                      "asdigitgroups": null,-                                      "ascommodityspaced": false,-                                      "asprecision": 2,-                                      "asdecimalpoint": "."-                                  }-                              }-                          ],-                          "ptransaction_": "1",-                          "paccount": "income:salary",-                          "pdate": null,-                          "ptype": "RegularPosting",-                          "pcomment": "",-                          "pdate2": null,-                          "ptags": [],-                          "poriginal": null-                      }-                  ],-                  "ttags": [],-                  "tsourcepos": {-                      "tag": "JournalSourcePos",-                      "contents": [-                          "",-                          [-                              1,-                              1-                          ]-                      ]-                  },-                  "tdate": "2008-01-01",-                  "tcode": "",-                  "tindex": 1,-                  "tprecedingcomment": "",-                  "tdate2": null,-                  "tdescription": "income",-                  "tstatus": "Unmarked"-              }+            {+                "tcomment": "",+                "tpostings": [+                    {+                        "pbalanceassertion": null,+                        "pstatus": "Unmarked",+                        "pamount": [+                            {+                                "aprice": null,+                                "acommodity": "$",+                                "aquantity": {+                                    "floatingPoint": 1,+                                    "decimalPlaces": 10,+                                    "decimalMantissa": 10000000000+                                },+                                "aismultiplier": false,+                                "astyle": {+                                    "ascommodityside": "L",+                                    "asdigitgroups": null,+                                    "ascommodityspaced": false,+                                    "asprecision": 2,+                                    "asdecimalpoint": "."+                                }+                            }+                        ],+                        "ptransaction_": "1",+                        "paccount": "assets:bank:checking",+                        "pdate": null,+                        "ptype": "RegularPosting",+                        "pcomment": "",+                        "pdate2": null,+                        "ptags": [],+                        "poriginal": null+                    },+                    {+                        "pbalanceassertion": null,+                        "pstatus": "Unmarked",+                        "pamount": [+                            {+                                "aprice": null,+                                "acommodity": "$",+                                "aquantity": {+                                    "floatingPoint": -1,+                                    "decimalPlaces": 10,+                                    "decimalMantissa": -10000000000+                                },+                                "aismultiplier": false,+                                "astyle": {+                                    "ascommodityside": "L",+                                    "asdigitgroups": null,+                                    "ascommodityspaced": false,+                                    "asprecision": 2,+                                    "asdecimalpoint": "."+                                }+                            }+                        ],+                        "ptransaction_": "1",+                        "paccount": "income:salary",+                        "pdate": null,+                        "ptype": "RegularPosting",+                        "pcomment": "",+                        "pdate2": null,+                        "ptags": [],+                        "poriginal": null+                    }+                ],+                "ttags": [],+                "tsourcepos": {+                    "tag": "JournalSourcePos",+                    "contents": [+                        "",+                        [+                            1,+                            1+                        ]+                    ]+                },+                "tdate": "2008-01-01",+                "tcode": "",+                "tindex": 1,+                "tprecedingcomment": "",+                "tdate2": null,+                "tdescription": "income",+                "tstatus": "Unmarked"+            } -       And  here's how to test adding it with curl.  This should add a new en--       try to your journal:+     And here's how to test adding it with curl.  This should add a new entry to+     your journal: -              $ curl http://127.0.0.1:5000/add -X PUT -H 'Content-Type: application/json' --data-binary @txn.json+            $ curl http://127.0.0.1:5000/add -X PUT -H 'Content-Type: application/json' --data-binary @txn.json  DEBUG OUTPUT    Debug output-       You can add --debug[=N] to the command line to  log  debug  output.   N-       ranges from 1 (least output, the default) to 9 (maximum output).  Typi--       cally  you would start with 1 and increase until you are seeing enough.-       Debug output goes to stderr, interleaved with the  requests  logged  on-       stdout.  To capture debug output in a log file instead, you can usually-       redirect stderr, eg:-       hledger-web --debug=3 2>hledger-web.log.+     You  can add --debug[=N] to the command line to log debug output.  N ranges+     from 1 (least output, the default) to 9 (maximum  output).   Typically  you+     would  start with 1 and increase until you are seeing enough.  Debug output+     goes to stderr, interleaved with the requests logged on stdout.  To capture+     debug output in a log file instead, you can usually redirect stderr, eg:+     hledger-web --debug=3 2>hledger-web.log.  ENVIRONMENT-       LEDGER_FILE  The  main  journal  file  to  use  when not specified with-       -f/--file.  Default: $HOME/.hledger.journal.+     LEDGER_FILE The main journal file to use when not specified with -f/--file.+     Default: $HOME/.hledger.journal.  BUGS-       We   welcome   bug   reports   in    the    hledger    issue    tracker-       (https://bugs.hledger.org),  or  on  the  hledger  chat  or  mail  list-       (https://hledger.org/support).+     We    welcome    bug    reports    in    the    hledger    issue    tracker+     (https://bugs.hledger.org),   or   on   the   hledger  chat  or  mail  list+     (https://hledger.org/support). -       Some known issues:+     Some known issues: -       Does not work well on small screens, or in text-mode browsers.+     Does not work well on small screens, or in text-mode browsers.    AUTHORS-       Simon Michael <simon@joyful.com> and contributors.-       See http://hledger.org/CREDITS.html+     Simon Michael <simon@joyful.com> and contributors.+     See http://hledger.org/CREDITS.html   COPYRIGHT-       Copyright 2007-2023 Simon Michael and contributors.+     Copyright 2007-2023 Simon Michael and contributors.   LICENSE-       Released under GNU GPL v3 or later.+     Released under GNU GPL v3 or later.   SEE ALSO-       hledger(1), hledger-ui(1), hledger-web(1), ledger(1)+     hledger(1), hledger-ui(1), hledger-web(1), ledger(1) -hledger-web-1.51.2               December 2025                  HLEDGER-WEB(1)+hledger-web-1.52                   March 2026                     HLEDGER-WEB(1)
embeddedfiles/hledger.1 view
@@ -1,13641 +1,13762 @@ .\"t -.TH "HLEDGER" "1" "December 2025" "hledger-1.51.2 " "hledger User Manuals"----.SH NAME-hledger \- a robust, friendly plain text accounting app (command line-version).-.SH SYNOPSIS-\f[CR]hledger\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-or-.PD 0-.P-.PD-\f[CR]hledger COMMAND [OPTS] [ARGS]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-.SH DESCRIPTION-hledger is a robust, user\-friendly, cross\-platform set of programs for-tracking money, time, or any other commodity, using double\-entry-accounting and a simple, editable file format.-hledger is inspired by and largely compatible with ledger(1), and-largely interconvertible with beancount(1).-.PP-This manual is for hledger\[aq]s command line interface, version 1.51.2.-It also describes the common options, file formats and concepts used by-all hledger programs.-It might accidentally teach you some bookkeeping/accounting as well!-You don\[aq]t need to know everything in here to use hledger-productively, but when you have a question about functionality, this doc-should answer it.-It is detailed, so do skip ahead or skim when needed.-You can read it on hledger.org, or as an info manual or man page on your-system.-You can also open a built\-in copy, at a point of interest, by running-.PD 0-.P-.PD-\f[CR]hledger \-\-man [CMD]\f[R], \f[CR]hledger \-\-info [CMD]\f[R] or-\f[CR]hledger help [TOPIC]\f[R].-.PP-(And for shorter help, try \f[CR]hledger \-\-tldr [CMD]\f[R].)-.PP-The main function of the hledger CLI is to read plain text files-describing financial transactions, crunch the numbers, and print a-useful report on the terminal (or save it as HTML, CSV, JSON or SQL).-Many reports are available, as subcommands.-hledger will also detect other \f[CR]hledger\-*\f[R] executables as-extra subcommands.-.PP-hledger usually reads from (and appends to) a journal file specified by-the \f[CR]LEDGER_FILE\f[R] environment variable (defaulting to-\f[CR]$HOME/.hledger.journal\f[R]); or you can specify files with-\f[CR]\-f\f[R] options.-It can also read timeclock files, timedot files, or any CSV/SSV/TSV file-with a date field.-.PP-Here is a small journal file describing one transaction:-.IP-.EX-2015\-10\-16 bought food-  expenses:food          $10-  assets:cash-.EE-.PP-Transactions are dated movements of money (etc.)-between two or more \f[I]accounts\f[R]: bank accounts, your wallet,-revenue/expense categories, people, etc.-You can choose any account names you wish, using \f[CR]:\f[R] to-indicate subaccounts.-There must be at least two spaces between account name and amount.-Positive amounts are inflow to that account (\f[I]debit\f[R]), negatives-are outflow from it (\f[I]credit\f[R]).-(Some reports show revenue, liability and equity account balances as-negative numbers as a result; this is normal.)-.PP-hledger\[cq]s add command can help you add transactions, or you can-install other data entry UIs like hledger\-web or hledger\-iadd.-For more extensive/efficient changes, use a text editor: Emacs +-ledger\-mode, VIM + vim\-ledger, or VS Code + hledger\-vscode are some-good choices (see https://hledger.org/editors.html).-.PP-To get started, run \f[CR]hledger add\f[R] and follow the prompts, or-save some entries like the above in \f[CR]$HOME/.hledger.journal\f[R],-then try commands like:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger print \-x-$ hledger aregister assets-$ hledger balance-$ hledger balancesheet-$ hledger incomestatement-.EE-.PP-Run \f[CR]hledger\f[R] to list the commands.-See also the \[dq]Starting a journal file\[dq] and \[dq]Setting opening-balances\[dq] sections in PART 5: COMMON TASKS.-.SH PART 1: USER INTERFACE-.SH Input-hledger reads one or more data files, each time you run it.-You can specify a file with \f[CR]\-f\f[R], like so-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f FILE [\-f FILE2 ...] print-.EE-.PP-Files are most often in hledger\[aq]s journal format, with the-\f[CR].journal\f[R] file extension (\f[CR].hledger\f[R] or \f[CR].j\f[R]-also work); these files describe transactions, like an accounting-general journal.-.PP-When no file is specified, hledger looks for \f[CR].hledger.journal\f[R]-in your home directory.-.PP-But most people prefer to keep financial files in a dedicated folder,-perhaps with version control.-Also, starting a new journal file each year is common (it\[aq]s not-required, but helps keep things fast and organised).-So we usually configure a different journal file, by setting the-\f[CR]LEDGER_FILE\f[R] environment variable, to something like-\f[CR]\[ti]/finance/2023.journal\f[R].-For more about how to do that on your system, see Common tasks > Setting-LEDGER_FILE.-.SS Text encoding-hledger expects non\-ascii input to be decodable with the system-locale\[aq]s text encoding.-(For CSV/SSV/TSV files, this can be overridden by the-\f[CR]encoding\f[R] CSV rule.)-.PP-So, trying to read non\-ascii files which have the wrong text encoding,-or when no system locale is configured, will fail.-To fix this, configure your system locale appropriately, and/or convert-the files to your system\[aq]s text encoding (using \f[CR]iconv\f[R] on-unix, or powershell or notepad on Windows).-See Install: Text encoding for more tips.-.PP-hledger\[aq]s output will use the system locale\[aq]s encoding.-.PP-hledger\[aq]s docs and example files mostly use UTF\-8 encoding.-.SS Data formats-Usually the data file is in hledger\[aq]s journal format, but it can be-in any of the supported file formats, which currently are:-.PP-.TS-tab(@);-lw(13.5n) lw(33.0n) lw(23.5n).-T{-Reader:-T}@T{-Reads:-T}@T{-Automatically used for files with extensions:-T}-_-T{-\f[CR]journal\f[R]-T}@T{-hledger journal files and some Ledger journals, for transactions-T}@T{-\f[CR].journal\f[R] \f[CR].j\f[R] \f[CR].hledger\f[R] \f[CR].ledger\f[R]-T}-T{-\f[CR]timeclock\f[R]-T}@T{-timeclock files, for precise time logging-T}@T{-\f[CR].timeclock\f[R]-T}-T{-\f[CR]timedot\f[R]-T}@T{-timedot files, for approximate time logging-T}@T{-\f[CR].timedot\f[R]-T}-T{-\f[CR]csv\f[R]-T}@T{-Comma\- or other delimiter\-separated values, for data import-T}@T{-\f[CR].csv\f[R]-T}-T{-\f[CR]ssv\f[R]-T}@T{-Semicolon separated values-T}@T{-\f[CR].ssv\f[R]-T}-T{-\f[CR]tsv\f[R]-T}@T{-Tab separated values-T}@T{-\f[CR].tsv\f[R]-T}-T{-\f[CR]rules\f[R]-T}@T{-CSV/SSV/TSV/other separated values, alternate way-T}@T{-\f[CR].rules\f[R]-T}-.TE-.PP-These formats are described in more detail below.-.PP-hledger detects the format automatically based on the file extensions-shown above.-If it can\[aq]t recognise the file extension, it assumes-\f[CR]journal\f[R] format.-So for non\-journal files, it\[aq]s important to use a recognised file-extension, so as to either read successfully or to show relevant error-messages.-.PP-You can also force a specific reader/format by prefixing the file path-with the format and a colon.-Eg, to read a .dat file containing tab separated values:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f tsv:/some/file.dat stats-.EE-.SS Standard input-The file name \f[CR]\-\f[R] means standard input:-.IP-.EX-$ cat FILE | hledger \-f\- print-.EE-.PP-If reading non\-journal data in this way, you\[aq]ll need to write the-format as a prefix, like \f[CR]timeclock:\f[R] here:-.IP-.EX-$ echo \[aq]i 2009/13/1 08:00:00\[aq] | hledger print \-f timeclock:\--.EE-.SS Multiple files-You can specify multiple \f[CR]\-f\f[R] options, to read multiple files-as one big journal.-When doing this, note that certain features (described below) will be-affected:-.IP \[bu] 2-Balance assertions will not see the effect of transactions in previous-files.-(Usually this doesn\[aq]t matter as each file will set the corresponding-opening balances.)-.IP \[bu] 2-Some directives will not affect previous or subsequent files.-.PP-If needed, you can work around these by using a single parent file which-includes the others, or concatenating the files into one, eg:-\f[CR]cat a.journal b.journal | hledger \-f\- CMD\f[R].-.SS Strict mode-hledger checks input files for valid data.-By default, the most important errors are detected, while still-accepting easy journal files without a lot of declarations:-.IP \[bu] 2-Are the input files parseable, with valid syntax ?-.IP \[bu] 2-Are all transactions balanced ?-.IP \[bu] 2-Do all balance assertions pass ?-.PP-With the \f[CR]\-s\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-strict\f[R] flag, additional checks-are performed:-.IP \[bu] 2-Are all accounts posted to, declared with an \f[CR]account\f[R]-directive ?-(Account error checking)-.IP \[bu] 2-Are all commodities declared with a \f[CR]commodity\f[R] directive ?-(Commodity error checking)-.IP \[bu] 2-Are all commodity conversions declared explicitly ?-.PP-You can use the check command to run individual checks \- the ones-listed above and some more.-.SH Commands-hledger provides various subcommands for getting things done.-Most of these commands do not change the journal file; they just read it-and output a report.-A few commands assist with adding data and file management.-Some often\-used commands are \f[CR]add\f[R], \f[CR]print\f[R],-\f[CR]register\f[R], \f[CR]balancesheet\f[R] and-\f[CR]incomestatement\f[R].-.PP-To show a summary of commands, run \f[CR]hledger\f[R] with no arguments.-You can see the same commands summary at the start of PART 4: COMMANDS-below.-.PP-To use a particular command, run-\f[CR]hledger CMD [CMDOPTS] [CMDARGS]\f[R],-.IP \[bu] 2-CMD is the full command name, or its standard abbreviation shown in the-commands list, or any unambiguous prefix of the name.-.IP \[bu] 2-CMDOPTS are command\-specific options, if any.-Command\-specific options must be written after the command name.-Eg: \f[CR]hledger print \-x\f[R].-.IP \[bu] 2-CMDARGS are additional arguments to the command, if any.-Most hledger commands accept arguments representing a query, to limit-the data in some way.-Eg: \f[CR]hledger reg assets:checking\f[R].-.PP-To list a command\[aq]s options, arguments, and documentation in the-terminal, run \f[CR]hledger CMD \-h\f[R].-Eg: \f[CR]hledger bal \-h\f[R].-.SS Add\-on commands-In addition to the built\-in commands, you can install \f[I]add\-on-commands\f[R], which will also appear in hledger\[aq]s commands list.-Some of these can be installed as separate packages; others can be found-in hledger\[aq]s bin/ directory, documented at-https://hledger.org/scripts.html.-.PP-Add\-on commands are programs or scripts in your shell\[aq]s PATH, whose-name starts with \[dq]hledger\-\[dq] and ends with no extension or a-recognised extension (\[dq].bat\[dq], \[dq].com\[dq], \[dq].exe\[dq],-\[dq].hs\[dq], \[dq].js\[dq], \[dq].lhs\[dq], \[dq].lua\[dq],-\[dq].php\[dq], \[dq].pl\[dq], \[dq].py\[dq], \[dq].rb\[dq],-\[dq].rkt\[dq], or \[dq].sh\[dq]), and (on unix and mac) which has-executable permission for the current user.-.PP-You can run add\-on commands directly: \f[CR]hledger\-ui \-\-watch\f[R].-.PP-Or you can run them with hledger, like built\-in commands:-\f[CR]hledger ui \-\-watch\f[R].-In this case hledger\[aq]s config file will be used, so you can set-custom options for the addon there.-(Before hledger 1.50, an \f[CR]\-\-\f[R] argument was needed before-addon options, but not any more.)-.SH Options-Run \f[CR]hledger \-h\f[R] to see general command line help.-Options can be written either before or after the command name.-These options are specific to the \f[CR]hledger\f[R] CLI:-.IP-.EX-Flags:-     \-\-conf=CONFFILE        Use extra options defined in this config file. If-                            not specified, searches upward and in XDG config-                            dir for hledger.conf (or .hledger.conf in $HOME).-  \-n \-\-no\-conf              ignore any config file-.EE-.PP-And the following general options are common to most hledger commands:-.IP-.EX-General input/data transformation flags:-  \-f \-\-file=[FMT:]FILE      Read data from FILE, or from stdin if FILE is \-,-                            inferring format from extension or a FMT: prefix.-                            Can be specified more than once. If not specified,-                            reads from $LEDGER_FILE or $HOME/.hledger.journal.-     \-\-rules=RULESFILE      Use rules defined in this rules file for-                            converting subsequent CSV/SSV/TSV files. If not-                            specified, uses FILE.csv.rules for each FILE.csv.-     \-\-alias=A=B|/RGX/=RPL  transform account names from A to B, or by-                            replacing regular expression matches-     \-\-auto                 generate extra postings by applying auto posting-                            rules (\[dq]=\[dq]) to all transactions-     \-\-forecast[=PERIOD]    Generate extra transactions from periodic rules-                            (\[dq]\[ti]\[dq]), from after the latest ordinary transaction-                            until 6 months from now. Or, during the specified-                            PERIOD (the equals is required). Auto posting rules-                            will also be applied to these transactions. In-                            hledger\-ui, also make future\-dated transactions-                            visible at startup.-  \-I \-\-ignore\-assertions    don\[aq]t check balance assertions by default-     \-\-txn\-balancing=...    how to check that transactions are balanced:-                            \[aq]old\[aq]:   use global display precision-                            \[aq]exact\[aq]: use transaction precision (default)-     \-\-infer\-costs          infer conversion equity postings from costs-     \-\-infer\-equity         infer costs from conversion equity postings-     \-\-infer\-market\-prices  infer market prices from costs-     \-\-pivot=TAGNAME        use a different field or tag as account names-  \-s \-\-strict               do extra error checks (and override \-I)-     \-\-verbose\-tags         add tags indicating generated/modified data--General output/reporting flags (supported by some commands):-  \-b \-\-begin=DATE           include postings/transactions on/after this date-  \-e \-\-end=DATE             include postings/transactions before this date-                            (with a report interval, will be adjusted to-                            following subperiod end)-  \-D \-\-daily                multiperiod report with 1 day interval-  \-W \-\-weekly               multiperiod report with 1 week interval-  \-M \-\-monthly              multiperiod report with 1 month interval-  \-Q \-\-quarterly            multiperiod report with 1 quarter interval-  \-Y \-\-yearly               multiperiod report with 1 year interval-  \-p \-\-period=PERIODEXP     set begin date, end date, and/or report interval,-                            with more flexibility-     \-\-today=DATE           override today\[aq]s date (affects relative dates)-     \-\-date2                match/use secondary dates instead (deprecated)-  \-U \-\-unmarked             include only unmarked postings/transactions-  \-P \-\-pending              include only pending postings/transactions-  \-C \-\-cleared              include only cleared postings/transactions-                            (\-U/\-P/\-C can be combined)-  \-R \-\-real                 include only non\-virtual postings-  \-E \-\-empty                Show zero items, which are normally hidden.-                            In hledger\-ui & hledger\-web, do the opposite.-     \-\-depth=DEPTHEXP       if a number (or \-NUM): show only top NUM levels-                            of accounts. If REGEXP=NUM, only apply limiting to-                            accounts matching the regular expression.-  \-B \-\-cost                 show amounts converted to their cost/sale amount-  \-V \-\-market               Show amounts converted to their value at period-                            end(s) in their default valuation commodity.-                            Equivalent to \-\-value=end.-  \-X \-\-exchange=COMM        Show amounts converted to their value at period-                            end(s) in the specified commodity.-                            Equivalent to \-\-value=end,COMM.-     \-\-value=WHEN[,COMM]    show amounts converted to their value on the-                            specified date(s) in their default valuation-                            commodity or a specified commodity. WHEN can be:-                            \[aq]then\[aq]:     value on transaction dates-                            \[aq]end\[aq]:      value at period end(s)-                            \[aq]now\[aq]:      value today-                            YYYY\-MM\-DD: value on given date-  \-c \-\-commodity\-style=S    Override a commodity\[aq]s display style.-                            Eg: \-c \[aq].\[aq] or \-c \[aq]1.000,00 EUR\[aq]-     \-\-pretty[=YN]          Use box\-drawing characters in text output? Can be-                            \[aq]y\[aq]/\[aq]yes\[aq] or \[aq]n\[aq]/\[aq]no\[aq].-                            If YN is specified, the equals is required.--General help flags:-  \-h \-\-help                 show command line help-     \-\-tldr                 show command examples with tldr-     \-\-info                 show the manual with info-     \-\-man                  show the manual with man-     \-\-version              show version information-     \-\-debug=[1\-9]          show this much debug output (default: 1)-     \-\-pager=YN             use a pager when needed ? y/yes (default) or n/no-     \-\-color=YNA \-\-colour   use ANSI color ? y/yes, n/no, or auto (default)-.EE-.PP-Usually hledger accepts any unambiguous flag prefix, eg you can write-\f[CR]\-\-tl\f[R] instead of \f[CR]\-\-tldr\f[R] or \f[CR]\-\-dry\f[R]-instead of \f[CR]\-\-dry\-run\f[R].-.PP-You can combine short flags which don\[aq]t take arguments, eg you can-write \f[CR]\-MAST\f[R] instead of \f[CR]\-M \-A \-S \-T\f[R].-Flags requiring an argument can\[aq]t be combined in this way-(\f[CR]\-If FILE\f[R] won\[aq]t work).-.PP-If the same option appears more than once in a command line, usually the-last (right\-most) wins.-Similarly, if mutually exclusive flags are used together, the-right\-most wins.-(When flags are mutually exclusive, they\[aq]ll usually have a group-prefix in \-\-help.)-.PP-With most commands, arguments are interpreted as a hledger query which-filter the data.-Some queries can be expressed either with options or with arguments.-.PP-Below are more tips for using the command line interface \- feel free to-skip these until you need them.-.SS Special characters-In commands you type at the command line, certain characters have-special meaning and sometimes need to be \[dq]escaped\[dq] or-\[dq]quoted\[dq], by prefixing backslashes or enclosing in quotes.-.PP-If you are able to minimise the use of special characters in your data,-you won\[aq]t have to deal with this as much.-For example, you could use hyphen \f[CR]\-\f[R] or underscore-\f[CR]_\f[R] instead of spaces in account names, and you could use the-\f[CR]USD\f[R] currency code instead of the \f[CR]$\f[R] currency symbol-in amounts.-.PP-But if you prefer to use spaced account names and \f[CR]$\f[R], it\[aq]s-fine.-Just be aware of this topic so you can check this doc when needed.-(These examples are mostly tested on unix; some details might need to be-adapted if you\[aq]re on Windows.)-.SS Escaping shell special characters-These are some characters which may have special meaning to your shell-(the program which interprets command lines):-.IP \[bu] 2-SPACE, \f[CR]<\f[R], \f[CR]>\f[R], \f[CR](\f[R], \f[CR])\f[R],-\f[CR]|\f[R], \f[CR]\[rs]\f[R], \f[CR]%\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]$\f[R] if followed by a word character-.PP-So for example, to match an account name containing spaces, like-\[dq]credit card\[dq], don\[aq]t write:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger register credit card-.EE-.PP-Instead, enclose the name in single quotes:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger register \[aq]credit card\[aq]-.EE-.PP-On unix or in Windows powershell, if you use double quotes your shell-will silently treat \f[CR]$\f[R] as variable interpolation.-So you should probably avoid double quotes, unless you want that-behaviour, eg in a script:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger register \[dq]assets:$SOMEACCT\[dq]-.EE-.PP-But in an older Windows CMD.EXE window, you must use double quotes:-.IP-.EX-C:\[rs]Users\[rs]Me> hledger register \[dq]credit card\[dq]-.EE-.PP-On unix or in Windows powershell, as an alternative to quotes you can-write a backslash before each special character:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger register credit\[rs] card-.EE-.PP-Finally, since hledger\[aq]s query arguments are regular expressions-(described below), you could also fill that gap with \f[CR].\f[R] which-matches any character:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger register credit.card-.EE-.SS Escaping regular expression special characters-Some characters also have special meaning in regular expressions, which-hledger\[aq]s arguments often are.-Those include:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR].\f[R], \f[CR]\[ha]\f[R], \f[CR]$\f[R], \f[CR][\f[R],-\f[CR]]\f[R], \f[CR](\f[R], \f[CR])\f[R], \f[CR]|\f[R], \f[CR]\[rs]\f[R]-.PP-To escape one of these, write \f[CR]\[rs]\f[R] before it.-But note this is in addition to the shell escaping above.-So for characters which are special to both shell and regular-expressions, like \f[CR]\[rs]\f[R] and \f[CR]$\f[R], you will sometimes-need two levels of escaping.-.PP-For example, a balance report that uses a \f[CR]cur:\f[R] query-restricting it to just the $ currency, should be written like this:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger balance cur:\[rs]\[rs]$-.EE-.PP-Explanation:-.IP "1." 3-Add a backslash \f[CR]\[rs]\f[R] before the dollar sign \f[CR]$\f[R] to-protect it from regular expressions (so it will be matched literally-with no special meaning).-.IP "2." 3-Add another backslash before that backslash, to protect it from the-shell (so the shell won\[aq]t consume it).-.IP "3." 3-\f[CR]$\f[R] doesn\[aq]t need to be protected from the shell in this-case, because it\[aq]s not followed by a word character; but it would be-harmless to do so.-.PP-But here\[aq]s another way to write that, which tends to be easier: add-backslashes to escape from regular expressions, then enclose with quotes-to escape from the shell:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger balance cur:\[aq]\[rs]$\[aq]-.EE-.SS Escaping in other situations-hledger options and arguments are sometimes used in places other than-the command line, where the escaping/quoting rules are different.-For example, backslash\-quoting may not be available.-Here\[aq]s a quick reference:-.PP-.TS-tab(@);-lw(17.5n) lw(52.5n).-T{-In unix shell-T}@T{-Use single quotes and/or backslash (or double quotes for variable-interpolation)-T}-T{-In Windows \f[CR]powershell\f[R]-T}@T{-Use single quotes (or double quotes for variable interpolation)-T}-T{-In Windows \f[CR]cmd\f[R]-T}@T{-Use double quotes-T}-T{-In hledger\-ui\[aq]s filter prompt-T}@T{-Use single or double quotes-T}-T{-In hledger\-web\[aq]s search form-T}@T{-Use single or double quotes-T}-T{-In an argument file-T}@T{-Don\[aq]t use spaces, don\[aq]t shell\-escape, do regex\-escape, write-one argument/option per line-T}-T{-In a config file-T}@T{-Use single or double quotes, and enclose the whole argument-(\f[CR]\[aq]desc:a b\[aq]\f[R] not \f[CR]desc:\[aq]a b\[aq]\f[R])-T}-T{-In \f[CR]ghci\f[R] (the Haskell REPL)-T}@T{-Use double quotes, and enclose the whole argument-T}-.TE-.SS Unicode characters-hledger is expected to handle non\-ascii characters correctly:-.IP \[bu] 2-they should be parsed correctly in input files and on the command line,-by all hledger tools (add, iadd, hledger\-web\[aq]s search/add/edit-forms, etc.)-.IP \[bu] 2-they should be displayed correctly by all hledger tools, and on\-screen-alignment should be preserved.-.PP-This requires a well\-configured environment.-Here are some tips:-.IP \[bu] 2-A system locale must be configured, which can decode the characters-being used.-This is essential \- see Text encoding and Install: Text encoding.-.IP \[bu] 2-Your terminal software (eg Terminal.app, iTerm, CMD.exe, xterm..)-must support unicode.-On Windows, you may need to use Windows Terminal.-.IP \[bu] 2-The terminal must be using a font which includes the required unicode-glyphs.-.IP \[bu] 2-The terminal should be configured to display wide characters as double-width (for report alignment).-.IP \[bu] 2-On Windows, for best results you should run hledger in the same kind of-environment in which it was built.-Eg hledger built in the standard CMD.EXE environment (like the binaries-on our download page) might show display problems when run in a cygwin-or msys terminal, and vice versa.-(See eg #961).-.SS Regular expressions-A regular expression (regexp) is a small piece of text where certain-characters (like \f[CR].\f[R], \f[CR]\[ha]\f[R], \f[CR]$\f[R],-\f[CR]+\f[R], \f[CR]*\f[R], \f[CR]()\f[R], \f[CR]|\f[R], \f[CR][]\f[R],-\f[CR]\[rs]\f[R]) have special meanings, forming a tiny language for-matching text precisely \- very useful in hledger and elsewhere.-To learn all about them, visit regular\-expressions.info.-.PP-hledger supports regexps whenever you are entering a pattern to match-something, eg in query arguments, account aliases, CSV if rules,-hledger\-web\[aq]s search form, hledger\-ui\[aq]s \f[CR]/\f[R] search,-etc.-You may need to wrap them in quotes, especially at the command line (see-Special characters above).-Here are some examples:-.PP-Account name queries (quoted for command line use):-.IP-.EX-Regular expression:  Matches:-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-  \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--bank                 assets:bank, assets:bank:savings, expenses:art:banksy, ...-:bank                assets:bank:savings, expenses:art:banksy-:bank:               assets:bank:savings-\[aq]\[ha]bank\[aq]              none of those ( \[ha] matches beginning of text )-\[aq]bank$\[aq]              assets:bank   ( $ matches end of text )-\[aq]big \[rs]$ bank\[aq]        big $ bank    ( \[rs] disables following character\[aq]s special meaning )-\[aq]\[rs]bbank\[rs]b\[aq]           assets:bank, assets:bank:savings  ( \[rs]b matches word boundaries )-\[aq](sav|check)ing\[aq]     saving or checking  ( (|) matches either alternative )-\[aq]saving|checking\[aq]    saving or checking  ( outer parentheses are not needed )-\[aq]savings?\[aq]           saving or savings   ( ? matches 0 or 1 of the preceding thing )-\[aq]my +bank\[aq]           my bank, my  bank, ... ( + matches 1 or more of the preceding thing )-\[aq]my *bank\[aq]           mybank, my bank, my  bank, ... ( * matches 0 or more of the preceding thing )-\[aq]b.nk\[aq]               bank, bonk, b nk, ... ( . matches any character )-.EE-.PP-Some other queries:-.IP-.EX-desc:\[aq]amazon|amzn|audible\[aq]  Amazon transactions-cur:EUR              amounts with commodity symbol containing EUR-cur:\[aq]\[rs]$\[aq]             amounts with commodity symbol containing $-cur:\[aq]\[ha]\[rs]$$\[aq]           only $ amounts, not eg AU$ or CA$-cur:....?            amounts with 4\-or\-more\-character symbols-tag:.=202[1\-3]       things with any tag whose value contains 2021, 2022 or 2023-.EE-.PP-Account name aliases: accept \f[CR].\f[R] instead of \f[CR]:\f[R] as-account separator:-.IP-.EX-alias /\[rs]./=:         replaces all periods in account names with colons-.EE-.PP-Show multiple top\-level accounts combined as one:-.IP-.EX-\-\-alias=\[aq]/\[ha][\[ha]:]+/=combined\[aq]  ( [\[ha]:] matches any character other than : )-.EE-.PP-Show accounts with the second\-level part removed:-.IP-.EX-\-\-alias \[aq]/\[ha]([\[ha]:]+):[\[ha]:]+/ = \[rs]1\[aq]-                     match a top\-level account and a second\-level account-                     and replace those with just the top\-level account-                     ( \[rs]1 in the replacement text means \[dq]whatever was matched-                     by the first parenthesised part of the regexp\[dq]-.EE-.PP-CSV rules: match CSV records containing dining\-related MCC codes:-.IP-.EX-if \[rs]?MCC581[124]-.EE-.PP-Match CSV records with a specific amount around the end/start of month:-.IP-.EX-if %amount \[rs]b3\[rs].99-&  %date   (29|30|31|01|02|03)$-.EE-.SS hledger\[aq]s regular expressions-hledger\[aq]s regular expressions come from the regex\-tdfa library.-If they\[aq]re not doing what you expect, it\[aq]s important to know-exactly what they support:-.IP "1." 3-they are case insensitive-.IP "2." 3-they are infix matching (they do not need to match the entire thing-being matched)-.IP "3." 3-they are POSIX ERE (extended regular expressions)-.IP "4." 3-they also support GNU word boundaries (\f[CR]\[rs]b\f[R],-\f[CR]\[rs]B\f[R], \f[CR]\[rs]<\f[R], \f[CR]\[rs]>\f[R])-.IP "5." 3-backreferences are supported when doing text replacement in account-aliases or CSV rules, where backreferences can be used in the-replacement string to reference capturing groups in the search regexp.-Otherwise, if you write \f[CR]\[rs]1\f[R], it will match the digit-\f[CR]1\f[R].-.IP "6." 3-they do not support mode modifiers (\f[CR](?s)\f[R]), character classes-(\f[CR]\[rs]w\f[R], \f[CR]\[rs]d\f[R]), or anything else not mentioned-above.-.IP "7." 3-they may not (I\[aq]m guessing not) properly support right\-to\-left or-bidirectional text.-.PP-Some things to note:-.IP \[bu] 2-In the \f[CR]alias\f[R] directive and \f[CR]\-\-alias\f[R] option,-regular expressions must be enclosed in forward slashes-(\f[CR]/REGEX/\f[R]).-Elsewhere in hledger, these are not required.-.IP \[bu] 2-In queries, to match a regular expression metacharacter like-\f[CR]$\f[R] as a literal character, prepend a backslash.-Eg to search for amounts with the dollar sign in hledger\-web, write-\f[CR]cur:\[rs]$\f[R].-.IP \[bu] 2-On the command line, some metacharacters like \f[CR]$\f[R] have a-special meaning to the shell and so must be escaped at least once more.-See Special characters.-.SS Argument files-You can save a set of command line options and arguments in a file, and-then use them by writing \f[CR]\[at]FILE.args\f[R] as a hledger command-argument.-The \f[CR].args\f[R] file extension is conventional, but not required.-In an argument file,-.IP \[bu] 2-Each line can contain one argument, flag, or option.-.IP \[bu] 2-Blank lines or lines beginning with \f[CR]#\f[R] are ignored.-.IP \[bu] 2-An option\[aq]s flag and value should be joined by \f[CR]=\f[R].-.IP \[bu] 2-An option value or an argument may contain spaces.-Don\[aq]t use single or double quotes.-.IP \[bu] 2-And generally, use one less level of quoting/escaping than at the-command line.-Eg \f[CR]cur:\[rs]$\f[R], not \f[CR]cur:\[rs]\[rs]$\f[R] as on the-command line.-.PP-For example:-.IP-.EX-# cash.args--assets:cash-assets:charles schwab:sweep-cur:\[rs]$-\-c=$1.-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger bal \[at]cash.args-.EE-.SS Config files-With hledger 1.40+, you can save extra command line options and-arguments in a more featureful hledger config file.-Here\[aq]s a small example:-.IP-.EX-\f[I]# General options are listed first, and used with hledger commands that support them.\f[R]-\-\-pretty--\f[I]# Options following a \[ga][COMMAND]\[ga] heading are used with that hledger command only.\f[R]-\f[B][print]\f[R]-\-\-explicit \-\-infer\-costs-.EE-.PP-To use a config file, specify it with the \f[CR]\-\-conf\f[R] option.-Its options will be inserted near the start of your command line, so you-can override them with command line options if needed.-.PP-Or, you can set up an automatic config file that is used whenever you-run hledger, by creating \f[CR]hledger.conf\f[R] in the current-directory or above, or \f[CR].hledger.conf\f[R] in your home directory-(\f[CR]\[ti]/.hledger.conf\f[R]), or \f[CR]hledger.conf\f[R] in your XDG-config directory (\f[CR]\[ti]/.config/hledger/hledger.conf\f[R]).-.PP-Here is another example config you could start with:-https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/blob/master/hledger.conf.sample-.PP-You can put not only options, but also arguments in a config file.-If the first word in a config file\[aq]s top (general) section does not-begin with a dash (eg: \f[CR]print\f[R]), it is treated as the command-argument (overriding any argument on the command line).-.PP-On unix machines, you can add a shebang line at the top of a config-file, set executable permission on the file, and use it like a script.-Eg (the \f[CR]\-S\f[R] is needed on some operating systems):-.IP-.EX-#!/usr/bin/env \-S hledger \-\-conf-.EE-.PP-You can ignore config files by adding the-\f[CR]\-n\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-no\-conf\f[R] flag to the command line.-This is useful when using hledger in scripts, or when troubleshooting.-When both \f[CR]\-\-conf\f[R] and \f[CR]\-\-no\-conf\f[R] options are-used, the right\-most wins.-.PP-To inspect the processing of config files, use \f[CR]\-\-debug\f[R] or-\f[CR]\-\-debug=8\f[R].-Or, run the \f[CR]setup\f[R] command, which will display any active-config files.-(\f[CR]setup\f[R] is not affected by config files itself, unlike other-commands.)-.PP-\f[B]Warning!\f[R]-.PP-There aren\[aq]t many hledger features that need a warning, but this is-one!-.PP-Automatic config files, while convenient, also make hledger less-predictable and dependable.-It\[aq]s easy to make a config file that changes a report\[aq]s-behaviour, or breaks your hledger\-using scripts/applications, in ways-that will surprise you later.-.PP-If you don\[aq]t want this,-.IP "1." 3-Just don\[aq]t create a hledger.conf file on your machine.-.IP "2." 3-Also be alert to downloaded directories which may contain a hledger.conf-file.-.IP "3." 3-Also if you are sharing scripts or examples or support, consider that-others may have a hledger.conf file.-.PP-Conversely, once you decide to use this feature, try to remember:-.IP "1." 3-Whenever a hledger command does not work as expected, try it again with-\f[CR]\-n\f[R] (\f[CR]\-\-no\-conf\f[R]) to see if a config file was to-blame.-.IP "2." 3-Whenever you call hledger from a script, consider whether that call-should use \f[CR]\-n\f[R] or not.-.IP "3." 3-Be conservative about what you put in your config file; try to consider-the effect on all your reports.-.IP "4." 3-To troubleshoot the effect of config files, run with-\f[CR]\-\-debug\f[R] or \f[CR]\-\-debug 8\f[R].-.PP-The config file feature was added in hledger 1.40.-.SS Shell completions-If you use the bash or zsh shells, you can optionally set up-context\-sensitive autocompletion for hledger command lines.-Try pressing \f[CR]hledger<SPACE><TAB><TAB>\f[R] (should list all-hledger commands) or \f[CR]hledger reg acct:<TAB><TAB>\f[R] (should list-your top\-level account names).-If completions aren\[aq]t working, or for more details, see Install >-Shell completions.-.SH Output-.SS Output destination-hledger commands send their output to the terminal by default.-You can of course redirect this, eg into a file, using standard shell-syntax:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger print > foo.txt-.EE-.PP-Some commands (print, register, stats, the balance commands) also-provide the \f[CR]\-o\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-output\-file\f[R] option, which-does the same thing without needing the shell.-Eg:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger print \-o foo.txt-$ hledger print \-o \-        # write to stdout (the default)-.EE-.SS Output format-Some commands offer other kinds of output, not just text on the-terminal.-Here are those commands and the formats currently supported:-.PP-.TS-tab(@);-lw(20.6n) lw(5.1n) lw(6.2n) lw(9.3n) lw(6.2n) lw(11.3n) lw(5.1n) lw(6.2n).-T{-command-T}@T{-txt-T}@T{-html-T}@T{-csv/tsv-T}@T{-fods-T}@T{-beancount-T}@T{-sql-T}@T{-json-T}-_-T{-aregister-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-Y-T}-T{-balance-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-Y-T}-T{-balancesheet-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-Y-T}-T{-balancesheetequity-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-Y-T}-T{-cashflow-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-Y-T}-T{-incomestatement-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-Y-T}-T{-print-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}-T{-register-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-Y-T}-.TE-.PP-You can also see which output formats a command supports by running-\f[CR]hledger CMD \-h\f[R] and looking for the-\f[CR]\-O\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-output\-format=FMT\f[R] option,-.PP-You can select the output format by using that option:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger print \-O csv    # print CSV to standard output-.EE-.PP-or by choosing a suitable filename extension with the-\f[CR]\-o\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-output\-file=FILE.FMT\f[R] option:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger balancesheet \-o foo.csv    # write CSV to foo.csv-.EE-.PP-The \f[CR]\-O\f[R] option can be combined with \f[CR]\-o\f[R] to-override the file extension if needed:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger balancesheet \-o foo.txt \-O csv    # write CSV to foo.txt-.EE-.PP-Here are some notes about the various output formats.-.SS Text output-This is the default: human readable, plain text report output, suitable-for viewing with a monospace font in a terminal.-If your data contains unicode or wide characters, you\[aq]ll need a-terminal and font that render those correctly.-(This can be challenging on MS Windows.)-.PP-Some reports (\f[CR]register\f[R], \f[CR]aregister\f[R]) will normally-use the full window width.-If this isn\[aq]t working or you want to override it, you can use the-\f[CR]\-w\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-width\f[R] option.-.PP-Balance reports (\f[CR]balance\f[R], \f[CR]balancesheet\f[R],-\f[CR]incomestatement\f[R]...)-use whatever width they need.-Multi\-period multi\-currency reports can often be wider than the-window.-Besides using a pager, helpful techniques for this situation include-\f[CR]\-\-layout=bare\f[R], \f[CR]\-X COMM\f[R], \f[CR]cur:\f[R],-\f[CR]\-\-transpose\f[R], \f[CR]\-\-tree\f[R], \f[CR]\-\-depth\f[R],-\f[CR]\-\-drop\f[R], switching to html output, etc.-.SS Box\-drawing characters-hledger draws simple table borders by default, to minimise the risk of-display problems caused by a terminal/font not supporting box\-drawing-characters.-.PP-But your terminal and font probably do support them, so we recommend-using the \f[CR]\-\-pretty\f[R] flag to show prettier tables in the-terminal.-This is a good flag to add to your hledger config file.-.SS Colour-hledger tries to automatically detect ANSI colour and text styling-support and use it when appropriate.-(Currently, it is used rather minimally: some reports show negative-numbers in red, and help output uses bold text for emphasis.)-.PP-You can override this by setting the \f[CR]NO_COLOR\f[R] environment-variable to disable it, or by using the \f[CR]\-\-color/\-\-colour\f[R]-option, perhaps in your config file, with a \f[CR]y\f[R]/\f[CR]yes\f[R]-or \f[CR]n\f[R]/\f[CR]no\f[R] value to force it on or off.-.SS Paging-In unix\-like environments, when displaying large output (in any output-format) in the terminal, hledger tries to use a pager when appropriate.-(You can disable this with the \f[CR]\-\-pager=no\f[R] option, perhaps-in your config file.)-.PP-The pager shows one page of text at a time, and lets you scroll around-to see more.-While it is active, usually \f[CR]SPACE\f[R] shows the next page,-\f[CR]h\f[R] shows help, and \f[CR]q\f[R] quits.-The home/end/page up/page down/cursor keys, and mouse scrolling, may-also work.-.PP-hledger will use the pager specified by the \f[CR]PAGER\f[R] environment-variable, otherwise \f[CR]less\f[R] if available, otherwise-\f[CR]more\f[R] if available.-(With one exception: \f[CR]hledger help \-p TOPIC\f[R] will always use-\f[CR]less\f[R], so that it can scroll to the topic.)-.PP-The pager is expected to display hledger\[aq]s ANSI colour and text-styling.-If you see junk characters, you might need to configure your pager to-handle ANSI codes.-Or you could disable colour as described above.-.PP-If you are using the \f[CR]less\f[R] pager, hledger automatically-appends a number of options to the \f[CR]LESS\f[R] variable to enable-ANSI colour and a number of other conveniences.-(At the time of writing: \-\-chop\-long\-lines \-\-hilite\-unread-\-\-ignore\-case \-\-no\-init \-\-quit\-at\-eof-\-\-quit\-if\-one\-screen \-\-RAW\-CONTROL\-CHARS \-\-shift=8-\-\-squeeze\-blank\-lines \-\-use\-backslash ).-If these don\[aq]t work well, you can set your preferred options in the-\f[CR]HLEDGER_LESS\f[R] variable, which will be used instead.-.SS HTML output-HTML output can be styled by an optional \f[CR]hledger.css\f[R] file in-the same directory.-.PP-HTML output will be a HTML fragment, not a complete HTML document.-Like other hledger output, for non\-ascii characters it will use the-system locale\[aq]s text encoding (see Text encoding).-.SS CSV / TSV output-In CSV or TSV output, digit group marks (such as thousands separators)-are disabled automatically.-.SS FODS output-FODS is the OpenDocument Spreadsheet format as plain XML, as accepted by-LibreOffice and OpenOffice.-If you use their spreadsheet applications, this is better than CSV-because it works across locales (decimal point vs.-decimal comma, character encoding stored in XML header, thus no problems-with umlauts), it supports fixed header rows and columns, cell types-(string vs.-number vs.-date), separation of number and currency (currency is displayed but the-cell type is still a number accessible for computation), styles (bold),-borders.-Btw.-you can still extract CSV from FODS/ODS using various utilities like-\f[CR]libreoffice \-\-headless\f[R] or ods2csv.-.SS Beancount output-This is Beancount\[aq]s journal format.-You can use this to export your hledger data to Beancount, eg to use the-Fava web app.-.PP-hledger will try to adjust your data to suit Beancount, automatically.-Be cautious and check the conversion until you are confident it is good.-If you plan to export to Beancount often, you may want to follow its-conventions, for a cleaner conversion:-.IP \[bu] 2-use Beancount\-friendly account names-.IP \[bu] 2-use currency codes instead of currency symbols-.IP \[bu] 2-use cost notation instead of equity conversion postings-.IP \[bu] 2-avoid virtual postings, balance assignments, and secondary dates.-.PP-There is one big adjustment you must handle yourself: for Beancount, the-top level account names must be \f[CR]Assets\f[R],-\f[CR]Liabilities\f[R], \f[CR]Equity\f[R], \f[CR]Income\f[R], and/or-\f[CR]Expenses\f[R].-You can use account aliases to rewrite your account names temporarily,-if needed, as in this hledger2beancount.conf config file.-.PP-2024\-12\-20: Some more things not yet handled for you:-.IP \[bu] 2-P directives are not converted automatically \- convert those yourself.-.IP \[bu] 2-Balance assignments are not converted (Beancount doesn\[aq]t support-them) \- replace those with explicit amounts.-.SS Beancount account names-Aside from the top\-level names, hledger will adjust your account names-to make valid Beancount account names, by capitalising each part,-replacing spaces with \f[CR]\-\f[R], replacing other unsupported-characters with \f[CR]C<HEXBYTES>\f[R], prepending \f[CR]A\f[R] to-account name parts which don\[aq]t begin with a letter or digit, and-appending \f[CR]:A\f[R] to account names which have only one part.-.SS Beancount commodity names-hledger will adjust your commodity names to make valid Beancount-commodity/currency names, which must be 2\-24 uppercase letters, digits,-or \f[CR]\[aq]\f[R], \f[CR].\f[R], \f[CR]_\f[R], \f[CR]\-\f[R],-beginning with a letter and ending with a letter or digit.-hledger will convert known currency symbols to ISO 4217 currency codes,-capitalise letters, replace spaces with \f[CR]\-\f[R], replace other-unsupported characters with \f[CR]C<HEXBYTES>\f[R], and prepend or-append \f[CR]C\f[R] if needed.-.SS Beancount virtual postings-Beancount doesn\[aq]t allow virtual postings; if you have any, they will-be omitted from beancount output.-.SS Beancount metadata-hledger tags will be converted to Beancount metadata (except for tags-whose name begins with \f[CR]_\f[R]).-Metadata names will be adjusted to be Beancount\-compatible: beginning-with a lowercase letter, at least two characters long, and with-unsupported characters encoded.-Metadata values will use Beancount\[aq]s string type.-.PP-In hledger, objects can have the same tag repeated with multiple values.-Eg an \f[CR]assets:cash\f[R] account might have both-\f[CR]type:Asset\f[R] and \f[CR]type:Cash\f[R] tags.-For Beancount these will be combined into one, with the values combined,-comma separated.-Eg: \f[CR]type: \[dq]Asset, Cash\[dq]\f[R].-.SS Beancount costs-Beancount doesn\[aq]t allow redundant costs and conversion postings as-hledger does.-If you have any of these, the conversion postings will be omitted.-Currently we support at most one cost + conversion postings group per-transaction.-.SS Beancount operating currency-Declaring an operating currency (or several) improves Beancount and Fava-reports.-Currently hledger will declare each currency used in cost amounts as an-operating currency.-If needed, replace these with your own declaration, like-.IP-.EX-option \[dq]operating_currency\[dq] \[dq]USD\[dq]-.EE-.SS SQL output-SQL output is expected to work at least with SQLite, MySQL and Postgres.-.PP-The SQL statements are expected to be executed in the empty database.-If you already have tables created via SQL output of hledger, you would-probably want to either clear data from these (via \f[CR]delete\f[R] or-\f[CR]truncate\f[R] SQL statements) or \f[CR]drop\f[R] the tables-completely before import; otherwise your postings would be duplicated.-.PP-For SQLite, it is more useful if you modify the generated \f[CR]id\f[R]-field to be a PRIMARY KEY.-Eg:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger print \-O sql | sed \[aq]s/id serial/id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT NOT NULL/g\[aq] | ...-.EE-.PP-This is not yet much used; feedback is welcome.-.SS JSON output-Our JSON is rather large and verbose, since it is a faithful-representation of hledger\[aq]s internal data types.-To understand its structure, read the Haskell type definitions, which-are mostly in-https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/blob/master/hledger\-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs.-hledger\-web\[aq]s OpenAPI specification may also be relevant.-.PP-hledger stores numbers with sometimes up to 255 significant digits.-This is too many digits for most JSON consumers, so in JSON output we-round numbers to at most 10 decimal places.-(We don\[aq]t limit the number of integer digits.)-If you find this causing problems, please let us know.-Related: #1195-.PP-This is not yet much used; feedback is welcome.-.SS Commodity styles-When displaying amounts, hledger infers a standard display style for-each commodity/currency, as described below in Commodity display style.-.PP-If needed, this can be overridden by a-\f[CR]\-c/\-\-commodity\-style\f[R] option (except for cost amounts and-amounts displayed by the \f[CR]print\f[R] command, which are always-displayed with all decimal digits).-For example, the following will force dollar amounts to be displayed as-shown:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger print \-c \[aq]$1.000,0\[aq]-.EE-.PP-This option can be repeated to set the display style for multiple-commodities/currencies.-Its argument is as described in the commodity directive.-Note that omitting the commodity symbol will set the display style for-just the no\-symbol commodity, not all commodities.-.PP-In some cases hledger will adjust number formatting to improve their-parseability (such as adding trailing decimal marks when needed).-.SS Debug output-We intend hledger to be relatively easy to troubleshoot, introspect and-develop.-You can add \f[CR]\-\-debug[=N]\f[R] to any hledger command line to see-additional debug output.-N ranges from 1 (least output, the default) to 9 (maximum output).-Typically you would start with 1 and increase until you are seeing-enough.-Debug output goes to stderr, and is not affected by-\f[CR]\-o/\-\-output\-file\f[R] (unless you redirect stderr to stdout,-eg: \f[CR]2>&1\f[R]).-It will be interleaved with normal output, which can help reveal when-parts of the code are evaluated.-To capture debug output in a log file instead, you can usually redirect-stderr, eg:-.IP-.EX-hledger bal \-\-debug=3 2>hledger.log-.EE-.PP-(This option doesn\[aq]t work in a config file yet.)-.SH Environment-These environment variables affect hledger:-.PP-\f[B]HLEDGER_LESS\f[R] If \f[CR]less\f[R] is your pager, this variable-specifies the \f[CR]less\f[R] options hledger should use.-(Otherwise, \f[CR]LESS\f[R] + custom options are used.)-.PP-\f[B]LEDGER_FILE\f[R] The default journal file, to be used when no-\f[CR]\-f/\-\-file\f[R] option is provided.-For example, it could be \f[CR]\[ti]/finance/main.journal\f[R].-This can also be a glob pattern, eg \f[CR]./2???.journal\f[R].-(If the glob matches multiple files, only the alphanumerically first one-is used.)-If LEDGER_FILE points to a non\-existent file, an error will be raised.-If the value is the empty string, it is ignored.-.PP-If LEDGER_FILE is not set and \f[CR]\-f\f[R] is not provided, the-default journal file is \f[CR]$HOME/.hledger.journal\f[R] (or if a home-directory can\[aq]t be detected, \f[CR]./.hledger.journal\f[R]).-.PP-See also Common tasks > Setting LEDGER_FILE.-.PP-\f[B]NO_COLOR\f[R] If this environment variable exists (with any value,-including empty), hledger will not use ANSI color codes in terminal-output, unless overridden by an explicit \f[CR]\-\-color=y\f[R] or-\f[CR]\-\-colour=y\f[R] option.-.SH PART 2: DATA FORMATS-.SH Journal-hledger\[aq]s usual data source is a plain text file containing journal-entries in hledger \f[CR]journal\f[R] format.-If you\[aq]re looking for a quick reference, jump ahead to the journal-cheatsheet (or use the table of contents at-https://hledger.org/hledger.html).-.PP-This file represents an accounting General Journal.-The \f[CR].journal\f[R] file extension is most often used, though not-strictly required.-The journal file contains a number of transaction entries, each-describing a transfer of money (or any commodity) between two or more-named accounts, in a simple format readable by both hledger and humans.-.PP-hledger\[aq]s journal format is compatible with most of Ledger\[aq]s-journal format, but not all of it.-The differences and interoperation tips are described at hledger and-Ledger.-With some care, and by avoiding incompatible features, you can keep your-hledger journal readable by Ledger and vice versa.-This can useful eg for comparing the behaviour of one app against the-other.-.PP-You can use hledger without learning any more about this file; just use-the add or web or import commands to create and update it.-.PP-Many users, though, edit the journal file with a text editor, and track-changes with a version control system such as git.-Editor add\-ons such as ledger\-mode or hledger\-mode for Emacs,-vim\-ledger for Vim, and hledger\-vscode for Visual Studio Code, make-this easier, adding colour, formatting, tab completion, and useful-commands.-See Editors at hledger.org for the full list.-.PP-A hledger journal file can contain three kinds of thing: comment lines,-transactions, and/or directives (including periodic transaction rules-and auto posting rules).-Understanding the journal file format will also give you a good-understanding of hledger\[aq]s data model.-Here\[aq]s a quick cheatsheet/overview, followed by detailed-descriptions of each part.-.SS Journal cheatsheet-.IP-.EX-# Here is the main syntax of hledger\[aq]s journal format-# (omitting extra Ledger compatibility syntax).--###############################################################################--# 1. These are comment lines, for notes or temporarily disabling things.-; They begin with # or ;--comment-Or, lines can be enclosed within \[dq]comment\[dq] / \[dq]end comment\[dq].-This is a block of -commented lines.-end comment--# Some journal entries can have semicolon comments at end of line  ; like this-# Some of them require 2 or more spaces before the semicolon.--###############################################################################--# 2. Directives customise processing or output in some way.-# You don\[aq]t need any directives to get started.-# But they can add more error checking, or change how things are displayed.-# They begin with a word, letter, or symbol. -# They are most often placed at the top, before transactions.--account assets             ; Declare valid account names and display order.-account assets:savings     ; A subaccount. This one represents a bank account.-account assets:checking    ; Another. Note, 2+ spaces after the account name.-account assets:receivable  ; Accounting type is inferred from english names,-account passifs            ; or declared with a \[dq]type\[dq] tag, type:L-account expenses           ; type:X-                           ; A follow\-on comment line, indented.-account expenses:rent      ; Expense and revenue categories are also accounts.-                           ; Subaccounts inherit their parent\[aq]s type.--commodity $0.00         ; Declare valid commodities and their display styles.-commodity 1.000,00 EUR--decimal\-mark .          ; The decimal mark used in this file (if ambiguous).--payee Whole Foods       ; Declare a valid payee name.--tag trip                ; Declare a valid tag name.--P 2024\-03\-01 AAPL $179  ; Declare a market price for AAPL in $ on this date.--include other.journal   ; Include another journal file here.--# Declare a recurring \[dq]periodic transaction\[dq], for budget/forecast reports-\[ti] monthly  set budget goals  ; <\- Note, 2+ spaces before the description.-    (expenses:rent)      $1000-    (expenses:food)       $500--# Declare an auto posting rule, to modify existing transactions in reports-= revenues:consulting-    liabilities:tax:2024:us          *0.25  ; Add a tax liability & expense-    expenses:tax:2024:us            *\-0.25  ; for 25% of the revenue.--###############################################################################--# 3. Transactions are what it\[aq]s all about.-# They are dated events, usually movements of money between 2 or more accounts.-# They begin with a numeric date.-# Here is their basic shape:-#-# DATE DESCRIPTION    ; The transaction\[aq]s date and optional description.-#   ACCOUNT1  AMOUNT  ; A posting of an amount to/from this account, indented.-#   ACCOUNT2  AMOUNT  ; A second posting, balancing the first.-#   ...               ; More if needed. Amounts must sum to zero.-#                     ; Note, 2+ spaces between account names and amounts.--2024\-01\-01 opening balances         ; At the start, declare pre\-existing balances this way.-    assets:savings          $10000  ; Account names can be anything. lower case is easy to type.-    assets:checking          $1000  ; assets, liabilities, equity, revenues, expenses are common.-    liabilities:credit card  $\-500  ; liabilities, equity, revenues balances are usually negative.-    equity:start                    ; One amount can be left blank. $\-10500 is inferred here.-                                    ; Some of these accounts we didn\[aq]t declare above,-                                    ; so \-s/\-\-strict would complain.--2024\-01\-03 ! (12345) pay rent-    ; Additional transaction comment lines, indented.-    ; There can be a ! or * after the date meaning \[dq]pending\[dq] or \[dq]cleared\[dq].-    ; There can be a parenthesised (code) after the date/status.-                                    ; Amounts\[aq] sign shows direction of flow.-    assets:checking          $\-500  ; Minus means removed from this account (credit).-    expenses:rent             $500  ; Plus means added to this account (debit).--; Keeping transactions in date order is optional (but helps error checking).--2024\-01\-02 Gringott\[aq]s Bank | withdrawal  ; Description can be PAYEE | NOTE-    assets:bank:gold       \-10 gold-    assets:pouch            10 gold--2024\-01\-02 shopping-    expenses:clothing        1 gold-    expenses:wands           5 gold-    assets:pouch            \-6 gold--2024\-01\-02 receive gift-    revenues:gifts          \-3 \[dq]Chocolate Frogs\[dq]  ; Complex commodity symbols-    assets:pouch             3 \[dq]Chocolate Frogs\[dq]  ; must be in double quotes.--2024\-01\-15 buy some shares, in two lots                 ; Cost can be noted.-    assets:investments:2024\-01\-15     2.0 AAAA \[at] $1.50  ; \[at]  means per\-unit cost-    assets:investments:2024\-01\-15\-02  3.0 AAAA \[at]\[at] $4    ; \[at]\[at] means total cost-                      ; \[ha] Per\-lot subaccounts are sometimes useful.-    assets:checking                 $\-7--2024\-01\-15 assert some account balances on this date-    ; Balances can be asserted in any transaction, with =, for extra error checking.-    ; Assertion txns like this one can be made with hledger close \-\-assert \-\-show\-costs-    ;-    assets:savings                    $0                   = $10000-    assets:checking                   $0                   =   $493-    assets:bank:gold                   0 gold              =    \-10 gold-    assets:pouch                       0 gold              =      4 gold-    assets:pouch                       0 \[dq]Chocolate Frogs\[dq] =      3 \[dq]Chocolate Frogs\[dq]-    assets:investments:2024\-01\-15      0.0 AAAA            =      2.0 AAAA \[at]  $1.50-    assets:investments:2024\-01\-15\-02   0.0 AAAA            =      3.0 AAAA \[at]\[at] $4-    liabilities:credit card           $0                   =  $\-500--2024\-02\-01 note some event, or a transaction not yet fully entered, on this date-    ; Postings are not required.--# Consistent YYYY\-MM\-DD date format is recommended,-# but you can use . or / and omit leading zeros if you prefer.-2024.01.01-2024/1/1-.EE-.SS Comments-Lines in the journal will be ignored if they begin with a hash-(\f[CR]#\f[R]) or a semicolon (\f[CR];\f[R]).-(See also Other syntax.)-hledger will also ignore regions beginning with a \f[CR]comment\f[R]-line and ending with an \f[CR]end comment\f[R] line (or file end).-Here\[aq]s a suggestion for choosing between them:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]#\f[R] for top\-level notes-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR];\f[R] for commenting out things temporarily-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]comment\f[R] for quickly commenting large regions (remember-it\[aq]s there, or you might get confused)-.PP-Eg:-.IP-.EX-# a comment line-; another commentline-comment-A multi\-line comment block,-continuing until \[dq]end comment\[dq] directive-or the end of the current file.-end comment-.EE-.PP-Some hledger entries can have same\-line comments attached to them, from-; (semicolon) to end of line.-See Transaction comments, Posting comments, and Account comments below.-.SS Transactions-Transactions are the main unit of information in a journal file.-They represent events, typically a movement of some quantity of-commodities between two or more named accounts.-.PP-Each transaction is recorded as a journal entry, beginning with a simple-date in column 0.-This can be followed by any of the following optional fields, separated-by spaces:-.IP \[bu] 2-a status character (empty, \f[CR]!\f[R], or \f[CR]*\f[R])-.IP \[bu] 2-a code (any short number or text, enclosed in parentheses)-.IP \[bu] 2-a description (any remaining text until end of line or a semicolon)-.IP \[bu] 2-a comment (any remaining text following a semicolon until end of line,-and any following indented lines beginning with a semicolon)-.IP \[bu] 2-0 or more indented \f[I]posting\f[R] lines, describing what was-transferred and the accounts involved (indented comment lines are also-allowed, but not blank lines or non\-indented lines).-.PP-Here\[aq]s a simple journal file containing one transaction:-.IP-.EX-2008/01/01 income-  assets:bank:checking   $1-  income:salary         $\-1-.EE-.SS Dates-.SS Simple dates-Dates in the journal file use \f[I]simple dates\f[R] format:-\f[CR]YYYY\-MM\-DD\f[R] or \f[CR]YYYY/MM/DD\f[R] or-\f[CR]YYYY.MM.DD\f[R], with leading zeros optional.-The year may be omitted, in which case it will be inferred from the-context: the current transaction, the default year set with a-\f[CR]Y\f[R] directive, or the current date when the command is run.-Some examples: \f[CR]2010\-01\-31\f[R], \f[CR]2010/01/31\f[R],-\f[CR]2010.1.31\f[R], \f[CR]1/31\f[R].-.PP-(The UI also accepts simple dates, as well as the more flexible smart-dates documented in the hledger manual.)-.SS Posting dates-You can give individual postings a different date from their parent-transaction, by adding a posting comment containing a tag (see below)-like \f[CR]; date:DATE\f[R].-(There\[aq]s also a Ledger\-compatible syntax, \f[CR]; [DATE]\f[R],-which can be convenient.)-.PP-This is probably the best way to control posting dates precisely.-Eg in this example the expense should appear in May reports, and the-deduction from checking should be reported on 6/1 for easy bank-reconciliation:-.IP-.EX-2015/5/30-    expenses:food     $10  ; food purchased on saturday 5/30-    assets:checking        ; bank cleared it on monday, date:6/1-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f t.j register food-2015\-05\-30                      expenses:food                  $10           $10-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f t.j register checking-2015\-06\-01                      assets:checking               $\-10          $\-10-.EE-.PP-DATE should be a simple date; if the year is not specified it will use-the year of the transaction\[aq]s date.-.PD 0-.P-.PD-The \f[CR]date:\f[R] tag must have a valid simple date value if it is-present, eg a \f[CR]date:\f[R] tag with no value is not allowed.-.SS Status-Transactions (or individual postings within a transaction) can have a-status mark, which is a single character before the transaction-description (or posting account name), separated from it by a space,-indicating one of three statuses:-.PP-.TS-tab(@);-l l.-T{-mark \ -T}@T{-status-T}-_-T{-\ -T}@T{-unmarked-T}-T{-\f[CR]!\f[R]-T}@T{-pending-T}-T{-\f[CR]*\f[R]-T}@T{-cleared-T}-.TE-.PP-When reporting, you can filter by status with the-\f[CR]\-U/\-\-unmarked\f[R], \f[CR]\-P/\-\-pending\f[R], and-\f[CR]\-C/\-\-cleared\f[R] flags (and you can combine these, eg-\f[CR]\-UP\f[R] to match all except cleared things).-Or you can use the \f[CR]status:\f[R], \f[CR]status:!\f[R], and-\f[CR]status:*\f[R] queries, or the U, P, C keys in hledger\-ui.-.PP-(Note: in Ledger the \[dq]unmarked\[dq] state is called-\[dq]uncleared\[dq]; in hledger we renamed it to \[dq]unmarked\[dq] for-semantic clarity.)-.PP-Status marks are optional, but can be helpful eg for reconciling with-real\-world accounts.-Some editor modes provide highlighting and shortcuts for working with-status.-Eg in Emacs ledger\-mode, you can toggle transaction status with C\-c-C\-e, or posting status with C\-c C\-c.-.PP-What \[dq]uncleared\[dq], \[dq]pending\[dq], and \[dq]cleared\[dq]-actually mean is up to you.-Here\[aq]s one suggestion:-.PP-.TS-tab(@);-lw(9.7n) lw(60.3n).-T{-status-T}@T{-meaning-T}-_-T{-uncleared-T}@T{-recorded but not yet reconciled; needs review-T}-T{-pending-T}@T{-tentatively reconciled (if needed, eg during a big reconciliation)-T}-T{-cleared-T}@T{-complete, reconciled as far as possible, and considered correct-T}-.TE-.PP-With this scheme, you would use \f[CR]\-PC\f[R] to see the current-balance at your bank, \f[CR]\-U\f[R] to see things which will probably-hit your bank soon (like uncashed checks), and no flags to see the most-up\-to\-date state of your finances.-.SS Code-After the status mark, but before the description, you can optionally-write a transaction \[dq]code\[dq], enclosed in parentheses.-This is a good place to record a check number, or some other important-transaction id or reference number.-.SS Description-After the date, status mark and/or code fields, the rest of the line (or-until a comment is begun with \f[CR];\f[R]) is the transaction\[aq]s-description.-Here you can describe the transaction (called the \[dq]narration\[dq] in-traditional bookkeeping), or you can record a payee/payer name, or you-can leave it empty.-.PP-Transaction descriptions show up in print output and in register-reports, and can be listed with the descriptions command.-.PP-You can query by description with \f[CR]desc:DESCREGEX\f[R], or pivot on-description with \f[CR]\-\-pivot desc\f[R].-.SS Payee and note-Sometimes people want a dedicated payee/payer field that can be queried-and checked more strictly.-If you want that, you can write a \f[CR]|\f[R] (pipe) character in the-description.-This divides it into a \[dq]payee\[dq] field on the left, and a-\[dq]note\[dq] field on the right.-(Either can be empty.)-.PP-You can query these with \f[CR]payee:PAYEEREGEX\f[R] and-\f[CR]note:NOTEREGEX\f[R], list their values with the payees and notes-commands, or pivot on \f[CR]payee\f[R] or \f[CR]note\f[R].-.PP-Note: in transactions with no \f[CR]|\f[R] character, description,-payee, and note all have the same value.-Once a \f[CR]|\f[R] is added, they become distinct.-(If you\[aq]d like to change this behaviour, please propose it on the-mail list.)-.PP-If you want more strict error checking, you can declare the valid payee-names with payee directives, and then enforce these with hledger check-payees.-(Note: because of the above, for this you\[aq]ll need to ensure every-transaction description contains a \f[CR]|\f[R] and therefore a-checkable payee name, even if it\[aq]s empty.)-.SS Transaction comments-Text following \f[CR];\f[R], after a transaction description, and/or on-indented lines immediately below it, form comments for that transaction.-They are reproduced by \f[CR]print\f[R] but otherwise ignored, except-they may contain tags, which are not ignored.-.IP-.EX-2012\-01\-01 something  ; a transaction comment-    ; a second line of transaction comment-    expenses   1-    assets-.EE-.SS Postings-A posting is an addition of some amount to, or removal of some amount-from, an account.-Each posting line begins with at least one space or tab (2 or 4 spaces-is common), followed by:-.IP \[bu] 2-(optional) a status character (empty, \f[CR]!\f[R], or \f[CR]*\f[R]),-followed by a space-.IP \[bu] 2-(required) an account name (any text, optionally including single-spaces.-If anything follows the account name on the same line, the account name-must be ended by \f[B]two or more spaces\f[R].)-.IP \[bu] 2-(optional) an amount-.IP \[bu] 2-(optional) a same\-line posting comment, beginning with a semicolon-(\f[CR];\f[R]).-.PP-If the amount is positive, it is being added to the account; if-negative, it is being removed from the account.-.PP-The posting amounts in a transaction must sum up to zero, indicating-that the inflows and outflows are equal.-We call this a balanced transaction.-(You can read more about the details of transaction balancing below.)-.PP-If no amount is written, it will be calculated automatically from the-other postings in the transaction, so as to balance the transaction.-In other words, in any transaction you can leave one posting amountless-to save typing.-.SS Debits and credits-The traditional accounting concepts of debit and credit of course exist-in hledger, but we represent them with numeric sign.-Positive and negative posting amounts represent debits and credits-respectively.-.PP-You don\[aq]t need to remember that, but if you would like to \- eg for-helping newcomers or for talking with your accountant \- here\[aq]s a-handy mnemonic:-.PP-\f[I]\f[CI]debit  / plus  / left  / short  words\f[I]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-\f[I]\f[CI]credit / minus / right / longer words\f[I]\f[R]-.SS Account names-Accounts are the main way of categorising things in hledger.-As in Double Entry Bookkeeping, they can represent real world accounts-(such as a bank account), or more abstract categories such as \[dq]money-spent on food\[dq] or \[dq]money borrowed from Frank\[dq].-.PP-Account names are flexible.-They may be capitalised or not; they may contain letters, numbers,-punctuation, symbols, or single spaces; they may be in any language.-.PP-Typically we use the five traditional accounting categories as the-starting point for account names.-In english they are:-.PP-\f[CR]assets\f[R], \f[CR]liabilities\f[R], \f[CR]equity\f[R],-\f[CR]revenues\f[R], \f[CR]expenses\f[R]-.PP-These will be discussed more in Account types below.-In hledger docs you may see them referred to as A, L, E, R, X for short.-.SS Two space delimiter-Note the \f[B]two or more spaces\f[R] delimiter that\[aq]s sometimes-required after account names.-\ hledger\[aq]s account names, inherited from Ledger, are very-permissive; they may contain pretty much any kind of text, including-single spaces and semicolons.-Because of this, they must be terminated by \f[B]two or more spaces\f[R]-if there is anything following them on the same line.-For example, if an amount, balance assignment, or same\-line comment-follows an account name, they must be preceded by two or more spaces,-else they would be considered part of the account name:-.IP-.EX-bad:     assets:accounts receivable $10        ; <\- too close!-good:    assets:accounts receivable  $10-.EE-.IP-.EX-bad:     assets:accounts receivable =$1000     ; <\- too close!-good:    assets:accounts receivable  =$1000-.EE-.IP-.EX-bad:     assets:accounts receivable ; comment.   <\- too close!-good:    assets:accounts receivable  ; comment-.EE-.PP-This two\-space delimiter appears in a few places in hledger, such as-after account names in postings or account directives; also after the-period expression in periodic transaction rules.-When you are starting out, expect it to catch you out at least once.-It\[aq]s annoying sometimes, but it lets us use expressive account names-while still keeping the syntax light.-.SS Account hierarchy-For more precise reporting, we usually divide accounts into more-detailed subaccounts, subsubaccounts, and so on, by writing a full colon-between account name parts.-For example, instead of writing \f[CR]assets\f[R] and-\f[CR]expenses\f[R], we might write \f[CR]assets:bank:checking\f[R] and-\f[CR]expenses:food\f[R].-From these names hledger will infer this hierarchy of five accounts:-.IP-.EX-assets-assets:bank-assets:bank:checking-expenses-expenses:food-.EE-.PP-Or as an outline:-.IP-.EX-assets- bank-  checking-expenses- food-.EE-.PP-hledger reports can summarise the account tree to any depth, so you can-make your subcategories as detailed as you like.-But don\[aq]t go overboard, especially when getting started; simpler-categories can be less work.-.SS Other account name features-Enclosing the account name in parentheses or brackets, like-\f[CR](expenses:food)\f[R], enables a non\-standard bookkeeping feature:-virtual postings.-.PP-Account names can be rewritten and restructured, temporarily or-permanently, by account aliases.-.SS Amounts-After the account name, there is usually an amount.-(Remember: between account name and amount, there must be two or more-spaces.)-.PP-hledger\[aq]s amount format is flexible, supporting several-international formats.-Here are some examples.-Amounts have a number (the \[dq]quantity\[dq]):-.IP-.EX-1-.EE-.PP-\&..and usually a currency symbol or commodity name (more on this-below), to the left or right of the quantity, with or without a-separating space:-.IP-.EX-$1-4000 AAPL-3 \[dq]green apples\[dq]-.EE-.PP-Amounts can be preceded by a minus sign (or a plus sign, though plus is-the default), The sign can be written before or after a left\-side-commodity symbol:-.IP-.EX-\-$1-$\-1-.EE-.PP-One or more spaces between the sign and the number are acceptable when-parsing (but they won\[aq]t be displayed in output):-.IP-.EX-+ $1-$\-      1-.EE-.PP-Scientific E notation is allowed:-.IP-.EX-1E\-6-EUR 1E3-.EE-.PP-.SS Decimal marks-A \f[I]decimal mark\f[R] can be written as a period or a comma:-.IP-.EX-1.23-1,23-.EE-.PP-Both of these are common in international number formats, so hledger is-not biased towards one or the other.-Because hledger also supports digit group marks (eg thousands-separators), this means that a number like \f[CR]1,000\f[R] or-\f[CR]1.000\f[R] containing just one period or comma is ambiguous.-In such cases, hledger by default assumes it is a decimal mark, and will-parse both of those as 1.-.PP-To help hledger parse such ambiguous numbers more accurately, if you use-digit group marks, we recommend declaring the decimal mark explicitly.-The best way is to add a \f[CR]decimal\-mark\f[R] directive at the top-of each data file, like this:-.IP-.EX-decimal\-mark .-.EE-.PP-Or you can declare it per commodity with \f[CR]commodity\f[R]-directives, described below.-.PP-hledger also accepts numbers like \f[CR]10.\f[R] with no digits after-the decimal mark (and will sometimes display numbers that way to-disambiguate them \- see Trailing decimal marks).-.SS Digit group marks-In the integer part of the amount quantity (left of the decimal mark),-groups of digits can optionally be separated by a \f[I]digit group-mark\f[R] \- a comma or period (whichever is not used as decimal mark),-or a space (several Unicode space variants, like no\-break space, are-also accepted).-\ So these are all valid amounts in a journal file:-.IP-.EX-     $1,000,000.00-  EUR 2.000.000,00-INR 9,99,99,999.00-      1 000 000.00   ; <\- ordinary space  -      1\ 000\ 000.00   ; <\- no\-break space-.EE-.SS Commodity-Amounts in hledger have both a \[dq]quantity\[dq], which is a signed-decimal number, and a \[dq]commodity\[dq], which is a currency symbol,-stock ticker, or any word or phrase describing something you are-tracking.-.PP-If the commodity name contains non\-letters (spaces, numbers, or-punctuation), you must always write it inside double quotes-(\f[CR]\[dq]green apples\[dq]\f[R], \f[CR]\[dq]ABC123\[dq]\f[R]).-.PP-If you write just a bare number, that too will have a commodity, with-name \f[CR]\[dq]\[dq]\f[R]; we call that the \[dq]no\-symbol-commodity\[dq].-.PP-Actually, hledger combines these single\-commodity amounts into more-powerful multi\-commodity amounts, which are what it works with most of-the time.-A multi\-commodity amount could be, eg:-\f[CR]1 USD, 2 EUR, 3.456 TSLA\f[R].-In practice, you will only see multi\-commodity amounts in hledger\[aq]s-output; you can\[aq]t write them directly in the journal file.-\-.PP-By default, the format of amounts in the journal influences how hledger-displays them in output.-This is explained in Commodity display style below.-.PP-.SS Costs-After a posting amount, you can note its cost (when buying) or selling-price (when selling) in another commodity, by writing either-\f[CR]\[at] UNITPRICE\f[R] or \f[CR]\[at]\[at] TOTALPRICE\f[R] after it.-This indicates a conversion transaction, where one commodity is-exchanged for another.-.PP-(You might also see this called \[dq]transaction price\[dq] in hledger-docs, discussions, or code; that term was directionally neutral and-reminded that it is a price specific to a transaction, but we now just-call it \[dq]cost\[dq], with the understanding that the transaction-could be a purchase or a sale.)-.PP-Costs are usually written explicitly with \f[CR]\[at]\f[R] or-\f[CR]\[at]\[at]\f[R], but can also be inferred automatically for simple-multi\-commodity transactions.-Note, if costs are inferred, the order of postings is significant; the-first posting will have a cost attached, in the commodity of the second.-.PP-As an example, here are several ways to record purchases of a foreign-currency in hledger, using the cost notation either explicitly or-implicitly:-.IP "1." 3-Write the price per unit, as \f[CR]\[at] UNITPRICE\f[R] after the-amount:-.RS 4-.IP-.EX-2009/1/1-  assets:euros     €100 \[at] $1.35  ; one hundred euros purchased at $1.35 each-  assets:dollars                 ; balancing amount is \-$135.00-.EE-.RE-.IP "2." 3-Write the total price, as \f[CR]\[at]\[at] TOTALPRICE\f[R] after the-amount:-.RS 4-.IP-.EX-2009/1/1-  assets:euros     €100 \[at]\[at] $135  ; one hundred euros purchased at $135 for the lot-  assets:dollars-.EE-.RE-.IP "3." 3-Specify amounts for all postings, using exactly two commodities, and let-hledger infer the price that balances the transaction.-Note the effect of posting order: the price is added to first posting,-making it \f[CR]€100 \[at]\[at] $135\f[R], as in example 2:-.RS 4-.IP-.EX-2009/1/1-  assets:euros     €100          ; one hundred euros purchased-  assets:dollars  $\-135          ; for $135-.EE-.RE-.PP-Amounts can be converted to cost at report time using the-\f[CR]\-B/\-\-cost\f[R] flag; this is discussed more in the Cost-reporting section.-.PP-Note that the cost normally should be a positive amount, though it\[aq]s-not required to be.-This can be a little confusing, see discussion at-\-\-infer\-market\-prices: market prices from transactions.-.SS Balance assertions-hledger supports Ledger\-style balance assertions in journal files.-These look like, for example, \f[CR]= EXPECTEDBALANCE\f[R] following a-posting\[aq]s amount.-Eg here we assert the expected dollar balance in accounts a and b after-each posting:-.IP-.EX-2013/1/1-  a   $1 =  $1-  b      = $\-1--2013/1/2-  a   $1 =  $2-  b  $\-1 = $\-2-.EE-.PP-After reading a journal file, hledger will check all balance assertions-and report an error if any of them fail.-Balance assertions can protect you from, eg, inadvertently disrupting-reconciled balances while cleaning up old entries.-You can disable them temporarily with the-\f[CR]\-I/\-\-ignore\-assertions\f[R] flag, which can be useful for-troubleshooting or for reading Ledger files.-(Note: this flag currently does not disable balance assignments,-described below).-.SS Assertions and ordering-hledger calculates and checks an account\[aq]s balance assertions in-date order (and when there are multiple assertions on the same day, in-parse order).-Note this is different from Ledger, which checks assertions always in-parse order, ignoring dates.-.PP-This means in hledger you can freely reorder transactions, postings, or-files, and balance assertions will usually keep working.-The exception is when you reorder multiple postings on the same day, to-the same account, which have balance assertions; those will likely need-updating.-.SS Assertions and multiple files-If an account has transactions appearing in multiple files, balance-assertions can still work \- but \f[I]only if those files are part of a-hierarchy made by include directives\f[R].-.PP-If the same files are specified with two \f[CR]\-f\f[R] options on the-command line, the assertions in the second will not see the balances-from the first.-.PP-To work around this, arrange your files in a hierarchy with-\f[CR]include\f[R].-Or, you could concatenate the files temporarily, and process them like-one big file.-.PP-Why does it work this way ?-It might be related to hledger\[aq]s goal of stable predictable reports.-File hierarchy is considered \[dq]permanent\[dq], part of your data,-while the order of command line options/arguments is not.-We don\[aq]t want transient changes to be able to change the meaning of-the data.-Eg it would be frustrating if tomorrow all your balance assertions broke-because you wrote command line arguments in a different order.-(Discussion welcome.)-.SS Assertions and costs-Balance assertions ignore costs, and should normally be written without-one:-.IP-.EX-2019/1/1-  (a)     $1 \[at] €1 = $1-.EE-.PP-We do allow costs to be written in balance assertion amounts, however,-and print shows them, but they don\[aq]t affect whether the assertion-passes or fails.-This is for backward compatibility (hledger\[aq]s close command used to-generate balance assertions with costs), and because balance-\f[I]assignments\f[R] do use costs (see below).-.SS Assertions and commodities-The balance assertions described so far are \[dq]\f[B]single commodity-balance assertions\f[R]\[dq]: they assert and check the balance in one-commodity, ignoring any others that may be present.-This is how balance assertions work in Ledger also.-.PP-If an account contains multiple commodities, you can assert their-balances by writing multiple postings with balance assertions, one for-each commodity:-.IP-.EX-2013/1/1-  usd   $\-1-  eur   €\-1-  both--2013/1/2-  both    0 = $1-  both    0 = €1-.EE-.PP-In hledger you can make a stronger \[dq]\f[B]sole commodity balance-assertion\f[R]\[dq] by writing two equals signs-(\f[CR]== EXPECTEDBALANCE\f[R]).-This also asserts that there are no other commodities in the account-besides the asserted one (or at least, that their current balance is-zero):-.IP-.EX-2013/1/1-  usd   $\-1  == $\-1  ; these sole commodity assertions succeed-  eur   €\-1  == €\-1-  both      ;==  $1  ; this one would fail because \[aq]both\[aq] contains $ and €-.EE-.PP-It\[aq]s less easy to make a \[dq]\f[B]sole commodities balance-assertion\f[R]\[dq] (note the plural) \- ie, asserting that an account-contains two or more specified commodities and no others.-It can be done by-.IP "1." 3-isolating each commodity in a subaccount, and asserting those-.IP "2." 3-and also asserting there are no commodities in the parent account-itself:-.IP-.EX-2013/1/1-  usd       $\-1-  eur       €\-1-  both        0 == 0   ; nothing up my sleeve-  both:usd   $1 == $1  ; a dollar here-  both:eur   €1 == €1  ; a euro there-.EE-.SS Assertions and subaccounts-All of the balance assertions above (both \f[CR]=\f[R] and-\f[CR]==\f[R]) are \[dq]\f[B]subaccount\-exclusive balance-assertions\f[R]\[dq]; they ignore any balances that exist in deeper-subaccounts.-.PP-In hledger you can make \[dq]\f[B]subaccount\-inclusive balance-assertions\f[R]\[dq] by adding a star after the equals (\f[CR]=*\f[R] or-\f[CR]==*\f[R]):-.IP-.EX-2019/1/1-  equity:start-  assets:checking  $10-  assets:savings   $10-  assets            $0 ==* $20  ; assets + subaccounts contains $20 and nothing else-.EE-.SS Assertions and status-Balance assertions always consider postings of all statuses (unmarked,-pending, or cleared); they are not affected by the-\f[CR]\-U\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-unmarked\f[R] /-\f[CR]\-P\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-pending\f[R] /-\f[CR]\-C\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-cleared\f[R] flags or the \f[CR]status:\f[R]-query.-.SS Assertions and virtual postings-Balance assertions always consider both real and virtual postings; they-are not affected by the \f[CR]\-\-real/\-R\f[R] flag or \f[CR]real:\f[R]-query.-.SS Assertions and auto postings-Balance assertions \f[I]are\f[R] affected by the \f[CR]\-\-auto\f[R]-flag, which generates auto postings, which can alter account balances.-Because auto postings are optional in hledger, accounts affected by them-effectively have two balances.-But balance assertions can only test one or the other of these.-So to avoid making fragile assertions, either:-.IP \[bu] 2-assert the balance calculated with \f[CR]\-\-auto\f[R], and always use-\f[CR]\-\-auto\f[R] with that file-.IP \[bu] 2-or assert the balance calculated without \f[CR]\-\-auto\f[R], and never-use \f[CR]\-\-auto\f[R] with that file-.IP \[bu] 2-or avoid balance assertions on accounts affected by auto postings (or-avoid auto postings entirely).-.SS Assertions and precision-Balance assertions compare the exactly calculated amounts, which are not-always what is shown by reports.-Eg a commodity directive may limit the display precision, but this will-not affect balance assertions.-Balance assertion failure messages show exact amounts.-.SS Assertions and hledger add-Balance assertions can be included in the amounts given in-\f[CR]add\f[R].-All types of assertions are supported, and assertions can be used as in-a normal journal file.-.PP-All transactions, not just those that have an explicit assertion, are-validated against the existing assertions in the journal.-This means it is possible for an added transaction to fail even if its-assertions are correct as of the transaction date.-.PP-If this assertion checking is not desired, then it can be disabled with-\f[CR]\-I\f[R].-.PP-However, balance assignments are currently not supported.-.SS Posting comments-Text following \f[CR];\f[R], at the end of a posting line, and/or on-indented lines immediately below it, form comments for that posting.-They are reproduced by \f[CR]print\f[R] but otherwise ignored, except-they may contain tags, which are not ignored.-.IP-.EX-2012\-01\-01-    expenses   1  ; a comment for posting 1-    assets-    ; a comment for posting 2-    ; a second comment line for posting 2-.EE-.SS Transaction balancing-How exactly does hledger decide when a transaction is balanced ?-Especially when it involves costs, which often are not exact, because of-repeating decimals, or imperfect data from financial institutions ?-In each commodity, hledger sums the transaction\[aq]s posting amounts,-after converting any with costs; then it checks if that sum is zero,-when rounded to a suitable number of decimal digits \- which we call the-\f[I]balancing precision\f[R].-.PP-Since version 1.50, hledger infers balancing precision in each-transaction from the amounts in that transaction\[aq]s journal entry-(like Ledger).-Ie, when checking the balance of commodity A, it uses the highest-decimal precision seen for A in the journal entry (excluding cost-amounts).-This makes transaction balancing robust; any imbalances must be visibly-accounted for in the journal entry, display precision can be freely-increased with \f[CR]\-c\f[R], and compatibility with Ledger and-Beancount journals is good.-.PP-Note that hledger versions before 1.50 worked differently: they allowed-display precision to override the balancing precision.-This masked small imbalances and caused fragility (see issue #2402).-As a result, some journal entries (or CSV rules) that worked with-hledger <1.50, are now rejected with an \[dq]unbalanced transaction\[dq]-error.-If you hit this problem, it\[aq]s easy to fix:-.IP \[bu] 2-You can restore the old behaviour, by adding-\f[CR]\-\-txn\-balancing=old\f[R] to the command or to your-\f[CR]\[ti]/.hledger.conf\f[R] file.-This lets you keep using old journals unchanged, though without the-above benefits.-.IP \[bu] 2-Or you can fix the problem entries (recommended).-There are three ways, use whichever seems best:-.RS 2-.IP "1." 3-make cost amounts more precise (add more/better decimal digits)-.IP "2." 3-or make non\-cost amounts less precise (remove unnecessary decimal-digits that are raising the precision)-.IP "3." 3-or add a posting to absorb the imbalance (eg-\[dq]expenses:rounding\[dq].-Remember that one posting may omit the amount; that\[aq]s convenient-here.)-.RE-.SS Tags-Tags are a way to add extra labels or data fields to transactions,-postings, or accounts, which you can match with a \f[CR]tag:\f[R] query-in reports.-(See queries below.)-.PP-Tags are a single word or hyphenated word, immediately followed by a-full colon, written within a comment.-(Yes, storing data in comments is slightly weird.)-Here\[aq]s a transaction with a tag:-.IP-.EX-2025\-01\-01 groceries        ; some\-tag:-    assets:checking-    expenses:food       $1-.EE-.PP-A tag can have a value, a single line of text written after the colon.-Tag values can\[aq]t contain newlines.:-.IP-.EX-2025\-01\-01 groceries        ; tag1: this is tag1\[aq]s value-.EE-.PP-Multiple tags can be separated by comma.-Tag values can\[aq]t contain commas.:-.IP-.EX-2025\-01\-01 groceries        ; tag1:value 1, tag2:value 2, comment text-.EE-.PP-A tag can have multiple values:-.IP-.EX-2025\-01\-01 groceries        ; tag1:value 1, tag1:value 2-.EE-.PP-You can write each tag on its own line of you prefer (but they still-can\[aq]t contain commas):-.IP-.EX-2025\-01\-01 groceries-    ; tag1: value 1-    ; tag2: value 2-.EE-.PP-Tags can be attached to individual postings, rather than the overall-transaction:-.IP-.EX-2025\-01\-01 rent-    assets:checking-    expenses:rent       $1000  ; postingtag:-.EE-.PP-Tags can be attached to accounts, in their account directive:-.IP-.EX-account assets:checking    ; acct\-number: 123\-45\-6789-.EE-.SS Tag propagation-In addition to what they are attached to, tags also affect related data-in a few ways, allowing more powerful queries:-.IP "1." 3-Accounts \-> postings.-Postings inherit tags from their account.-.IP "2." 3-Transactions \-> postings.-Postings inherit tags from their transaction.-.IP "3." 3-Postings \-> transactions.-Transactions also acquire the tags of their postings.-\ -.PP-So when you use a \f[CR]tag:\f[R] query to match whole transactions,-individual postings, or accounts, it\[aq]s good to understand how tags-behave.-Here\[aq]s an example showing all three kinds of propagation:-.IP-.EX-account assets:checking-account expenses:food           ; atag:--2025\-01\-01 groceries            ; ttag:-    assets:checking             ; p1tag:-    expenses:food           $1  ; p2tag:-.EE-.PP-.TS-tab(@);-lw(13.3n) lw(13.8n) lw(43.0n).-T{-data part-T}@T{-has tags-T}@T{-explanation-T}-_-T{-assets:checking\ account-T}@T{-T}@T{-no tags attached-T}-T{-expenses:food account-T}@T{-atag-T}@T{-atag: in comment-T}-T{-assets:checking posting-T}@T{-p1tag, ttag-T}@T{-p1tag: in comment, ttag acquired from transaction-T}-T{-expenses:food posting-T}@T{-p2tag, atag, ttag-T}@T{-p2tag: in comment, atag from account, ttag from transaction-T}-T{-groceries transaction-T}@T{-ttag, p1tag, p2tag, atag-T}@T{-ttag: in comment, p1tag from first posting, p2tag and atag from second-posting-T}-.TE-.SS Displaying tags-You can use the \f[CR]tags\f[R] command to list tag names or values.-.PP-The \f[CR]print\f[R] command also shows tags.-.PP-You can use \-\-pivot to display tag values in other reports, in various-ways (eg appended to account names, like pseudo subaccounts).-.SS When to use tags ?-Tags provide more dimensions of categorisation, complementing accounts-and transaction descriptions.-When to use each of these is somewhat a matter of taste.-Accounts have the most built\-in support, and regex queries on-descriptions are also quite powerful.-So you may not need tags at all.-But if you want to track multiple cross\-cutting categories, they can be-a good fit.-For example, you could tag trip\-related transactions with-\f[CR]trip: YEAR:PLACE\f[R], without disturbing your usual account-categories.-.SS Tag names-What is allowed in a tag name ?-Most non\-whitespace characters.-Eg \f[CR]😀:\f[R] is a valid tag.-.PP-For extra error checking, you can declare valid tag names with the-\f[CR]tag\f[R] directive, and then enforce these with the-\f[CR]check\f[R] command.-But note that tags are detected quite loosely at present, sometimes-where you didn\[aq]t intend them.-Eg a comment like \f[CR]; see https://foo.com\f[R] adds a-\f[CR]https\f[R] tag.-.PP-There are several tag names which have special significance to hledger.-They are explained elsewhere, but here\[aq]s a quick reference:-.IP-.EX- type                   \-\- declares an account\[aq]s type- date                   \-\- overrides a posting\[aq]s date- date2                  \-\- overrides a posting\[aq]s secondary date- assert                 \-\- appears on txns generated by close \-\-assert- retain                 \-\- appears on txns generated by close \-\-retain- start                  \-\- appears on txns generated by close \-\-migrate/\-\-close/\-\-open/\-\-assign- t                      \-\- appears on postings generated from timedot letters-- generated\-transaction  \-\- appears on txns generated by a periodic rule- modified\-transaction   \-\- appears on txns which have had auto postings added- generated\-posting      \-\- appears on generated postings- cost\-posting           \-\- appears on postings which have (or could have) a cost,-                           and which have equivalent conversion postings in the transaction- conversion\-posting     \-\- appears on postings which are to a V/Conversion account-                           and which have an equivalent cost posting in the transaction-.EE-.PP-The second group above (generated\-transaction, etc.)-are normally hidden, with a \f[CR]_\f[R] prefix added.-This means \f[CR]print\f[R] doesn\[aq]t show them by default; but you-can still use them in queries.-You can add the \f[CR]\-\-verbose\-tags\f[R] flag to make them visible,-which can be useful for troubleshooting.-.SS Directives-Besides transactions, there is something else you can put in a-\f[CR]journal\f[R] file: directives.-These are declarations, beginning with a keyword, that modify-hledger\[aq]s behaviour.-Some directives can have more specific subdirectives, indented below-them.-hledger\[aq]s directives are similar to Ledger\[aq]s in many cases, but-there are also many differences.-Directives are not required, but can be useful.-Here are the main directives:-.PP-.TS-tab(@);-lw(39.7n) lw(30.3n).-T{-purpose-T}@T{-directive-T}-_-T{-\f[B]READING DATA:\f[R]-T}@T{-T}-T{-Rewrite account names-T}@T{-\f[CR]alias\f[R]-T}-T{-Comment out sections of the file-T}@T{-\f[CR]comment\f[R]-T}-T{-Declare file\[aq]s decimal mark, to help parse amounts accurately-T}@T{-\f[CR]decimal\-mark\f[R]-T}-T{-Include other data files-T}@T{-\f[CR]include\f[R]-T}-T{-\f[B]GENERATING DATA:\f[R]-T}@T{-T}-T{-Generate recurring transactions or budget goals-T}@T{-\f[CR]\[ti]\f[R]-T}-T{-Generate extra postings on existing transactions-T}@T{-\f[CR]=\f[R]-T}-T{-\f[B]CHECKING FOR ERRORS:\f[R]-T}@T{-T}-T{-Define valid entities to provide more error checking-T}@T{-\f[CR]account\f[R], \f[CR]commodity\f[R], \f[CR]payee\f[R],-\f[CR]tag\f[R]-T}-T{-\f[B]REPORTING:\f[R]-T}@T{-T}-T{-Declare accounts\[aq] type and display order-T}@T{-\f[CR]account\f[R]-T}-T{-Declare commodity display styles-T}@T{-\f[CR]commodity\f[R]-T}-T{-Declare market prices-T}@T{-\f[CR]P\f[R]-T}-.TE-.SS Directives and multiple files-Directives vary in their scope, ie which journal entries and which input-files they affect.-Most often, a directive will affect the following entries and included-files if any, until the end of the current file \- and no further.-You might find this inconvenient!-For example, \f[CR]alias\f[R] directives do not affect parent or sibling-files.-But there are usually workarounds; for example, put \f[CR]alias\f[R]-directives in your top\-most file, before including other files.-.PP-The restriction, though it may be annoying at first, is in a good cause;-it allows reports to be stable and deterministic, independent of the-order of input.-Without it, reports could show different numbers depending on the order-of \-f options, or the positions of include directives in your files.-.SS Directive effects-Here are all hledger\[aq]s directives, with their effects and scope-summarised \- nine main directives, plus four others which we consider-non\-essential:-.PP-.TS-tab(@);-lw(3.5n) lw(64.1n) lw(2.4n).-T{-directive-T}@T{-what it does-T}@T{-ends at file end?-T}-_-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]account\f[B]\f[R]-T}@T{-Declares an account, for checking all entries in all files; and its-display order and type.-Subdirectives: any text, ignored.-T}@T{-N-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]alias\f[B]\f[R]-T}@T{-Rewrites account names, in following entries until end of current file-or \f[CR]end aliases\f[R].-Command line equivalent: \f[CR]\-\-alias\f[R]-T}@T{-Y-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]comment\f[B]\f[R]-T}@T{-Ignores part of the journal file, until end of current file or-\f[CR]end comment\f[R].-T}@T{-Y-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]commodity\f[B]\f[R]-T}@T{-Declares up to four things: 1.-a commodity symbol, for checking all amounts in all files 2.-the display style for all amounts of this commodity 3.-the decimal mark for parsing amounts of this commodity, in the rest of-this file and its children, if there is no \f[CR]decimal\-mark\f[R]-directive 4.-the precision to use for balanced\-transaction checking in this-commodity, in this file and its children.-\ Takes precedence over \f[CR]D\f[R].-Subdirectives: \f[CR]format\f[R] (ignored).-Command line equivalent: \f[CR]\-c/\-\-commodity\-style\f[R]-T}@T{-N,N,Y,Y-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]decimal\-mark\f[B]\f[R]-T}@T{-Declares the decimal mark, for parsing amounts of all commodities in-following entries until next \f[CR]decimal\-mark\f[R] or end of current-file.-Included files can override.-Takes precedence over \f[CR]commodity\f[R] and \f[CR]D\f[R].-T}@T{-Y-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]include\f[B]\f[R]-T}@T{-Includes entries and directives from another file, as if they were-written inline.-Command line alternative: multiple \f[CR]\-f/\-\-file\f[R]-T}@T{-N-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]payee\f[B]\f[R]-T}@T{-Declares a payee name, for checking all entries in all files.-T}@T{-N-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]P\f[B]\f[R]-T}@T{-Declares the market price of a commodity on some date, for value-reports.-T}@T{-N-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]\[ti]\f[B]\f[R] (tilde)-T}@T{-Declares a periodic transaction rule that generates future transactions-with \f[CR]\-\-forecast\f[R] and budget goals with-\f[CR]balance \-\-budget\f[R].-T}@T{-N-T}-T{-Other syntax:-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]apply account\f[B]\f[R]-T}@T{-Prepends a common parent account to all account names, in following-entries until end of current file or \f[CR]end apply account\f[R].-T}@T{-Y-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]D\f[B]\f[R]-T}@T{-Sets a default commodity to use for no\-symbol amounts;and, if there is-no \f[CR]commodity\f[R] directive for this commodity: its decimal mark,-balancing precision, and display style, as above.-T}@T{-Y,Y,N,N-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]Y\f[B]\f[R]-T}@T{-Sets a default year to use for any yearless dates, in following entries-until end of current file.-T}@T{-Y-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]=\f[B]\f[R] (equals)-T}@T{-Declares an auto posting rule that generates extra postings on matched-transactions with \f[CR]\-\-auto\f[R], in current, parent, and child-files (but not sibling files, see #1212).-T}@T{-partly-T}-T{-\f[B]Other Ledger directives\f[R]-T}@T{-Other directives from Ledger\[aq]s file format are accepted but ignored.-T}@T{-T}-.TE-.SS \f[CR]account\f[R] directive-\f[CR]account\f[R] directives can be used to declare accounts (ie, the-places that amounts are transferred from and to).-Though not required, these declarations can provide several benefits:-.IP \[bu] 2-They can document your intended chart of accounts, providing a-reference.-.IP \[bu] 2-They can store additional account information as comments, or as tags-which can be used to filter or pivot reports.-.IP \[bu] 2-They can restrict which accounts may be posted to by transactions, eg in-strict mode, which helps prevent errors.-.IP \[bu] 2-They influence account display order in reports, allowing-non\-alphabetic sorting (eg Revenues to appear above Expenses).-.IP \[bu] 2-They can help hledger know your accounts\[aq] types (asset, liability,-equity, revenue, expense), enabling reports like balancesheet and-incomestatement.-.IP \[bu] 2-They help with account name completion (in hledger add, hledger\-web,-hledger\-iadd, ledger\-mode, etc.)-.PP-They are written as the word \f[CR]account\f[R] followed by a-hledger\-style account name.-Eg:-.IP-.EX-account assets:bank:checking-.EE-.PP-Ledger\-style indented subdirectives are also accepted, but ignored:-.IP-.EX-account assets:bank:checking-  format subdirective  ; currently ignored-.EE-.SS Account comments-Text following \f[B]two or more spaces\f[R] and \f[CR];\f[R] at the end-of an account directive line, and/or following \f[CR];\f[R] on indented-lines immediately below it, form comments for that account.-They are ignored except they may contain tags, which are not ignored.-.PP-The two\-space requirement for same\-line account comments is because-\f[CR];\f[R] is allowed in account names.-.IP-.EX-account assets:bank:checking    ; same\-line comment, at least 2 spaces before the semicolon-  ; next\-line comment-  ; some tags \- type:A, acctnum:12345-.EE-.SS Account error checking-By default, accounts need not be declared; they come into existence when-a posting references them.-This is convenient, but it means hledger can\[aq]t warn you when you-mis\-spell an account name in the journal.-Usually you\[aq]ll find that error later, as an extra account in balance-reports, or an incorrect balance when reconciling.-.PP-In strict mode, enabled with the \f[CR]\-s\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-strict\f[R]-flag, or when you run \f[CR]hledger check accounts\f[R], hledger will-report an error if any transaction uses an account name that has not-been declared by an account directive.-Some notes:-.IP \[bu] 2-The declaration is case\-sensitive; transactions must use the correct-account name capitalisation.-.IP \[bu] 2-The account directive\[aq]s scope is \[dq]whole file and below\[dq] (see-directives).-This means it affects all of the current file, and any files it-includes, but not parent or sibling files.-The position of account directives within the file does not matter,-though it\[aq]s usual to put them at the top.-.IP \[bu] 2-Accounts can only be declared in \f[CR]journal\f[R] files, but will-affect included files of all types.-.IP \[bu] 2-It\[aq]s currently not possible to declare \[dq]all possible-subaccounts\[dq] with a wildcard; every account posted to must be-declared.-.IP \[bu] 2-If you use the \-\-infer\-equity flag, you will also need declarations-for the account names it generates.-.SS Account display order-Account directives also cause hledger to display accounts in a-particular order, not just alphabetically.-Eg, here is a conventional ordering for the top\-level accounts:-.IP-.EX-account assets-account liabilities-account equity-account revenues-account expenses-.EE-.PP-Now hledger displays them in that order:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger accounts-assets-liabilities-equity-revenues-expenses-.EE-.PP-If there are undeclared accounts, those will be displayed last, in-alphabetical order.-.PP-Sorting is done within each group of sibling accounts, at each level of-the account tree.-Eg, a declaration like \f[CR]account parent:child\f[R] influences-\f[CR]child\f[R]\[aq]s position among its siblings.-.PP-Note, it does not affect \f[CR]parent\f[R]\[aq]s position; for that, you-need an \f[CR]account parent\f[R] declaration.-.PP-Sibling accounts are always displayed together; hledger won\[aq]t-display \f[CR]x:y\f[R] in between \f[CR]a:b\f[R] and \f[CR]a:c\f[R].-.PP-An account directive both declares an account as a valid posting target,-and declares its display order; you can\[aq]t easily do one without the-other.-.SS Account types-hledger knows that in accounting there are three main account types:-.PP-.TS-tab(@);-l l l.-T{-\f[CR]Asset\f[R]-T}@T{-\f[CR]A\f[R]-T}@T{-things you own-T}-T{-\f[CR]Liability\f[R]-T}@T{-\f[CR]L\f[R]-T}@T{-things you owe-T}-T{-\f[CR]Equity\f[R]-T}@T{-\f[CR]E\f[R]-T}@T{-owner\[aq]s investment, balances the two above-T}-.TE-.PP-and two more representing changes in these:-.PP-.TS-tab(@);-l l l.-T{-\f[CR]Revenue\f[R]-T}@T{-\f[CR]R\f[R]-T}@T{-inflows (also known as \f[CR]Income\f[R])-T}-T{-\f[CR]Expense\f[R]-T}@T{-\f[CR]X\f[R]-T}@T{-outflows-T}-.TE-.PP-hledger also uses a couple of subtypes:-.PP-.TS-tab(@);-l l l.-T{-\f[CR]Cash\f[R]-T}@T{-\f[CR]C\f[R]-T}@T{-liquid assets-T}-T{-\f[CR]Conversion\f[R]-T}@T{-\f[CR]V\f[R]-T}@T{-commodity conversions equity-T}-.TE-.PP-As a convenience, hledger will detect these types automatically from-english account names.-But it\[aq]s better to declare them explicitly by adding a-\f[CR]type:\f[R] tag in the account directives.-The tag\[aq]s value can be any of the types or one\-letter abbreviations-above.-.PP-Here is a typical set of account type declarations.-Subaccounts will inherit their parent\[aq]s type, or can override it:-.IP-.EX-account assets             ; type: A-account liabilities        ; type: L-account equity             ; type: E-account revenues           ; type: R-account expenses           ; type: X--account assets:bank        ; type: C-account assets:cash        ; type: C--account equity:conversion  ; type: V-.EE-.PP-This enables the easy balancesheet, balancesheetequity, cashflow and-incomestatement reports, and querying by type:.-.PP-Tips:-.IP \[bu] 2-You can list accounts and their types, for troubleshooting:-.RS 2-.IP-.EX-$ hledger accounts \-\-types [ACCTPAT] [type:TYPECODES] [\-DEPTH] [\-\-locations]-.EE-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-It\[aq]s a good idea to declare at least one account for each account-type.-Having some types declared and some inferred can disrupt certain-reports.-.IP \[bu] 2-The rules for inferring types from account names are as follows (using-Regular expressions).-.PD 0-.P-.PD-If they don\[aq]t work for you, just ignore them and declare your types-with \f[CR]type:\f[R] tags.-.RS 2-.IP-.EX-If account\[aq]s name contains this case insensitive regular expression | its type is-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-|\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--\[ha]assets?(:.+)?:(cash|bank|che(ck|que?)(ing)?|savings?|current)(:|$) | Cash-\[ha]assets?(:|$)                                                       | Asset-\[ha](debts?|liabilit(y|ies))(:|$)                                      | Liability-\[ha]equity:(trad(e|ing)|conversion)s?(:|$)                             | Conversion-\[ha]equity(:|$)                                                        | Equity-\[ha](income|revenue)s?(:|$)                                            | Revenue-\[ha]expenses?(:|$)                                                     | Expense-.EE-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-As mentioned above, subaccounts will inherit a type from their parent-account.-To be precise, an account\[aq]s type is decided by the first of these-that exists:-.RS 2-.IP "1." 3-A \f[CR]type:\f[R] declaration for this account.-.IP "2." 3-A \f[CR]type:\f[R] declaration in the parent accounts above it,-preferring the nearest.-.IP "3." 3-An account type inferred from this account\[aq]s name.-.IP "4." 3-An account type inferred from a parent account\[aq]s name, preferring-the nearest parent.-.IP "5." 3-Otherwise, it will have no type.-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-Account aliases can disrupt account types.-.SS \f[CR]alias\f[R] directive-You can define account alias rules which rewrite your account names, or-parts of them, before generating reports.-This can be useful for:-.IP \[bu] 2-expanding shorthand account names to their full form, allowing easier-data entry and a less verbose journal-.IP \[bu] 2-adapting old journals to your current chart of accounts-.IP \[bu] 2-experimenting with new account organisations, like a new hierarchy-.IP \[bu] 2-combining two accounts into one, eg to see their sum or difference on-one line-.IP \[bu] 2-customising reports-.PP-Account aliases also rewrite account names in account directives.-They do not affect account names being entered via hledger add or-hledger\-web.-.PP-Account aliases are very powerful.-They are generally easy to use correctly, but you can also generate-invalid account names with them; more on this below.-.PP-See also Rewrite account names.-.SS Basic aliases-To set an account alias, use the \f[CR]alias\f[R] directive in your-journal file.-This affects all subsequent journal entries in the current file or its-included files (but note: not sibling or parent files).-The spaces around the = are optional:-.IP-.EX-alias OLD = NEW-.EE-.PP-Or, you can use the \f[CR]\-\-alias \[aq]OLD=NEW\[aq]\f[R] option on the-command line.-This affects all entries.-It\[aq]s useful for trying out aliases interactively.-.PP-OLD and NEW are case sensitive full account names.-hledger will replace any occurrence of the old account name with the new-one.-Subaccounts are also affected.-Eg:-.IP-.EX-alias checking = assets:bank:wells fargo:checking-; rewrites \[dq]checking\[dq] to \[dq]assets:bank:wells fargo:checking\[dq], or \[dq]checking:a\[dq] to \[dq]assets:bank:wells fargo:checking:a\[dq]-.EE-.SS Regex aliases-There is also a more powerful variant that uses a regular expression,-indicated by wrapping the pattern in forward slashes.-(This is the only place where hledger requires forward slashes around a-regular expression.)-.PP-Eg:-.IP-.EX-alias /REGEX/ = REPLACEMENT-.EE-.PP-or:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-\-alias \[aq]/REGEX/=REPLACEMENT\[aq] ...-.EE-.PP-Any part of an account name matched by REGEX will be replaced by-REPLACEMENT.-REGEX is case\-insensitive as usual.-.PP-If you need to match a forward slash, escape it with a backslash, eg-\f[CR]/\[rs]/=:\f[R].-.PP-If REGEX contains parenthesised match groups, these can be referenced by-the usual backslash and number in REPLACEMENT:-.IP-.EX-alias /\[ha](.+):bank:([\[ha]:]+):(.*)/ = \[rs]1:\[rs]2 \[rs]3-; rewrites \[dq]assets:bank:wells fargo:checking\[dq] to  \[dq]assets:wells fargo checking\[dq]-.EE-.PP-REPLACEMENT continues to the end of line (or on command line, to end of-option argument), so it can contain trailing whitespace.-.SS Combining aliases-You can define as many aliases as you like, using journal directives-and/or command line options.-.PP-Recursive aliases \- where an account name is rewritten by one alias,-then by another alias, and so on \- are allowed.-Each alias sees the effect of previously applied aliases.-.PP-In such cases it can be important to understand which aliases will be-applied and in which order.-For (each account name in) each journal entry, we apply:-.IP "1." 3-\f[CR]alias\f[R] directives preceding the journal entry, most recently-parsed first (ie, reading upward from the journal entry, bottom to top)-.IP "2." 3-\f[CR]\-\-alias\f[R] options, in the order they appeared on the command-line (left to right).-.PP-In other words, for (an account name in) a given journal entry:-.IP \[bu] 2-the nearest alias declaration before/above the entry is applied first-.IP \[bu] 2-the next alias before/above that will be be applied next, and so on-.IP \[bu] 2-aliases defined after/below the entry do not affect it.-.PP-This gives nearby aliases precedence over distant ones, and helps-provide semantic stability \- aliases will keep working the same way-independent of which files are being read and in which order.-.PP-In case of trouble, adding \f[CR]\-\-debug=6\f[R] to the command line-will show which aliases are being applied when.-.SS Aliases and multiple files-As explained at Directives and multiple files, \f[CR]alias\f[R]-directives do not affect parent or sibling files.-Eg in this command,-.IP-.EX-hledger \-f a.aliases \-f b.journal-.EE-.PP-account aliases defined in a.aliases will not affect b.journal.-Including the aliases doesn\[aq]t work either:-.IP-.EX-include a.aliases--2023\-01\-01  ; not affected by a.aliases-  foo  1-  bar-.EE-.PP-This means that account aliases should usually be declared at the start-of your top\-most file, like this:-.IP-.EX-alias foo=Foo-alias bar=Bar--2023\-01\-01  ; affected by aliases above-  foo  1-  bar--include c.journal  ; also affected-.EE-.SS \f[CR]end aliases\f[R] directive-You can clear (forget) all currently defined aliases (seen in the-journal so far, or defined on the command line) with this directive:-.IP-.EX-end aliases-.EE-.SS Aliases can generate bad account names-Be aware that account aliases can produce malformed account names, which-could cause confusing reports or invalid \f[CR]print\f[R] output.-For example, you could erase all account names:-.IP-.EX-2021\-01\-01-  a:aa     1-  b-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger print \-\-alias \[aq]/.*/=\[aq]-2021\-01\-01-                   1-.EE-.PP-The above \f[CR]print\f[R] output is not a valid journal.-Or you could insert an illegal double space, causing \f[CR]print\f[R]-output that would give a different journal when reparsed:-.IP-.EX-2021\-01\-01-  old    1-  other-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger print \-\-alias old=\[dq]new  USD\[dq] | hledger \-f\- print-2021\-01\-01-    new             USD 1-    other-.EE-.SS Aliases and account types-If an account with a type declaration (see Declaring accounts > Account-types) is renamed by an alias, normally the account type remains in-effect.-.PP-However, renaming in a way that reshapes the account tree (eg renaming-parent accounts but not their children, or vice versa) could prevent-child accounts from inheriting the account type of their parents.-.PP-Secondly, if an account\[aq]s type is being inferred from its name,-renaming it by an alias could prevent or alter that.-.PP-If you are using account aliases and the \f[CR]type:\f[R] query is not-matching accounts as you expect, try troubleshooting with the accounts-command, eg something like:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger accounts \-\-types \-1 \-\-alias assets=bassetts-.EE-.SS \f[CR]commodity\f[R] directive-The \f[CR]commodity\f[R] directive performs several functions:-.IP "1." 3-It declares which commodity symbols may be used in the journal, enabling-useful error checking with strict mode or the check command.-See Commodity error checking below.-.IP "2." 3-It declares how all amounts in this commodity should be displayed, eg-how many decimals to show.-See Commodity display style above.-.IP "3." 3-(If no \f[CR]decimal\-mark\f[R] directive is in effect:) It sets the-decimal mark to expect (period or comma) when parsing amounts in this-commodity, in this file and files it includes, from the directive until-end of current file.-See Decimal marks above.-.IP "4." 3-It declares the precision with which this commodity\[aq]s amounts should-be compared when checking for balanced transactions, anywhere in this-file and files it includes, until end of current file.-.PP-Declaring commodities solves several common parsing/display problems, so-we recommend it.-.PP-Note that effects 3 and 4 above end at the end of the directive\[aq]s-file, and will not affect sibling or parent files.-So if you are relying on them (especially 4) and using multiple files,-placing your commodity directives in a top\-level parent file might be-important.-Or, keep your decimal marks unambiguous and your entries well balanced-and precise.-.PP-Omitting the commodity symbol will set the display style for just the-no\-symbol commodity, not all commodities.-.PP-Commodity styles can be overridden by the-\f[CR]\-c/\-\-commodity\-style\f[R] command line option.-.PP-(Related: #793)-.SS Commodity directive syntax-A commodity directive is normally the word \f[CR]commodity\f[R] followed-by a sample amount (and optionally a comment).-Only the amount\[aq]s symbol and the number\[aq]s format is significant.-Eg:-.IP-.EX-commodity $1000.00-commodity 1.000,00 EUR-commodity 1 000 000.0000   ; the no\-symbol commodity-.EE-.PP-Commodities do not have tags (tags in the comment will be ignored).-.PP-A commodity directive\[aq]s sample amount must always include a period-or comma decimal mark (this rule helps disambiguate decimal marks and-digit group marks).-If you don\[aq]t want to show any decimal digits, write the decimal mark-at the end:-.IP-.EX-commodity 1000. AAAA       ; show AAAA with no decimals-.EE-.PP-Commodity symbols containing spaces, numbers, or punctuation must be-enclosed in double quotes, as usual:-.IP-.EX-commodity 1.0000 \[dq]AAAA 2023\[dq]-.EE-.PP-Commodity directives normally include a sample amount, but can declare-only a symbol (ie, just function 1 above):-.IP-.EX-commodity $-commodity INR-commodity \[dq]AAAA 2023\[dq]-commodity \[dq]\[dq]               ; the no\-symbol commodity-.EE-.PP-Commodity directives may also be written with an indented-\f[CR]format\f[R] subdirective, as in Ledger.-The symbol is repeated and must be the same in both places.-Other subdirectives are currently ignored:-.IP-.EX-; display indian rupees with currency name on the left,-; thousands, lakhs and crores comma\-separated,-; period as decimal point, and two decimal places.-commodity INR-  format INR 1,00,00,000.00-  an unsupported subdirective  ; ignored by hledger-.EE-.SS Commodity error checking-In strict mode (\f[CR]\-s\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-strict\f[R]) (or when you run-\f[CR]hledger check commodities\f[R]), hledger will report an error if-an undeclared commodity symbol is used.-(With one exception: zero amounts are always allowed to have no-commodity symbol.)-It works like account error checking (described above).-.SS \f[CR]decimal\-mark\f[R] directive-You can use a \f[CR]decimal\-mark\f[R] directive \- usually one per-file, at the top of the file \- to declare which character represents a-decimal mark when parsing amounts in this file.-It can look like-.IP-.EX-decimal\-mark .-.EE-.PP-or-.IP-.EX-decimal\-mark ,-.EE-.PP-This prevents any ambiguity when parsing numbers in the file, so we-recommend it, especially if the file contains digit group marks (eg-thousands separators).-.SS \f[CR]include\f[R] directive-You can pull in the content of additional files by writing an include-directive, like this:-.IP-.EX-include SOMEFILE-.EE-.PP-This has the same effect as if SOMEFILE\[aq]s content was inlined at-this point.-(With any include directives in SOMEFILE processed similarly,-recursively.)-.PP-Only journal files can include other files.-They can include journal, timeclock or timedot files, but not CSV files.-.PP-If the file path begins with a tilde, that means your home directory:-\f[CR]include \[ti]/main.journal\f[R].-.PP-If it begins with a slash, it is an absolute path:-\f[CR]include /home/user/main.journal\f[R].-Otherwise it is relative to the including file\[aq]s folder:-\f[CR]include ../finances/main.journal\f[R].-.PP-Also, the path may have a file type prefix to force a specific file-format, overriding the file extension(s) (as described in Data formats):-\f[CR]include timedot:notes/2023.md\f[R].-.PP-The path may contain glob patterns to match multiple files.-hledger\[aq]s globs are similar to zsh\[aq]s: \f[CR]?\f[R] to match any-character; \f[CR][a\-z]\f[R] to match any character in a range;-\f[CR]*\f[R] to match zero or more characters that aren\[aq]t a path-separator (like \f[CR]/\f[R]); \f[CR]**\f[R] to match zero or more-subdirectories and/or zero or more characters at the start of a file-name; etc.-For convenience, \f[CR]include\f[R] always excludes the current file.-So, you can do-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]include *.journal\f[R] to include all other journal files in the-current directory (excluding dot files)-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]include **.journal\f[R] to include all other journal files in this-directory and below (excluding dot files and top\-level dot directories)-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]include timelogs/2???.timedot\f[R] to include all timedot files-named like a year number.-.PP-Note \f[CR]*\f[R] and \f[CR]**\f[R] usually won\[aq]t match dot files or-dot directories, with one exception: \f[CR]**\f[R] does search-non\-top\-level dot directories.-If this causes problems, make your glob pattern more specific (eg-\f[CR]**.journal\f[R] instead of \f[CR]**\f[R]).-.PP-If you are using many, or deeply nested, include files, and have an-error that\[aq]s hard to pinpoint: a good troubleshooting command is-\f[CR]hledger files \-\-debug=6\f[R] (or 7).-.SS \f[CR]P\f[R] directive-The \f[CR]P\f[R] directive declares a market price, which is a-conversion rate between two commodities on a certain date.-This allows value reports to convert amounts of one commodity to their-value in another, on or after that date.-These prices are often obtained from a stock exchange, cryptocurrency-exchange, the or foreign exchange market.-.PP-The format is:-.IP-.EX-P DATE COMMODITY1SYMBOL COMMODITY2AMOUNT-.EE-.PP-DATE is a simple date, COMMODITY1SYMBOL is the symbol of the commodity-being priced, and COMMODITY2AMOUNT is the amount (symbol and quantity)-of commodity 2 that one unit of commodity 1 is worth on this date.-Examples:-.IP-.EX-# one euro was worth $1.35 from 2009\-01\-01 onward:-P 2009\-01\-01 € $1.35--# and $1.40 from 2010\-01\-01 onward:-P 2010\-01\-01 € $1.40-.EE-.PP-The \f[CR]\-V\f[R], \f[CR]\-X\f[R] and \f[CR]\-\-value\f[R] flags use-these market prices to show amount values in another commodity.-See Value reporting.-.PP-.SS \f[CR]payee\f[R] directive-\f[CR]payee PAYEE NAME\f[R]-.PP-This directive can be used to declare a limited set of payees which may-appear in transaction descriptions.-The \[dq]payees\[dq] check will report an error if any transaction-refers to a payee that has not been declared.-Eg:-.IP-.EX-payee Whole Foods    ; a comment-.EE-.PP-Payees do not have tags (tags in the comment will be ignored).-.PP-To declare the empty payee name, use \f[CR]\[dq]\[dq]\f[R].-.IP-.EX-payee \[dq]\[dq]-.EE-.PP-Ledger\-style indented subdirectives, if any, are currently ignored.-.SS \f[CR]tag\f[R] directive-\f[CR]tag TAGNAME\f[R]-.PP-This directive can be used to declare a limited set of tag names allowed-in tags.-TAGNAME should be a valid tag name (no spaces).-Eg:-.IP-.EX-tag  item\-id-.EE-.PP-Any indented subdirectives are currently ignored.-.PP-The \[dq]tags\[dq] check will report an error if any undeclared tag name-is used.-It is quite easy to accidentally create a tag through normal use of-colons in comments; if you want to prevent this, you can declare and-check your tags .-.SS Periodic transactions-The \f[CR]\[ti]\f[R] directive declares a \[dq]periodic rule\[dq] which-generates temporary extra transactions, usually recurring at some-interval, when hledger is run with the \f[CR]\-\-forecast\f[R] flag.-These \[dq]forecast transactions\[dq] are useful for forecasting future-activity.-They exist only for the duration of the report, and only when-\f[CR]\-\-forecast\f[R] is used; they are not saved in the journal file-by hledger.-.PP-Periodic rules also have a second use: with the \f[CR]\-\-budget\f[R]-flag they set budget goals for budgeting.-.PP-Periodic rules can be a little tricky, so before you use them, read this-whole section, or at least the following tips:-.IP "1." 3-Two spaces accidentally added or omitted will cause you trouble \- read-about this below.-.IP "2." 3-For troubleshooting, show the generated transactions with-\f[CR]hledger print \-\-forecast tag:generated\f[R] or-\f[CR]hledger register \-\-forecast tag:generated\f[R].-.IP "3." 3-Forecasted transactions will begin only after the last non\-forecasted-transaction\[aq]s date.-.IP "4." 3-Forecasted transactions will end 6 months from today, by default.-See below for the exact start/end rules.-.IP "5." 3-period expressions can be tricky.-Their documentation needs improvement, but is worth studying.-.IP "6." 3-Some period expressions with a repeating interval must begin on a-natural boundary of that interval.-Eg in \f[CR]weekly from DATE\f[R], DATE must be a monday.-\f[CR]\[ti] weekly from 2019/10/1\f[R] (a tuesday) will give an error.-.IP "7." 3-Other period expressions with an interval are automatically expanded to-cover a whole number of that interval.-(This is done to improve reports, but it also affects periodic-transactions.-Yes, it\[aq]s a bit inconsistent with the above.)-Eg:  \f[CR]\[ti] every 10th day of month from 2023/01\f[R], which is-equivalent to  \f[CR]\[ti] every 10th day of month from 2023/01/01\f[R],-will be adjusted to start on 2019/12/10.-.SS Periodic rule syntax-A periodic transaction rule looks like a normal journal entry, with the-date replaced by a tilde (\f[CR]\[ti]\f[R]) followed by a period-expression (mnemonic: \f[CR]\[ti]\f[R] looks like a recurring sine-wave.):-.IP-.EX-# every first of month-\[ti] monthly-    expenses:rent          $2000-    assets:bank:checking--# every 15th of month in 2023\[aq]s first quarter:-\[ti] monthly from 2023\-04\-15 to 2023\-06\-16-    expenses:utilities          $400-    assets:bank:checking-.EE-.PP-The period expression is the same syntax used for specifying-multi\-period reports, just interpreted differently; there, it specifies-report periods; here it specifies recurrence dates (the periods\[aq]-start dates).-.SS Periodic rules and relative dates-Partial or relative dates (like \f[CR]12/31\f[R], \f[CR]25\f[R],-\f[CR]tomorrow\f[R], \f[CR]last week\f[R], \f[CR]next quarter\f[R]) are-usually not recommended in periodic rules, since the results will change-as time passes.-If used, they will be interpreted relative to, in order of preference:-.IP "1." 3-the first day of the default year specified by a recent \f[CR]Y\f[R]-directive-.IP "2." 3-or the date specified with \f[CR]\-\-today\f[R]-.IP "3." 3-or the date on which you are running the report.-.PP-They will not be affected at all by report period or forecast period-dates.-.SS Two spaces between period expression and description!-If the period expression is followed by a transaction description, these-must be separated by \f[B]two or more spaces\f[R].-This helps hledger know where the period expression ends, so that-descriptions can not accidentally alter their meaning, as in this-example:-.IP-.EX-; 2 or more spaces needed here, so the period is not understood as \[dq]every 2 months in 2023\[dq]-;               ||-;               vv-\[ti] every 2 months  in 2023, we will review-    assets:bank:checking   $1500-    income:acme inc-.EE-.PP-So,-.IP \[bu] 2-Do write two spaces between your period expression and your transaction-description, if any.-.IP \[bu] 2-Don\[aq]t accidentally write two spaces in the middle of your period-expression.-.SS Auto postings-The \f[CR]=\f[R] directive declares an \[dq]auto posting rule\[dq],-which adds extra postings to existing transactions.-(Remember, postings are the account name & amount lines below a-transaction\[aq]s date & description.)-.PP-In the journal, an auto posting rule looks quite like a transaction, but-instead of date and description it has \f[CR]=\f[R] (mnemonic:-\[dq]match\[dq]) and a query, like this:-.IP-.EX-= QUERY-    ACCOUNT    AMOUNT-    ...-.EE-.PP-Queries are just like command line queries; an account name substring is-most common.-Query terms containing spaces should be enclosed in single or double-quotes.-.PP-Each \f[CR]=\f[R] rule works like this: when hledger is run with the-\f[CR]\-\-auto\f[R] flag, wherever the QUERY matches a posting in the-journal, the rule\[aq]s postings are added to that transaction,-immediately below the matched posting.-Note these generated postings are temporary, existing only for the-duration of the report, and only when \f[CR]\-\-auto\f[R] is used; they-are not saved in the journal file by hledger.-.PP-The postings can contain the special string \f[CR]%account\f[R] which-will be expanded to the account name of the matched account.-.PP-Generated postings\[aq] amounts can depend on the matched posting\[aq]s-amount.-So auto postings can be useful for, eg, adding tax postings with a-standard percentage.-AMOUNT can be:-.IP \[bu] 2-a number with no commodity symbol, like \f[CR]2\f[R].-The matched posting\[aq]s commodity symbol will be added to this.-.IP \[bu] 2-a normal amount with a commodity symbol, like \f[CR]$2\f[R].-This will be used as\-is.-.IP \[bu] 2-an asterisk followed by a number, like \f[CR]*2\f[R].-This will multiply the matched posting\[aq]s amount (and total price, if-any) by the number.-.IP \[bu] 2-an asterisk followed by an amount with commodity symbol, like-\f[CR]*$2\f[R].-This multiplies and also replaces the commodity symbol with this new-one.-.PP-Some examples:-.IP-.EX-; every time I buy food, schedule a dollar donation-= expenses:food-    (liabilities:charity)   $\-1--; when I buy a gift, also deduct that amount from a budget envelope subaccount-= expenses:gifts-    assets:checking:gifts  *\-1-    assets:checking         *1--2017/12/1-  expenses:food    $10-  assets:checking--2017/12/14-  expenses:gifts   $20-  assets:checking-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger print \-\-auto-2017\-12\-01-    expenses:food              $10-    assets:checking-    (liabilities:charity)      $\-1--2017\-12\-14-    expenses:gifts             $20-    assets:checking-    assets:checking:gifts     \-$20-    assets:checking            $20-.EE-.PP-Note that depending fully on generated data such as this has some-drawbacks \- it\[aq]s less portable, less future\-proof, less auditable-by others, and less robust (eg your balance assertions will depend on-whether you use or don\[aq]t use \f[CR]\-\-auto\f[R]).-An alternative is to use auto postings in \[dq]one time\[dq] fashion \--use them to help build a complex journal entry, view it with-\f[CR]hledger print \-\-auto\f[R], and then copy that output into the-journal file to make it permanent.-.SS Auto postings and multiple files-An auto posting rule can affect any transaction in the current file, or-in any parent file or child file.-Note, currently it will not affect sibling files (when multiple-\f[CR]\-f\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-file\f[R] are used \- see #1212).-.SS Auto postings and dates-A posting date (or secondary date) in the matched posting, or (taking-precedence) a posting date in the auto posting rule itself, will also be-used in the generated posting.-.SS Auto postings and transaction balancing / inferred amounts / balance assertions-Currently, auto postings are added:-.IP \[bu] 2-after missing amounts are inferred, and transactions are checked for-balancedness,-.IP \[bu] 2-but before balance assertions are checked.-.PP-Note this means that journal entries must be balanced both before and-after auto postings are added.-This changed in hledger 1.12+; see #893 for background.-.PP-This also means that you cannot have more than one auto\-posting with a-missing amount applied to a given transaction, as it will be unable to-infer amounts.-.SS Auto posting tags-Automated postings will have some extra tags:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]generated\-posting:= QUERY\f[R] \- shows this was generated by an-auto posting rule, and the query-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]_generated\-posting:= QUERY\f[R] \- a hidden tag, which does not-appear in hledger\[aq]s output.-This can be used to match postings generated \[dq]just now\[dq], rather-than generated in the past and saved to the journal.-.PP-Also, any transaction that has been changed by auto posting rules will-have these tags added:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]modified:\f[R] \- this transaction was modified-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]_modified:\f[R] \- a hidden tag not appearing in the comment; this-transaction was modified \[dq]just now\[dq].-.SS Auto postings on forecast transactions only-Tip: you can can make auto postings that will apply to forecast-transactions but not recorded transactions, by adding-\f[CR]tag:_generated\-transaction\f[R] to their QUERY.-This can be useful when generating new journal entries to be saved in-the journal.-.SS Other syntax-hledger journal format supports quite a few other features, mainly to-make interoperating with or converting from Ledger easier.-Note some of the features below are powerful and can be useful in-special cases, but in general, features in this section are considered-less important or even not recommended for most users.-Downsides are mentioned to help you decide if you want to use them.-.SS Balance assignments-Ledger\-style balance assignments are also supported.-These are like balance assertions, but with no posting amount on the-left side of the equals sign; instead it is calculated automatically so-as to satisfy the assertion.-This can be a convenience during data entry, eg when setting opening-balances:-.IP-.EX-; starting a new journal, set asset account balances-2016/1/1 opening balances-  assets:checking            = $409.32-  assets:savings             = $735.24-  assets:cash                 = $42-  equity:opening balances-.EE-.PP-or when adjusting a balance to reality:-.IP-.EX-; no cash left; update balance, record any untracked spending as a generic expense-2016/1/15-  assets:cash    = $0-  expenses:misc-.EE-.PP-The calculated amount depends on the account\[aq]s balance in the-commodity at that point (which depends on the previously\-dated postings-of the commodity to that account since the last balance assertion or-assignment).-.PP-Downsides: using balance assignments makes your journal less explicit;-to know the exact amount posted, you have to run hledger or do the-calculations yourself, instead of just reading it.-Also balance assignments\[aq] forcing of balances can hide errors.-These things make your financial data less portable, less future\-proof,-and less trustworthy in an audit.-.SS Balance assignments and costs-A cost in a balance assignment will cause the calculated amount to have-that cost attached:-.IP-.EX-2019/1/1-  (a)             = $1 \[at] €2-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger print \-\-explicit-2019\-01\-01-    (a)         $1 \[at] €2 = $1 \[at] €2-.EE-.SS Balance assignments and multiple files-Balance assignments handle multiple files like balance assertions.-They see balance from other files previously included from the current-file, but not from previous sibling or parent files.-.SS Bracketed posting dates-For setting posting dates and secondary posting dates, Ledger\[aq]s-bracketed date syntax is also supported: \f[CR][DATE]\f[R],-\f[CR][DATE=DATE2]\f[R] or \f[CR][=DATE2]\f[R] in posting comments.-hledger will attempt to parse any square\-bracketed sequence of the-\f[CR]0123456789/\-.=\f[R] characters in this way.-With this syntax, DATE infers its year from the transaction and DATE2-infers its year from DATE.-.PP-Downsides: another syntax to learn, redundant with hledger\[aq]s-\f[CR]date:\f[R]/\f[CR]date2:\f[R] tags, and confusingly similar to-Ledger\[aq]s lot date syntax.-.SS \f[CR]D\f[R] directive-\f[CR]D AMOUNT\f[R]-.PP-This directive sets a default commodity, to be used for any subsequent-commodityless amounts (ie, plain numbers) seen while parsing the-journal.-This effect lasts until the next \f[CR]D\f[R] directive, or the end of-the current file.-.PP-For compatibility/historical reasons, \f[CR]D\f[R] also acts like a-\f[CR]commodity\f[R] directive (setting the commodity\[aq]s decimal mark-for parsing and display style for output).-So its argument is not just a commodity symbol, but a full amount-demonstrating the style.-The amount must include a decimal mark (either period or comma).-Eg:-.IP-.EX-; commodity\-less amounts should be treated as dollars-; (and displayed with the dollar sign on the left, thousands separators and two decimal places)-D $1,000.00--1/1-  a     5  ; <\- commodity\-less amount, parsed as $5 and displayed as $5.00-  b-.EE-.PP-Interactions with other directives:-.PP-For setting a commodity\[aq]s display style, a \f[CR]commodity\f[R]-directive has highest priority, then a \f[CR]D\f[R] directive.-.PP-For detecting a commodity\[aq]s decimal mark during parsing,-\f[CR]decimal\-mark\f[R] has highest priority, then-\f[CR]commodity\f[R], then \f[CR]D\f[R].-.PP-For checking commodity symbols with the check command, a-\f[CR]commodity\f[R] directive is required-(\f[CR]hledger check commodities\f[R] ignores \f[CR]D\f[R] directives).-.PP-Downsides: omitting commodity symbols makes your financial data less-explicit, less portable, and less trustworthy in an audit.-It is usually an unsustainable shortcut; sooner or later you will want-to track multiple commodities.-D is overloaded with functions redundant with \f[CR]commodity\f[R] and-\f[CR]decimal\-mark\f[R].-And it works differently from Ledger\[aq]s \f[CR]D\f[R].-.SS \f[CR]apply account\f[R] directive-This directive sets a default parent account, which will be prepended to-all accounts in following entries, until an \f[CR]end apply account\f[R]-directive or end of current file.-Eg:-.IP-.EX-apply account home--2010/1/1-    food    $10-    cash--end apply account-.EE-.PP-is equivalent to:-.IP-.EX-2010/01/01-    home:food           $10-    home:cash          $\-10-.EE-.PP-\f[CR]account\f[R] directives are also affected, and so is any-\f[CR]include\f[R]d content.-.PP-Account names entered via hledger add or hledger\-web are not affected.-.PP-Account aliases, if any, are applied after the parent account is-prepended.-.PP-Downsides: this can make your financial data less explicit, less-portable, and less trustworthy in an audit.-.SS \f[CR]Y\f[R] directive-\f[CR]Y YEAR\f[R]-.PP-or (deprecated backward\-compatible forms):-.PP-\f[CR]year YEAR\f[R] \f[CR]apply year YEAR\f[R]-.PP-The space is optional.-This sets a default year to be used for subsequent dates which don\[aq]t-specify a year.-Eg:-.IP-.EX-Y2009  ; set default year to 2009--12/15  ; equivalent to 2009/12/15-  expenses  1-  assets--year 2010  ; change default year to 2010--2009/1/30  ; specifies the year, not affected-  expenses  1-  assets--1/31   ; equivalent to 2010/1/31-  expenses  1-  assets-.EE-.PP-Downsides: omitting the year (from primary transaction dates, at least)-makes your financial data less explicit, less portable, and less-trustworthy in an audit.-Such dates can get separated from their corresponding Y directive, eg-when evaluating a region of the journal in your editor.-A missing Y directive makes reports dependent on today\[aq]s date.-.SS Secondary dates-A secondary date is written after the primary date, following an equals-sign: \f[CR]DATE1=DATE2\f[R].-If the year is omitted, the primary date\[aq]s year is assumed.-When running reports, the primary (left side) date is used by default,-but with the \f[CR]\-\-date2\f[R] flag (\f[CR]\-\-aux\-date\f[R]-or\f[CR]\-\-effective\f[R] also work, for Ledger users), the secondary-(right side) date will be used instead.-.PP-The meaning of secondary dates is up to you.-Eg it could be \[dq]primary is the bank\[aq]s clearing date, secondary-is the date the transaction was initiated, if different\[dq].-.PP-In practice, this feature usually adds confusion:-.IP \[bu] 2-You have to remember the primary and secondary dates\[aq] meaning, and-follow that consistently.-.IP \[bu] 2-It splits your bookkeeping into two modes, and you have to remember-which mode is appropriate for a given report.-.IP \[bu] 2-Usually your balance assertions will work with only one of these modes.-.IP \[bu] 2-It makes your financial data more complicated, less portable, and less-clear in an audit.-.IP \[bu] 2-It interacts with every feature, creating an ongoing cost for-implementors.-.IP \[bu] 2-It distracts new users and supporters.-.IP \[bu] 2-Posting dates are simpler and work better.-.PP-So secondary dates are officially deprecated in hledger, remaining only-as a Ledger compatibility aid; we recommend using posting dates instead.-.SS Star comments-Lines beginning with \f[CR]*\f[R] (star/asterisk) are also comment-lines.-This feature allows Emacs users to insert org headings in their journal,-allowing them to fold/unfold/navigate it like an outline when viewed-with org mode.-.PP-Downsides: another, unconventional comment syntax to learn.-Decreases your journal\[aq]s portability.-And switching to Emacs org mode just for folding/unfolding meant losing-the benefits of ledger mode; nowadays you can add outshine mode to-ledger mode to get folding without losing ledger mode\[aq]s features.-.SS Valuation expressions-Ledger allows a valuation function or value to be written in double-parentheses after an amount.-hledger ignores these.-.SS Virtual postings-A posting with parentheses around the account name, like-\f[CR](some:account)   10\f[R], is called an \f[I]unbalanced virtual-posting\f[R].-These postings do not participate in transaction balancing.-(And if you write them without an amount, a zero amount is always-inferred.)-These can occasionally be convenient for special circumstances, but they-violate double entry bookkeeping and make your data less portable across-applications, so many people avoid using them at all.-.PP-A posting with brackets around the account name-(\f[CR][some:account]\f[R]) is called a \f[I]balanced virtual-posting\f[R].-The balanced virtual postings in a transaction must add up to zero, just-like ordinary postings, but separately from them.-These are not part of double entry bookkeeping either, but they are at-least balanced.-An example:-.IP-.EX-2022\-01\-01 buy food with cash, update budget envelope subaccounts, & something else-  assets:cash                    $\-10  ; <\- these balance each other-  expenses:food                    $7  ; <\--  expenses:food                    $3  ; <\--  [assets:checking:budget:food]  $\-10  ;   <\- and these balance each other-  [assets:checking:available]     $10  ;   <\--  (something:else)                 $5  ;     <\- this is not required to balance-.EE-.PP-Ordinary postings, whose account names are neither parenthesised nor-bracketed, are called \f[I]real postings\f[R].-You can exclude virtual postings from reports with the-\f[CR]\-R/\-\-real\f[R] flag or a \f[CR]real:1\f[R] query.-.SS Other Ledger directives-These other Ledger directives are currently accepted but ignored.-This allows hledger to read more Ledger files, but be aware that-hledger\[aq]s reports may differ from Ledger\[aq]s if you use these.-.IP-.EX-apply fixed COMM AMT-apply tag   TAG-assert      EXPR-bucket / A  ACCT-capture     ACCT REGEX-check       EXPR-define      VAR=EXPR-end apply fixed-end apply tag-end apply year-end tag-eval / expr EXPR-python-  PYTHONCODE-tag         NAME-value       EXPR-\-\-command\-line\-flags-.EE-.PP-See also https://hledger.org/ledger.html for a detailed hledger/Ledger-syntax comparison.-.SS Other cost/lot notations-A slight digression for Ledger and Beancount users.-.PP-\f[B]Ledger\f[R] has a number of cost/lot\-related notations:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\[at] UNITCOST\f[R] and \f[CR]\[at]\[at] TOTALCOST\f[R]-.RS 2-.IP \[bu] 2-expresses a conversion rate, as in hledger-.IP \[bu] 2-when buying, also creates a lot that can be selected at selling time-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR](\[at]) UNITCOST\f[R] and \f[CR](\[at]\[at]) TOTALCOST\f[R]-(virtual cost)-.RS 2-.IP \[bu] 2-like the above, but also means \[dq]this cost was exceptional, don\[aq]t-use it when inferring market prices\[dq].-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]{=UNITCOST}\f[R] and \f[CR]{{=TOTALCOST}}\f[R] (fixed price)-.RS 2-.IP \[bu] 2-when buying, means \[dq]this cost is also the fixed value, don\[aq]t let-it fluctuate in value reports\[dq]-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]{UNITCOST}\f[R] and \f[CR]{{TOTALCOST}}\f[R] (lot price)-.RS 2-.IP \[bu] 2-can be used identically to \f[CR]\[at] UNITCOST\f[R] and-\f[CR]\[at]\[at] TOTALCOST\f[R], also creates a lot-.IP \[bu] 2-when selling, combined with \f[CR]\[at] ...\f[R], selects an existing-lot by its cost basis.-Does not check if that lot is present.-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR][YYYY/MM/DD]\f[R] (lot date)-.RS 2-.IP \[bu] 2-when buying, attaches this acquisition date to the lot-.IP \[bu] 2-when selling, selects a lot by its acquisition date-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR](SOME TEXT)\f[R] (lot note)-.RS 2-.IP \[bu] 2-when buying, attaches this note to the lot-.IP \[bu] 2-when selling, selects a lot by its note-.RE-.PP-Currently, hledger-.IP \[bu] 2-accepts any or all of the above in any order after the posting amount-.IP \[bu] 2-supports \f[CR]\[at]\f[R] and \f[CR]\[at]\[at]\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-treats \f[CR](\[at])\f[R] and \f[CR](\[at]\[at])\f[R] as synonyms for-\f[CR]\[at]\f[R] and \f[CR]\[at]\[at]\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-and ignores the rest.-(This can break transaction balancing.)-.PP-\f[B]Beancount\f[R] has simpler notation and different behaviour:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\[at] UNITCOST\f[R] and \f[CR]\[at]\[at] TOTALCOST\f[R]-.RS 2-.IP \[bu] 2-expresses a cost without creating a lot, as in hledger-.IP \[bu] 2-when buying (acquiring) or selling (disposing of) a lot, and combined-with \f[CR]{...}\f[R]: is not used except to document the cost/selling-price-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]{UNITCOST}\f[R] and \f[CR]{{TOTALCOST}}\f[R]-.RS 2-.IP \[bu] 2-when buying, expresses the cost for transaction balancing, and also-creates a lot with this cost basis attached-.IP \[bu] 2-when selling,-.RS 2-.IP \[bu] 2-selects a lot by its cost basis-.IP \[bu] 2-raises an error if that lot is not present or can not be selected-unambiguously (depending on booking method configured)-.IP \[bu] 2-expresses the selling price for transaction balancing-.RE-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]{}\f[R], \f[CR]{YYYY\-MM\-DD}\f[R], \f[CR]{\[dq]LABEL\[dq]}\f[R],-\f[CR]{UNITCOST, \[dq]LABEL\[dq]}\f[R],-\f[CR]{UNITCOST, YYYY\-MM\-DD, \[dq]LABEL\[dq]}\f[R]-.RS 2-.IP \[bu] 2-when selling, other combinations of date/cost/label, like the above, are-accepted for selecting the lot.-.RE-.PP-Currently, hledger-.IP \[bu] 2-supports \f[CR]\[at]\f[R] and \f[CR]\[at]\[at]\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-accepts the \f[CR]{UNITCOST}\f[R]/\f[CR]{{TOTALCOST}}\f[R] notation, but-ignores it-.IP \[bu] 2-and rejects the rest.-.PP-.SH CSV-hledger can read transactions from CSV (comma\-separated values) files.-More precisely, it can read DSV (delimiter\-separated values), from a-file or standard input.-Comma\-separated, semicolon\-separated and tab\-separated are the most-common variants, and hledger will recognise these three automatically-based on a \f[CR].csv\f[R], \f[CR].ssv\f[R] or \f[CR].tsv\f[R] file name-extension or a \f[CR]csv:\f[R], \f[CR]ssv:\f[R] or \f[CR]tsv:\f[R] file-path prefix.-.PP-(To learn about producing CSV or TSV \f[I]output\f[R], see Output-format.)-.PP-Each CSV file must be described by a corresponding \f[I]rules file\f[R].-This contains rules describing the CSV data (header line, fields layout,-date format etc.), how to construct hledger transactions from it, and-how to categorise transactions based on description or other attributes.-.PP-By default, hledger expects this rules file to be named like the CSV-file, with an extra \f[CR].rules\f[R] extension added, in the same-directory.-Eg when asked to read \f[CR]foo/FILE.csv\f[R], hledger looks for-\f[CR]foo/FILE.csv.rules\f[R].-You can specify a different rules file with the \f[CR]\-\-rules\f[R]-option.-.PP-At minimum, the rules file must identify the date and amount fields, and-often it also specifies the date format and how many header lines there-are.-Here\[aq]s a simple CSV file and a rules file for it:-.IP-.EX-Date, Description, Id, Amount-12/11/2019, Foo, 123, 10.23-.EE-.IP-.EX-# basic.csv.rules-skip         1-fields       date, description, , amount-date\-format  %d/%m/%Y-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger print \-f basic.csv-2019\-11\-12 Foo-    expenses:unknown           10.23-    income:unknown            \-10.23-.EE-.PP-There\[aq]s an introductory Tutorial: Import CSV data on hledger.org,-and more CSV rules examples below, and a larger collection at-https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/tree/master/examples/csv.-.SS CSV rules cheatsheet-The following kinds of rule can appear in the rules file, in any order.-(Blank lines and lines beginning with \f[CR]#\f[R] or \f[CR];\f[R] or-\f[CR]*\f[R] are ignored.)-.PP-.TS-tab(@);-lw(23.7n) lw(46.3n).-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]source\f[B]\f[R]-T}@T{-optionally declare which file to read data from-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]archive\f[B]\f[R]-T}@T{-optionally enable an archive of imported files-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]encoding\f[B]\f[R]-T}@T{-optionally declare which text encoding the data has-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]separator\f[B]\f[R]-T}@T{-declare the field separator, instead of relying on file extension-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]decimal\-mark\f[B]\f[R]-T}@T{-declare the decimal mark used in CSV amounts, when ambiguous-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]date\-format\f[B]\f[R]-T}@T{-declare how to parse CSV dates/date\-times-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]timezone\f[B]\f[R]-T}@T{-declare the time zone of ambiguous CSV date\-times-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]newest\-first\f[B]\f[R]-T}@T{-improve txn order when: there are multiple records, newest first, all-with the same date-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]intra\-day\-reversed\f[B]\f[R]-T}@T{-improve txn order when: same\-day txns are in opposite order to the-overall file-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]skip\f[B]\f[R]-T}@T{-(at top level) skip header line(s) at start of file-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]fields\f[B] list\f[R]-T}@T{-name CSV fields for easy reference, and optionally assign their values-to hledger fields-T}-T{-\f[B]Field assignment\f[R]-T}@T{-assign a CSV value or interpolated text value to a hledger field-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]if\f[B] block\f[R]-T}@T{-conditionally assign values to hledger fields, or \f[CR]skip\f[R] a-record or \f[CR]end\f[R] (skip rest of file)-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]if\f[B] table\f[R]-T}@T{-conditionally assign values to hledger fields, using compact syntax-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]skip\f[B]\f[R]-T}@T{-(inside an \f[CR]if\f[R] rule) skip current record(s)-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]end\f[B]\f[R]-T}@T{-(inside an \f[CR]if\f[R] rule) skip all remaining records-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]balance\-type\f[B]\f[R]-T}@T{-select which type of balance assertions/assignments to generate-T}-T{-\f[B]\f[CB]include\f[B]\f[R]-T}@T{-inline another CSV rules file-T}-.TE-.PP-Working with CSV tips can be found below, including How CSV rules are-evaluated.-.SS \f[CR]source\f[R]-If you tell hledger to read a csv file with \f[CR]\-f foo.csv\f[R], it-will look for rules in \f[CR]foo.csv.rules\f[R].-Or, you can tell it to read the rules file, with-\f[CR]\-f foo.csv.rules\f[R], and it will look for data in-\f[CR]foo.csv\f[R] (since 1.30).-These are mostly equivalent, but the second method provides some extra-features.-For one, the data file can be missing, without causing an error; it is-just considered empty.-.PP-For more flexibility, add a \f[CR]source\f[R] rule, which lets you-specify a different data file:-.IP-.EX-source ./Checking1.csv-.EE-.PP-If the file does not exist, it is just considered empty, without raising-an error.-.PP-If you specify just a file name with no path, hledger will look for it-in the \f[CR]\[ti]/Downloads\f[R] folder:-.IP-.EX-source Checking1.csv-.EE-.PP-You can use a glob pattern, to avoid specifying the file name exactly:-.IP-.EX-source Checking1*.csv-.EE-.PP-This has another benefit: if the pattern matches multiple files, hledger-will read the newest (most recently modified) one.-This avoids problems if you have downloaded a file multiple times-without cleaning up.-.PP-All this enables a convenient workflow where can you just download CSV-files, then run \f[CR]hledger import rules/*\f[R].-.PP-See also \[dq]Working with CSV > Reading files specified by rule\[dq].-.SS Data cleaning / data generating commands-After \f[CR]source\f[R]\[aq]s file pattern, you can write \f[CR]|\f[R]-(pipe) and a data cleaning command (or command pipeline).-If hledger\[aq]s CSV rules aren\[aq]t enough, you can pre\-process the-downloaded data here with a shell command or script, to make it more-suitable for conversion.-The command will be executed by your default shell, in the directory of-the rules file, will receive the data file\[aq]s content as standard-input, and should output zero or more lines of-character\-separated\-values, suitable for conversion by the CSV rules.-.PP-Examples:-.IP-.EX-source ./paypal.json | paypalcsv-source data/simplefin.json | simplefincsv \- \[aq]chase.*card\[aq]-source OfxDownload*.csv | grep \-vE \[aq]\[ha](([\[ha],]*,){6}[\[ha],]*|)$\[aq] | sort \-t, \-n +2-source History_for_Account_Z20144832*.csv   # | grep \-E \[aq]\[ha]([\[ha],]*,){12}[\[ha],]*$\[aq] | sed \-E \-e \[aq]s/\[ha] //\[aq] \-e \[aq]s/\[rs].([0\-9]),/.\[rs]10,/g\[aq] \-e \[aq]s/,([0\-9]+),/,\[rs]1.00,/g\[aq]-.EE-.PP-Or, after \f[CR]source\f[R] you can write \f[CR]|\f[R] and a data-generating command (with no file pattern before the \f[CR]|\f[R]).-This command receives no input, and should output zero or more lines of-character\-separated values, suitable for conversion by the CSV rules.-.PP-Examples:-.IP-.EX-source | paypaljson | paypalcsv-source | paypalcsv data/paypal.json -source | simplefinjson >data/simplefin.json && simplefincsv data/simplefin.json \[aq]chase.*card\[aq]-source | simplefincsv data/simplefin.json \[aq]unify.*checking\[aq]-.EE-.PP-(\f[CR]paypal*\f[R] and \f[CR]simplefin*\f[R] scripts are in bin/)-.PP-Whenever hledger runs one of these commands, it will echo the command on-stderr.-If the command produces error output, but exits successfully, hledger-will show the error output as a warning.-If the command fails, hledger will fail and show the error output in the-error message.-.PP-\f[I]Added in 1.50; experimental.\f[R]-.SS \f[CR]archive\f[R]-With \f[CR]archive\f[R] added to a rules file, the \f[CR]import\f[R]-command will archive each successfully processed data file or data-command output in a nearby \f[CR]data/\f[R] directory.-The archive file name will be based on the rules file and the data-file\[aq]s modification date and extension (or for a data\-generating-command, the current date and the \[dq].csv\[dq] extension).-The original data file, if any, will be removed.-.PP-Also, in this mode \f[CR]import\f[R] will prefer the oldest file matched-by the \f[CR]source\f[R] rule\[aq]s glob pattern, not the newest.-(So if there are multiple downloads, they will be imported and archived-oldest first.)-.PP-Archiving is optional, but it can be useful for troubleshooting your CSV-rules, regenerating entries with improved rules, checking for variations-in your bank\[aq]s CSV, etc.-.PP-\f[I]Added in 1.50; experimental.\f[R]-.SS \f[CR]encoding\f[R]-.IP-.EX-encoding ENCODING-.EE-.PP-hledger normally expects non\-ascii text to be using the system-locale\[aq]s text encoding.-If you need to read CSV files which have some other encoding, you can do-it by adding \f[CR]encoding ENCODING\f[R] to your CSV rules.-Eg: \f[CR]encoding iso\-8859\-1\f[R].-.PP-The following encodings are supported:-.PP-\f[CR]ascii\f[R], \f[CR]utf\-8\f[R], \f[CR]utf\-16\f[R],-\f[CR]utf\-32\f[R], \f[CR]iso\-8859\-1\f[R], \f[CR]iso\-8859\-2\f[R],-\f[CR]iso\-8859\-3\f[R], \f[CR]iso\-8859\-4\f[R],-\f[CR]iso\-8859\-5\f[R], \f[CR]iso\-8859\-6\f[R],-\f[CR]iso\-8859\-7\f[R], \f[CR]iso\-8859\-8\f[R],-\f[CR]iso\-8859\-9\f[R], \f[CR]iso\-8859\-10\f[R],-\f[CR]iso\-8859\-11\f[R], \f[CR]iso\-8859\-13\f[R],-\f[CR]iso\-8859\-14\f[R], \f[CR]iso\-8859\-15\f[R],-\f[CR]iso\-8859\-16\f[R], \f[CR]cp1250\f[R], \f[CR]cp1251\f[R],-\f[CR]cp1252\f[R], \f[CR]cp1253\f[R], \f[CR]cp1254\f[R],-\f[CR]cp1255\f[R], \f[CR]cp1256\f[R], \f[CR]cp1257\f[R],-\f[CR]cp1258\f[R], \f[CR]koi8\-r\f[R], \f[CR]koi8\-u\f[R],-\f[CR]gb18030\f[R], \f[CR]macintosh\f[R], \f[CR]jis\-x\-0201\f[R],-\f[CR]jis\-x\-0208\f[R], \f[CR]iso\-2022\-jp\f[R],-\f[CR]shift\-jis\f[R], \f[CR]cp437\f[R], \f[CR]cp737\f[R],-\f[CR]cp775\f[R], \f[CR]cp850\f[R], \f[CR]cp852\f[R], \f[CR]cp855\f[R],-\f[CR]cp857\f[R], \f[CR]cp860\f[R], \f[CR]cp861\f[R], \f[CR]cp862\f[R],-\f[CR]cp863\f[R], \f[CR]cp864\f[R], \f[CR]cp865\f[R], \f[CR]cp866\f[R],-\f[CR]cp869\f[R], \f[CR]cp874\f[R], \f[CR]cp932\f[R].-.PP-\f[I]Added in 1.42.\f[R]-.SS \f[CR]separator\f[R]-You can use the \f[CR]separator\f[R] rule to read other kinds of-character\-separated data.-The argument is any single separator character, or the words-\f[CR]tab\f[R] or \f[CR]space\f[R] (case insensitive).-Eg, for comma\-separated values (CSV):-.IP-.EX-separator ,-.EE-.PP-or for semicolon\-separated values (SSV):-.IP-.EX-separator ;-.EE-.PP-or for tab\-separated values (TSV):-.IP-.EX-separator TAB-.EE-.PP-If the input file has a \f[CR].csv\f[R], \f[CR].ssv\f[R] or-\f[CR].tsv\f[R] file extension (or a \f[CR]csv:\f[R], \f[CR]ssv:\f[R],-\f[CR]tsv:\f[R] prefix), the appropriate separator will be inferred-automatically, and you won\[aq]t need this rule.-.SS \f[CR]skip\f[R]-.IP-.EX-skip N-.EE-.PP-The word \f[CR]skip\f[R] followed by a number (or no number, meaning 1)-tells hledger to ignore this many non\-empty lines at the start of the-input data.-You\[aq]ll need this whenever your CSV data contains header lines.-Note, empty and blank lines are skipped automatically, so you don\[aq]t-need to count those.-.PP-\f[CR]skip\f[R] has a second meaning: it can be used inside if blocks-(described below), to skip one or more records whenever the condition is-true.-Records skipped in this way are ignored, except they are still required-to be valid CSV.-.SS \f[CR]date\-format\f[R]-.IP-.EX-date\-format DATEFMT-.EE-.PP-This is a helper for the \f[CR]date\f[R] (and \f[CR]date2\f[R]) fields.-If your CSV dates are not formatted like \f[CR]YYYY\-MM\-DD\f[R],-\f[CR]YYYY/MM/DD\f[R] or \f[CR]YYYY.MM.DD\f[R], you\[aq]ll need to add a-date\-format rule describing them with a strptime\-style date parsing-pattern \- see-https://hackage.haskell.org/package/time/docs/Data\-Time\-Format.html#v:formatTime.-The pattern must parse the CSV date value completely.-Some examples:-.IP-.EX-# MM/DD/YY-date\-format %m/%d/%y-.EE-.IP-.EX-# D/M/YYYY-# The \- makes leading zeros optional.-date\-format %\-d/%\-m/%Y-.EE-.IP-.EX-# YYYY\-Mmm\-DD-date\-format %Y\-%h\-%d-.EE-.IP-.EX-# M/D/YYYY HH:MM AM some other junk-# Note the time and junk must be fully parsed, though only the date is used.-date\-format %\-m/%\-d/%Y %l:%M %p some other junk-.EE-.PP-Note currently there is no locale awareness for things like-\f[CR]%b\f[R], and setting LC_TIME won\[aq]t help.-.SS \f[CR]timezone\f[R]-.IP-.EX-timezone TIMEZONE-.EE-.PP-When CSV contains date\-times that are implicitly in some time zone-other than yours, but containing no explicit time zone information, you-can use this rule to declare the CSV\[aq]s native time zone, which helps-prevent off\-by\-one dates.-.PP-When the CSV date\-times do contain time zone information, you don\[aq]t-need this rule; instead, use \f[CR]%Z\f[R] in \f[CR]date\-format\f[R]-(or \f[CR]%z\f[R], \f[CR]%EZ\f[R], \f[CR]%Ez\f[R]; see the formatTime-link above).-.PP-In either of these cases, hledger will do a time\-zone\-aware-conversion, localising the CSV date\-times to your current system time-zone.-If you prefer to localise to some other time zone, eg for-reproducibility, you can (on unix at least) set the output timezone with-the TZ environment variable, eg:-.IP-.EX-$ TZ=\-1000 hledger print \-f foo.csv  # or TZ=\-1000 hledger import foo.csv-.EE-.PP-\f[CR]timezone\f[R] currently does not understand timezone names, except-\[dq]UTC\[dq], \[dq]GMT\[dq], \[dq]EST\[dq], \[dq]EDT\[dq],-\[dq]CST\[dq], \[dq]CDT\[dq], \[dq]MST\[dq], \[dq]MDT\[dq],-\[dq]PST\[dq], or \[dq]PDT\[dq].-For others, use numeric format: +HHMM or \-HHMM.-.SS \f[CR]newest\-first\f[R]-hledger tries to ensure that the generated transactions will be ordered-chronologically, including same\-day transactions.-Usually it can auto\-detect how the CSV records are ordered.-But if it encounters CSV where all records are on the same date, it-assumes that the records are oldest first.-If in fact the CSV\[aq]s records are normally newest first, like:-.IP-.EX-2022\-10\-01, txn 3...-2022\-10\-01, txn 2...-2022\-10\-01, txn 1...-.EE-.PP-you can add the \f[CR]newest\-first\f[R] rule to help hledger generate-the transactions in correct order.-.IP-.EX-# same\-day CSV records are newest first-newest\-first-.EE-.SS \f[CR]intra\-day\-reversed\f[R]-If CSV records within a single day are ordered opposite to the overall-record order, you can add the \f[CR]intra\-day\-reversed\f[R] rule to-improve the order of journal entries.-Eg, here the overall record order is newest first, but same\-day records-are oldest first:-.IP-.EX-2022\-10\-02, txn 3...-2022\-10\-02, txn 4...-2022\-10\-01, txn 1...-2022\-10\-01, txn 2...-.EE-.IP-.EX-# transactions within each day are reversed with respect to the overall date order-intra\-day\-reversed-.EE-.SS \f[CR]decimal\-mark\f[R]-.IP-.EX-decimal\-mark .-.EE-.PP-or:-.IP-.EX-decimal\-mark ,-.EE-.PP-hledger automatically accepts either period or comma as a decimal mark-when parsing numbers (cf Amounts).-However if any numbers in the CSV contain digit group marks, such as-thousand\-separating commas, you should declare the decimal mark-explicitly with this rule, to avoid misparsed numbers.-.SS CSV fields and hledger fields-This can be confusing, so let\[aq]s start with an overview:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[B]CSV fields\f[R] are provided by your data file.-They are named by their position in the CSV record, starting with 1.-You can also give them a readable name.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[B]hledger fields\f[R] are predefined; \f[CR]date\f[R],-\f[CR]description\f[R], \f[CR]account1\f[R], \f[CR]amount1\f[R],-\f[CR]account2\f[R] are some of them.-They correspond to parts of a transaction\[aq]s journal entry, mostly.-.IP \[bu] 2-The CSV fields and hledger fields are the only fields you\[aq]ll be-working with; you can\[aq]t define new fields, or variables as in a-programming language.-(But you could add extra CSV fields to the data in preprocessing, before-running the rules.)-.IP \[bu] 2-For each CSV record, you\[aq]ll assign values to one or more of the-hledger fields to build up a transaction (journal entry).-Values can be static text, CSV field values from the current record, or-a combination of these.-.IP \[bu] 2-For simple cases, you can give a CSV field the same name as one of the-hledger fields, then its value will be automatically assigned to that-hledger field.-.IP \[bu] 2-CSV fields can only be read, not written to.-They\[aq]ll be on the right hand side, with a % prefix.-Eg-.RS 2-.IP \[bu] 2-testing a CSV field\[aq]s value: \f[CR]if %CSVFIELD ...\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-interpolating its value: \f[CR]HLEDGERFIELD %CSVFIELD\f[R]-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-hledger fields can only be written to, not read.-They\[aq]ll be on the left hand side (or in a fields list), with no-prefix.-Eg-.RS 2-.IP \[bu] 2-setting the transaction\[aq]s description to a value:-\f[CR]description VALUE\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-setting the transaction\[aq]s description to the second CSV field\[aq]s-value:-.PD 0-.P-.PD-\f[CR]fields date, description, amount\f[R]-.RE-.SS \f[CR]fields\f[R] list-.IP-.EX-fields FIELDNAME1, FIELDNAME2, ...-.EE-.PP-A fields list (the word \f[CR]fields\f[R] followed by comma\-separated-field names) is optional, but convenient.-It does two things:-.IP "1." 3-It names the CSV field in each column.-This can be convenient if you are referencing them in other rules, so-you can say \f[CR]%SomeField\f[R] instead of remembering \f[CR]%13\f[R].-.IP "2." 3-Whenever you use one of the special hledger field names (described-below), it assigns the CSV value in this position to that hledger field.-This is the quickest way to populate hledger\[aq]s fields and build a-transaction.-.PP-Here\[aq]s an example that says \[dq]use the 1st, 2nd and 4th fields as-the transaction\[aq]s date, description and amount; name the last two-fields for later reference; and ignore the others\[dq]:-.IP-.EX-fields date, description, , amount, , , somefield, anotherfield-.EE-.PP-In a fields list, the separator is always comma; it is unrelated to the-CSV file\[aq]s separator.-Also:-.IP \[bu] 2-There must be least two items in the list (at least one comma).-.IP \[bu] 2-Field names may not contain spaces.-Spaces before/after field names are optional.-.IP \[bu] 2-Field names may contain \f[CR]_\f[R] (underscore) or \f[CR]\-\f[R]-(hyphen).-.IP \[bu] 2-Fields you don\[aq]t care about can be given a dummy name or an empty-name.-.PP-If the CSV contains column headings, it\[aq]s convenient to use these-for your field names, suitably modified (eg lower\-cased with spaces-replaced by underscores).-.PP-Sometimes you may want to alter a CSV field name to avoid assigning to a-hledger field with the same name.-Eg you could call the CSV\[aq]s \[dq]balance\[dq] field-\f[CR]balance_\f[R] to avoid directly setting hledger\[aq]s-\f[CR]balance\f[R] field (and generating a balance assertion).-.SS Field assignment-.IP-.EX-HLEDGERFIELD FIELDVALUE-.EE-.PP-Field assignments are the more flexible way to assign CSV values to-hledger fields.-They can be used instead of or in addition to a fields list (see above).-.PP-To assign a value to a hledger field, write the field name (any of the-standard hledger field/pseudo\-field names, defined below), a space,-followed by a text value on the same line.-This text value may interpolate CSV fields, referenced either by their-1\-based position in the CSV record (\f[CR]%N\f[R]) or by the name they-were given in the fields list (\f[CR]%CSVFIELD\f[R]), and regular-expression match groups (\f[CR]\[rs]N\f[R]).-.PP-Some examples:-.IP-.EX-# set the amount to the 4th CSV field, with \[dq] USD\[dq] appended-amount %4 USD--# combine three fields to make a comment, containing note: and date: tags-comment note: %somefield \- %anotherfield, date: %1-.EE-.PP-Tips:-.IP \[bu] 2-Interpolation strips outer whitespace (so a CSV value like-\f[CR]\[dq] 1 \[dq]\f[R] becomes \f[CR]1\f[R] when interpolated)-(#1051).-.IP \[bu] 2-Interpolations always refer to a CSV field \- you can\[aq]t interpolate-a hledger field.-(See Referencing other fields below).-.SS Field names-Note the two kinds of field names mentioned here, and used only in-hledger CSV rules files:-.IP "1." 3-\f[B]CSV field names\f[R] (\f[CR]CSVFIELD\f[R] in these docs): you can-optionally name the CSV columns for easy reference (since hledger-doesn\[aq]t yet automatically recognise column headings in a CSV file),-by writing arbitrary names in a \f[CR]fields\f[R] list, eg:-.RS 4-.IP-.EX-fields When, What, Some_Id, Net, Total, Foo, Bar-.EE-.RE-.IP "2." 3-Special \f[B]hledger field names\f[R] (\f[CR]HLEDGERFIELD\f[R] in these-docs): you must set at least some of these to generate the hledger-transaction from a CSV record, by writing them as the left hand side of-a field assignment, eg:-.RS 4-.IP-.EX-date        %When-code        %Some_Id-description %What-comment     %Foo %Bar-amount1     $ %Total-.EE-.PP-or directly in a \f[CR]fields\f[R] list:-.IP-.EX-fields date, description, code, , amount1, Foo, Bar-currency $-comment  %Foo %Bar-.EE-.RE-.PP-Here are all the special hledger field names available, and what happens-when you assign values to them:-.SS date field-Assigning to \f[CR]date\f[R] sets the transaction date.-.SS date2 field-\f[CR]date2\f[R] sets the transaction\[aq]s secondary date, if any.-.SS status field-\f[CR]status\f[R] sets the transaction\[aq]s status, if any.-.SS code field-\f[CR]code\f[R] sets the transaction\[aq]s code, if any.-.SS description field-\f[CR]description\f[R] sets the transaction\[aq]s description, if any.-.SS comment field-\f[CR]comment\f[R] sets the transaction\[aq]s comment, if any.-.PP-\f[CR]commentN\f[R], where N is a number, sets the Nth posting\[aq]s-comment.-.PP-You can assign multi\-line comments by writing literal \f[CR]\[rs]n\f[R]-in the code.-A comment starting with \f[CR]\[rs]n\f[R] will begin on a new line.-.PP-Comments can contain tags, as usual.-.PP-Posting comments can also contain a posting date.-A secondary date, or a year\-less date, will be ignored.-.SS account field-Assigning to \f[CR]accountN\f[R], where N is 1 to 99, sets the account-name of the Nth posting, and causes that posting to be generated.-.PP-Most often there are two postings, so you\[aq]ll want to set-\f[CR]account1\f[R] and \f[CR]account2\f[R].-Typically \f[CR]account1\f[R] is associated with the CSV file, and is-set once with a top\-level assignment, while \f[CR]account2\f[R] is set-based on each transaction\[aq]s description, in conditional rules.-.PP-If a posting\[aq]s account name is left unset but its amount is set (see-below), a default account name will be chosen (like-\[dq]expenses:unknown\[dq] or \[dq]income:unknown\[dq]).-.SS amount field-There are several ways to set posting amounts from CSV, useful in-different situations.-.IP "1." 3-\f[B]\f[CB]amount\f[B]\f[R] is the oldest and simplest.-Assigning to this sets the amount of the first and second postings.-In the second posting, the amount will be negated; also, if it has a-cost attached, it will be converted to cost.-.IP "2." 3-\f[B]\f[CB]amount\-in\f[B]\f[R] and \f[B]\f[CB]amount\-out\f[B]\f[R]-work exactly like the above, but should be used when the CSV has two-amount fields (such as \[dq]Debit\[dq] and \[dq]Credit\[dq], or-\[dq]Inflow\[dq] and \[dq]Outflow\[dq]).-Whichever field has a non\-zero value will be used as the amount of the-first and second postings.-Here are some tips to avoid confusion:-.RS 4-.IP \[bu] 2-It\[aq]s not \[dq]amount\-in for posting 1 and amount\-out for posting-2\[dq], it is \[dq]extract a single amount from the amount\-in or-amount\-out field, and use that for posting 1 and (negated) for posting-2\[dq].-.IP \[bu] 2-Don\[aq]t use both \f[CR]amount\f[R] and-\f[CR]amount\-in\f[R]/\f[CR]amount\-out\f[R] in the same rules file;-choose based on whether the amount is in a single CSV field or spread-across two fields.-.IP \[bu] 2-In each record, at most one of the two CSV fields should contain a-non\-zero amount; the other field must contain a zero or nothing.-.IP \[bu] 2-hledger assumes both CSV fields contain unsigned numbers, and it-automatically negates the amount\-out values.-.IP \[bu] 2-If the data doesn\[aq]t fit these requirements, you\[aq]ll probably need-an if rule (see below).-.RE-.IP "3." 3-\f[B]\f[CB]amountN\f[B]\f[R] (where N is a number from 1 to 99) sets the-amount of only a single posting: the Nth posting in the transaction.-You\[aq]ll usually need at least two such assignments to make a balanced-transaction.-You can also generate more than two postings, to represent more complex-transactions.-The posting numbers don\[aq]t have to be consecutive; with if rules,-higher posting numbers can be useful to ensure a certain order of-postings.-.IP "4." 3-\f[B]\f[CB]amountN\-in\f[B]\f[R] and \f[B]\f[CB]amountN\-out\f[B]\f[R]-work exactly like the above, but should be used when the CSV has two-amount fields.-This is analogous to \f[CR]amount\-in\f[R] and \f[CR]amount\-out\f[R],-and those tips also apply here.-.IP "5." 3-Remember that a \f[CR]fields\f[R] list can also do assignments.-So in a fields list if you name a CSV field \[dq]amount\[dq], that-counts as assigning to \f[CR]amount\f[R].-(If you don\[aq]t want that, call it something else in the fields list,-like \[dq]amount_\[dq].)-.IP "6." 3-The above don\[aq]t handle every situation; if you need more-flexibility, use an \f[CR]if\f[R] rule to set amounts conditionally.-See \[dq]Working with CSV > Setting amounts\[dq] below for more on this-and on amount\-setting generally.-.SS currency field-\f[CR]currency\f[R] sets a currency symbol, to be prepended to all-postings\[aq] amounts.-You can use this if the CSV amounts do not have a currency symbol, eg if-it is in a separate column.-.PP-\f[CR]currencyN\f[R] prepends a currency symbol to just the Nth-posting\[aq]s amount.-.SS balance field-\f[CR]balanceN\f[R] sets a balance assertion amount (or if the posting-amount is left empty, a balance assignment) on posting N.-.PP-\f[CR]balance\f[R] is a compatibility spelling for hledger <1.17; it is-equivalent to \f[CR]balance1\f[R].-.PP-You can adjust the type of assertion/assignment with the-\f[CR]balance\-type\f[R] rule (see below).-.PP-See the Working with CSV tips below for more about setting amounts and-currency.-.SS \f[CR]if\f[R] block-Rules can be applied conditionally, depending on patterns in the CSV-data.-This allows flexibility; in particular, it is how you can categorise-transactions, selecting an appropriate account name based on their-description (for example).-There are two ways to write conditional rules: \[dq]if blocks\[dq],-described here, and \[dq]if tables\[dq], described below.-.PP-An if block is the word \f[CR]if\f[R] and one or more \[dq]matcher\[dq]-expressions (can be a word or phrase), one per line, starting either on-the same or next line; followed by one or more indented rules.-Eg,-.IP-.EX-if MATCHER- RULE-.EE-.PP-or-.IP-.EX-if-MATCHER-MATCHER-MATCHER- RULE- RULE-.EE-.PP-If any of the matchers succeeds, all of the indented rules will be-applied.-They are usually field assignments, but the following special rules may-also be used within an if block:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]skip\f[R] \- skips the matched CSV record (generating no-transaction from it)-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]end\f[R] \- skips the rest of the current CSV file.-.PP-Some examples:-.IP-.EX-# if the record contains \[dq]groceries\[dq], set account2 to \[dq]expenses:groceries\[dq]-if groceries- account2 expenses:groceries-.EE-.IP-.EX-# if the record contains any of these phrases, set account2 and a transaction comment as shown-if-monthly service fee-atm transaction fee-banking thru software- account2 expenses:business:banking- comment  XXX deductible ? check it-.EE-.IP-.EX-# if an empty record is seen (assuming five fields), ignore the rest of the CSV file-if ,,,,- end-.EE-.SS Matchers-There are two kinds of matcher:-.IP "1." 3-A whole record matcher is simplest: it is just a word, single\-line text-fragment, or other regular expression, which hledger will try to match-case\-insensitively anywhere within the CSV record.-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Eg: \f[CR]whole foods\f[R].-.IP "2." 3-A field matcher has a percent\-prefixed CSV field number or name before-the pattern.-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Eg: \f[CR]%3 whole foods\f[R] or \f[CR]%description whole foods\f[R].-.PD 0-.P-.PD-hledger will try to match the pattern just within the named CSV field.-.PP-When using these, there\[aq]s two things to be aware of:-.IP "1." 3-Whole record matchers don\[aq]t see the exact original record; they see-a reconstruction of it, in which values are comma\-separated, and quotes-enclosing values and whitespace outside those quotes are removed.-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Eg when reading an SSV record like:-\f[CR]2023\-01\-01 ; \[dq]Acme, Inc. \[dq] ;  1,000\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-the whole record matcher sees instead:-\f[CR]2023\-01\-01,Acme, Inc. ,1,000\f[R]-.IP "2." 3-Field matchers expect either a CSV field number, or a CSV field name-declared with \f[CR]fields\f[R].-(Don\[aq]t use a hledger field name here, unless it is also a CSV field-name.)-A non\-CSV field name will cause the matcher to match against-\f[CR]\[dq]\[dq]\f[R] (the empty string), and does not raise an error,-allowing easier reuse of common rules with different CSV files.-.PP-You can also prefix a matcher with \f[CR]!\f[R] (and optional space) to-negate it.-Eg \f[CR]! whole foods\f[R], \f[CR]! %3 whole foods\f[R],-\f[CR]!%description whole foods\f[R] will match if \[dq]whole foods\[dq]-is NOT present.-\f[I]Added in 1.32.\f[R]-.PP-The pattern is, as usual in hledger, a POSIX extended regular expression-that also supports GNU word boundaries (\f[CR]\[rs]b\f[R],-\f[CR]\[rs]B\f[R], \f[CR]\[rs]<\f[R], \f[CR]\[rs]>\f[R]) and nothing-else.-For more details and tips, see Regular expressions in CSV rules below.-.SS Multiple matchers-When an if block has multiple matchers, each on its own line,-.IP \[bu] 2-By default they are OR\[aq]d (any of them can match).-.IP \[bu] 2-Matcher lines beginning with \f[CR]&\f[R] (or \f[CR]&&\f[R], \f[I]since-1.42\f[R]) are AND\[aq]ed with the matcher above (all in the AND\[aq]ed-group must match).-.IP \[bu] 2-Matcher lines beginning with \f[CR]& !\f[R] (\f[I]since 1.41\f[R], or-\f[CR]&& !\f[R], \f[I]since 1.42\f[R]) are first negated and then-AND\[aq]ed with the matcher above.-.PP-You can also combine multiple matchers one the same line separated by-\f[CR]&&\f[R] (AND) or \f[CR]&& !\f[R] (AND NOT).-Eg \f[CR]%description amazon && %date 2025\-01\-01\f[R] will match only-when the description field contains \[dq]amazon\[dq] and the date field-contains \[dq]2025\-01\-01\[dq].-\f[I]Added in 1.42.\f[R]-.SS Match groups-\f[I]Added in 1.32\f[R]-.PP-Matchers can define match groups: parenthesised portions of the regular-expression which are available for reference in field assignments.-Groups are enclosed in regular parentheses (\f[CR](\f[R] and-\f[CR])\f[R]) and can be nested.-Each group is available in field assignments using the token-\f[CR]\[rs]N\f[R], where N is an index into the match groups for this-conditional block (e.g.-\f[CR]\[rs]1\f[R], \f[CR]\[rs]2\f[R], etc.).-.PP-Example: Warp credit card payment postings to the beginning of the-billing period (Month start), to match how they are presented in-statements, using posting dates:-.IP-.EX-if %date (....\-..)\-..-  comment2 date:\[rs]1\-01-.EE-.PP-Another example: Read the expense account from the CSV field, but throw-away a prefix:-.IP-.EX-if %account1 liabilities:family:(expenses:.*)-    account1 \[rs]1-.EE-.SS \f[CR]if\f[R] table-\[dq]if tables\[dq] are an alternative to if blocks; they can express-many matchers and field assignments in a more compact tabular format,-like this:-.IP-.EX-if,HLEDGERFIELD1,HLEDGERFIELD2,...-MATCHERA,VALUE1,VALUE2,...-MATCHERB && MATCHERC,VALUE1,VALUE2,...  (*since 1.42*)-; Comment line that explains MATCHERD-MATCHERD,VALUE1,VALUE2,...-<empty line>-.EE-.PP-The first character after \f[CR]if\f[R] is taken to be this if-table\[aq]s field separator.-It is unrelated to the separator used in the CSV file.-It should be a non\-alphanumeric character like \f[CR],\f[R] or-\f[CR]|\f[R] that does not appear anywhere else in the table (it should-not be used in field names or matchers or values, and it cannot be-escaped with a backslash).-.PP-Each line must contain the same number of separators; empty values are-allowed.-Whitespace can be used in the matcher lines for readability (but not in-the if line, currently).-You can use the comment lines in the table body.-The table must be terminated by an empty line (or end of file).-.PP-An if table like the above is interpreted as follows: try all of the-lines with matchers; whenever a line with matchers succeeds, assign all-of the values on that line to the corresponding hledger fields; If-multiple lines match, later lines will override fields assigned by the-earlier ones \- just like the sequence of \f[CR]if\f[R] blocks would-behave.-.PP-If table presented above is equivalent to this sequence of if blocks:-.IP-.EX-if MATCHERA-  HLEDGERFIELD1 VALUE1-  HLEDGERFIELD2 VALUE2-  ...--if MATCHERB && MATCHERC-  HLEDGERFIELD1 VALUE1-  HLEDGERFIELD2 VALUE2-  ...--; Comment line which explains MATCHERD-if MATCHERD-  HLEDGERFIELD1 VALUE1-  HLEDGERFIELD2 VALUE2-  ...-.EE-.PP-Example:-.IP-.EX-if,account2,comment-atm transaction fee,expenses:business:banking,deductible? check it-%description groceries,expenses:groceries,-;; Comment line that desribes why this particular date is special-2023/01/12.*Plumbing LLC,expenses:house:upkeep,emergency plumbing call\-out-.EE-.SS \f[CR]balance\-type\f[R]-Balance assertions generated by assigning to balanceN are of the simple-\f[CR]=\f[R] type by default, which is a single\-commodity,-subaccount\-excluding assertion.-You may find the subaccount\-including variants more useful, eg if you-have created some virtual subaccounts of checking to help with-budgeting.-You can select a different type of assertion with the-\f[CR]balance\-type\f[R] rule:-.IP-.EX-# balance assertions will consider all commodities and all subaccounts-balance\-type ==*-.EE-.PP-Here are the balance assertion types for quick reference:-.IP-.EX-=    single commodity, exclude subaccounts-=*   single commodity, include subaccounts-==   multi commodity,  exclude subaccounts-==*  multi commodity,  include subaccounts-.EE-.SS \f[CR]include\f[R]-.IP-.EX-include RULESFILE-.EE-.PP-This includes the contents of another CSV rules file at this point.-\f[CR]RULESFILE\f[R] is an absolute file path or a path relative to the-current file\[aq]s directory.-This can be useful for sharing common rules between several rules files,-eg:-.IP-.EX-# someaccount.csv.rules--## someaccount\-specific rules-fields   date,description,amount-account1 assets:someaccount-account2 expenses:misc--## common rules-include categorisation.rules-.EE-.SS Working with CSV-Some tips:-.SS Rapid feedback-It\[aq]s a good idea to get rapid feedback while-creating/troubleshooting CSV rules.-Here\[aq]s a good way, using entr from eradman.com/entrproject:-.IP-.EX-$ ls foo.csv* | entr bash \-c \[aq]echo \-\-\-\-; hledger \-f foo.csv print desc:SOMEDESC\[aq]-.EE-.PP-A desc: query (eg) is used to select just one, or a few, transactions of-interest.-\[dq]bash \-c\[dq] is used to run multiple commands, so we can echo a-separator each time the command re\-runs, making it easier to read the-output.-.SS Valid CSV-Note that hledger will only accept valid CSV conforming to RFC 4180, and-equivalent SSV and TSV formats (like RFC 4180 but with semicolon or tab-as separators).-This means, eg:-.IP \[bu] 2-Values may be enclosed in double quotes, or not.-Enclosing in single quotes is not allowed.-(Eg \f[CR]\[aq]A\[aq],\[aq]B\[aq]\f[R] is rejected.)-.IP \[bu] 2-When values are enclosed in double quotes, spaces outside the quotes are-not allowed.-(Eg \f[CR]\[dq]A\[dq], \[dq]B\[dq]\f[R] is rejected.)-.IP \[bu] 2-When values are not enclosed in quotes, they may not contain double-quotes.-(Eg \f[CR]A\[dq]A, B\f[R] is rejected.)-.PP-If your CSV/SSV/TSV is not valid in this sense, you\[aq]ll need to-transform it before reading with hledger.-Try using sed, or a more permissive CSV parser like python\[aq]s csv-lib.-.SS File Extension-To help hledger choose the CSV file reader and show the right error-messages (and choose the right field separator character by default),-it\[aq]s best if CSV/SSV/TSV files are named with a \f[CR].csv\f[R],-\f[CR].ssv\f[R] or \f[CR].tsv\f[R] filename extension.-(More about this at Data formats.)-.PP-When reading files with the \[dq]wrong\[dq] extension, you can ensure-the CSV reader (and the default field separator) by prefixing the file-path with \f[CR]csv:\f[R], \f[CR]ssv:\f[R] or \f[CR]tsv:\f[R]: Eg:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f ssv:foo.dat print-.EE-.PP-You can also override the default field separator with a separator rule-if needed.-.SS Reading CSV from standard input-You\[aq]ll need the file format prefix when reading CSV from stdin also,-since hledger assumes journal format by default.-Eg:-.IP-.EX-$ cat foo.dat | hledger \-f ssv:\- print-.EE-.SS Reading multiple CSV files-If you use multiple \f[CR]\-f\f[R] options to read multiple CSV files at-once, hledger will look for a correspondingly\-named rules file for each-CSV file.-But if you specify a rules file with \f[CR]\-\-rules\f[R], that rules-file will be used for all the CSV files.-.SS Reading files specified by rule-Instead of specifying a CSV file in the command line, you can specify a-rules file, as in \f[CR]hledger \-f foo.csv.rules CMD\f[R].-By default this will read data from foo.csv in the same directory, but-you can add a source rule to specify a different data file, perhaps-located in your web browser\[aq]s download directory.-.PP-This feature was added in hledger 1.30, so you won\[aq]t see it in most-CSV rules examples.-But it helps remove some of the busywork of managing CSV downloads.-Most of your financial institutions\[aq]s default CSV filenames are-different and can be recognised by a glob pattern.-So you can put a rule like \f[CR]source Checking1*.csv\f[R] in-foo\-checking.csv.rules, and then periodically follow a workflow like:-.IP "1." 3-Download CSV from Foo\[aq]s website, using your browser\[aq]s defaults-.IP "2." 3-Run \f[CR]hledger import foo\-checking.csv.rules\f[R] to import any new-transactions-.PP-After import, you can: discard the CSV, or leave it where it is for a-while, or move it into your archives, as you prefer.-If you do nothing, next time your browser will save something like-Checking1\-2.csv, and hledger will use that because of the \f[CR]*\f[R]-wild card and because it is the most recent.-.SS Valid transactions-After reading a CSV file, hledger post\-processes and validates the-generated journal entries as it would for a journal file \- balancing-them, applying balance assignments, and canonicalising amount styles.-Any errors at this stage will be reported in the usual way, displaying-the problem entry.-.PP-There is one exception: balance assertions, if you have generated them,-will not be checked, since normally these will work only when the CSV-data is part of the main journal.-If you do need to check balance assertions generated from CSV right-away, pipe into another hledger:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f file.csv print | hledger \-f\- print-.EE-.SS Deduplicating, importing-When you download a CSV file periodically, eg to get your latest bank-transactions, the new file may overlap with the old one, containing some-of the same records.-.PP-The import command will (a) detect the new transactions, and (b) append-just those transactions to your main journal.-It is idempotent, so you don\[aq]t have to remember how many times you-ran it or with which version of the CSV.-(It keeps state in a hidden \f[CR].latest.FILE.csv\f[R] file.)-This is the easiest way to import CSV data.-Eg:-.IP-.EX-# download the latest CSV files, then run this command.-# Note, no \-f flags needed here.-$ hledger import *.csv [\-\-dry]-.EE-.PP-This method works for most CSV files.-(Where records have a stable chronological order, and new records appear-only at the new end.)-.PP-A number of other tools and workflows, hledger\-specific and otherwise,-exist for converting, deduplicating, classifying and managing CSV data.-See:-.IP \[bu] 2-https://hledger.org/cookbook.html#setups\-and\-workflows-.IP \[bu] 2-https://plaintextaccounting.org \-> data import/conversion-.SS Regular expressions in CSV rules-Regular expressions in \f[CR]if\f[R] conditions (AKA matchers) are POSIX-extended regular expressions, that also support GNU word boundaries-(\f[CR]\[rs]b\f[R], \f[CR]\[rs]B\f[R], \f[CR]\[rs]<\f[R],-\f[CR]\[rs]>\f[R]), and nothing else.-(For more detail, see Regular expressions.)-.PP-Here are some examples that might be useful in CSV rules:-.IP \[bu] 2-Is field \[dq]foo\[dq] truly empty ?-\f[CR]if %foo \[ha]$\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-Is it empty or containing only whitespace ?-\f[CR]if %foo \[ha] *$\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-Is it non\-empty ?-\f[CR]if %foo .\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-Does it contain non\-whitespace ?-\f[CR]if %foo [\[ha] ]\f[R]-.PP-Testing the value of numeric fields is a little harder.-You can\[aq]t use hledger queries like \f[CR]amt:0\f[R] or-\f[CR]amt:>10\f[R] in CSV rules.-But you can often achieve the same thing with a regular expression.-.PP-Note the content and layout of number fields in CSV varies, and can-change over time (eg if you switch data providers).-So numeric regexps are always somewhat specific to your particular CSV-data; and it\[aq]s a good idea to make them defensive and robust if you-can.-.PP-Here are some examples:-.IP \[bu] 2-Does foo contain a non\-zero number ?-\f[CR]if %foo [1\-9]\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-Is it negative ?-\f[CR]if %foo \-\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-Is it non\-negative ?-\f[CR]if ! %foo \-\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-Is it >= 10 ?-\f[CR]if %foo [1\-9][0\-9]+\[rs].\f[R] (assuming a decimal period and no-leading zeros)-.IP \[bu] 2-Is it >= 10 and < 20 ?-\f[CR]if %foo \[rs]b1[0\-9]\[rs].\f[R]-.SS Setting amounts-Continuing from amount field above, here are more tips for-amount\-setting:-.IP "1." 3-\f[B]If the amount is in a single CSV field:\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-.RS 4-.IP "a." 3-\f[B]If its sign indicates direction of flow:\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Assign it to \f[CR]amountN\f[R], to set the Nth posting\[aq]s amount.-N is usually 1 or 2 but can go up to 99.-.IP "b." 3-\f[B]If another field indicates direction of flow:\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Use one or more conditional rules to set the appropriate amount sign.-Eg:-.IP-.EX-# assume a withdrawal unless Type contains \[dq]deposit\[dq]:-amount1  \-%Amount-if %Type deposit-  amount1  %Amount-.EE-.RE-.IP "2." 3-\f[B]If the amount is in two CSV fields (such as Debit and Credit, or In-and Out):\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-.RS 4-.IP "a." 3-\f[B]If both fields are unsigned:\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Assign one field to \f[CR]amountN\-in\f[R] and the other to-\f[CR]amountN\-out\f[R].-hledger will automatically negate the \[dq]out\[dq] field, and will use-whichever field value is non\-zero as posting N\[aq]s amount.-.IP "b." 3-\f[B]If either field is signed:\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-You will probably need to override hledger\[aq]s sign for one or the-other field, as in the following example:-.IP-.EX-# Negate the \-out value, but only if it is not empty:-fields date, description, amount1\-in, amount1\-out-if %amount1\-out [1\-9]- amount1\-out \-%amount1\-out-.EE-.IP "c." 3-\f[B]If both fields can contain a non\-zero value (or both can be-empty):\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-The \-in/\-out rules normally choose the value which is-non\-zero/non\-empty.-Some value pairs can be ambiguous, such as \f[CR]1\f[R] and-\f[CR]none\f[R].-For such cases, use conditional rules to help select the amount.-Eg, to handle the above you could select the value containing non\-zero-digits:-.IP-.EX-fields date, description, in, out-if %in [1\-9]- amount1 %in-if %out [1\-9]- amount1 %out-.EE-.RE-.IP "3." 3-\f[B]If you want posting 2\[aq]s amount converted to cost:\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Use the unnumbered \f[CR]amount\f[R] (or \f[CR]amount\-in\f[R] and-\f[CR]amount\-out\f[R]) syntax.-.IP "4." 3-\f[B]If the CSV has only balance amounts, not transaction amounts:\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Assign to \f[CR]balanceN\f[R], to set a balance assignment on the Nth-posting, causing the posting\[aq]s amount to be calculated-automatically.-\f[CR]balance\f[R] with no number is equivalent to \f[CR]balance1\f[R].-In this situation hledger is more likely to guess the wrong default-account name, so you may need to set that explicitly.-.SS Amount signs-There is some special handling making it easier to parse and to reverse-amount signs.-(This only works for whole amounts, not for cost amounts such as COST in-\f[CR]amount1  AMT \[at] COST\f[R]):-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[B]If an amount value begins with a plus sign:\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-that will be removed: \f[CR]+AMT\f[R] becomes \f[CR]AMT\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[B]If an amount value is parenthesised:\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-it will be de\-parenthesised and sign\-flipped: \f[CR](AMT)\f[R] becomes-\f[CR]\-AMT\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[B]If an amount value has two minus signs (or two sets of parentheses,-or a minus sign and parentheses):\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-they cancel out and will be removed: \f[CR]\-\-AMT\f[R] or-\f[CR]\-(AMT)\f[R] becomes \f[CR]AMT\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[B]If an amount value contains just a sign (or just a set of-parentheses):\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-that is removed, making it an empty value.-\f[CR]\[dq]+\[dq]\f[R] or \f[CR]\[dq]\-\[dq]\f[R] or-\f[CR]\[dq]()\[dq]\f[R] becomes \f[CR]\[dq]\[dq]\f[R].-.PP-It\[aq]s not possible (without preprocessing the CSV) to set an amount-to its absolute value, ie discard its sign.-.SS Setting currency/commodity-If the currency/commodity symbol is included in the CSV\[aq]s amount-field(s):-.IP-.EX-2023\-01\-01,foo,$123.00-.EE-.PP-you don\[aq]t have to do anything special for the commodity symbol, it-will be assigned as part of the amount.-Eg:-.IP-.EX-fields date,description,amount-.EE-.IP-.EX-2023\-01\-01 foo-    expenses:unknown         $123.00-    income:unknown          $\-123.00-.EE-.PP-If the currency is provided as a separate CSV field:-.IP-.EX-2023\-01\-01,foo,USD,123.00-.EE-.PP-You can assign that to the \f[CR]currency\f[R] pseudo\-field, which has-the special effect of prepending itself to every amount in the-transaction (on the left, with no separating space):-.IP-.EX-fields date,description,currency,amount-.EE-.IP-.EX-2023\-01\-01 foo-    expenses:unknown       USD123.00-    income:unknown        USD\-123.00-.EE-.PP-Or, you can use a field assignment to construct the amount yourself,-with more control.-Eg to put the symbol on the right, and separated by a space:-.IP-.EX-fields date,description,cur,amt-amount %amt %cur-.EE-.IP-.EX-2023\-01\-01 foo-    expenses:unknown        123.00 USD-    income:unknown         \-123.00 USD-.EE-.PP-Note we used a temporary field name (\f[CR]cur\f[R]) that is not-\f[CR]currency\f[R] \- that would trigger the prepending effect, which-we don\[aq]t want here.-.SS Amount decimal places-When you are reading CSV data, eg with a command like-\f[CR]hledger \-f foo.csv print\f[R], hledger will infer each-commodity\[aq]s decimal precision (and other commodity display styles)-from the amounts \- much as when reading a journal file without-\f[CR]commodity\f[R] directives (see the link).-.PP-Note, the commodity styles are not inferred from the numbers in the-original CSV data; rather, they are inferred from the amounts generated-by the CSV rules.-.PP-When you are importing CSV data with the \f[CR]import\f[R] command, eg-\f[CR]hledger import foo.csv\f[R], there\[aq]s another step:-\f[CR]import\f[R] tries to make the new entries conform to the-journal\[aq]s existing styles.-So for each commodity \- let\[aq]s say it\[aq]s EUR \- \f[CR]import\f[R]-will choose:-.IP "1." 3-the style declared for EUR by a \f[CR]commodity\f[R] directive in the-journal-.IP "2." 3-otherwise, the style inferred from EUR amounts in the journal-.IP "3." 3-otherwise, the style inferred from EUR amounts generated by the CSV-rules.-.PP-TLDR: if \f[CR]import\f[R] is not generating the precisions or styles-you want, add a \f[CR]commodity\f[R] directive to specify them.-.SS Referencing other fields-In field assignments, you can interpolate only CSV fields, not hledger-fields.-In the example below, there\[aq]s both a CSV field and a hledger field-named amount1, but %amount1 always means the CSV field, not the hledger-field:-.IP-.EX-# Name the third CSV field \[dq]amount1\[dq]-fields date,description,amount1--# Set hledger\[aq]s amount1 to the CSV amount1 field followed by USD-amount1 %amount1 USD--# Set comment to the CSV amount1 (not the amount1 assigned above)-comment %amount1-.EE-.PP-Here, since there\[aq]s no CSV amount1 field, %amount1 will produce a-literal \[dq]amount1\[dq]:-.IP-.EX-fields date,description,csvamount-amount1 %csvamount USD-# Can\[aq]t interpolate amount1 here-comment %amount1-.EE-.PP-When there are multiple field assignments to the same hledger field,-only the last one takes effect.-Here, comment\[aq]s value will be be B, or C if \[dq]something\[dq] is-matched, but never A:-.IP-.EX-comment A-comment B-if something- comment C-.EE-.SS How CSV rules are evaluated-Here\[aq]s how to think of CSV rules being evaluated.-If you get a confusing error while reading a CSV file, it may help to-try to understand which of these steps is failing:-.IP "1." 3-Any included rules files are inlined, from top to bottom, depth first-(scanning each included file for further includes, recursively, before-proceeding).-.IP "2." 3-Top level rules (\f[CR]date\-format\f[R], \f[CR]fields\f[R],-\f[CR]newest\-first\f[R], \f[CR]skip\f[R] etc) are read, top to bottom.-\[dq]Top level rules\[dq] means non\-conditional rules.-If a rule occurs more than once, the last one wins; except for-\f[CR]skip\f[R]/\f[CR]end\f[R] rules, where the first one wins.-.IP "3." 3-The CSV file is read as text.-Any non\-ascii characters will be decoded using the text encoding-specified by the \f[CR]encoding\f[R] rule, otherwise the system-locale\[aq]s text encoding.-.IP "4." 3-Any top\-level skip or end rule is applied.-\f[CR]skip [N]\f[R] immediately skips the current or next N CSV records;-\f[CR]end\f[R] immediately skips all remaining CSV records (not normally-used at top level).-.IP "5." 3-Now any remaining CSV records are processed.-For each CSV record, in file order:-.RS 4-.IP \[bu] 2-Is there a conditional skip/end rule that applies for this record ?-Search the \f[CR]if\f[R] blocks, from top to bottom, for a succeeding-one containing a \f[CR]skip\f[R] or \f[CR]end\f[R] rule.-If found, skip the specified number of CSV records, then continue at 5.-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Otherwise...-.IP \[bu] 2-Do some basic validation on this CSV record (eg, check that it has at-least two fields).-.IP \[bu] 2-For each hledger field (\f[CR]date\f[R], \f[CR]description\f[R],-\f[CR]account1\f[R], etc.):-.RS 2-.IP "1." 3-Get the field\[aq]s assigned value, first searching top level-assignments, made directly or by the \f[CR]fields\f[R] rule, then-assignments made inside succeeding \f[CR]if\f[R] blocks.-If there are more than one, the last one wins.-.IP "2." 3-Compute the field\[aq]s actual value (as text), by interpolating any-%CSVFIELD references within the assigned value; or by choosing a default-value if there was no assignment.-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-Generate a hledger transaction from the hledger field values, parsing-them if needed (eg from text to an amount).-.RE-.PP-This is all done by the CSV reader, one of several readers hledger can-use to read transactions from an input file.-When all input files have been read successfully, their transactions are-passed to whichever hledger command the user specified.-.SS Well factored rules-Some things than can help reduce duplication and complexity in rules-files:-.IP \[bu] 2-Extracting common rules usable with multiple CSV files into a-\f[CR]common.rules\f[R], and adding \f[CR]include common.rules\f[R] to-each CSV\[aq]s rules file.-.IP \[bu] 2-Splitting if blocks into smaller if blocks, extracting the frequently-used parts.-.SS CSV rules examples-.SS Bank of Ireland-Here\[aq]s a CSV with two amount fields (Debit and Credit), and a-balance field, which we can use to add balance assertions, which is not-necessary but provides extra error checking:-.IP-.EX-Date,Details,Debit,Credit,Balance-07/12/2012,LODGMENT       529898,,10.0,131.21-07/12/2012,PAYMENT,5,,126-.EE-.IP-.EX-# bankofireland\-checking.csv.rules--# skip the header line-skip--# name the csv fields, and assign some of them as journal entry fields-fields  date, description, amount\-out, amount\-in, balance--# We generate balance assertions by assigning to \[dq]balance\[dq]-# above, but you may sometimes need to remove these because:-#-# \- the CSV balance differs from the true balance,-#   by up to 0.0000000000005 in my experience-#-# \- it is sometimes calculated based on non\-chronological ordering,-#   eg when multiple transactions clear on the same day--# date is in UK/Ireland format-date\-format  %d/%m/%Y--# set the currency-currency  EUR--# set the base account for all txns-account1  assets:bank:boi:checking-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f bankofireland\-checking.csv print-2012\-12\-07 LODGMENT       529898-    assets:bank:boi:checking         EUR10.0 = EUR131.2-    income:unknown                  EUR\-10.0--2012\-12\-07 PAYMENT-    assets:bank:boi:checking         EUR\-5.0 = EUR126.0-    expenses:unknown                  EUR5.0-.EE-.PP-The balance assertions don\[aq]t raise an error above, because we\[aq]re-reading directly from CSV, but they will be checked if these entries are-imported into a journal file.-.SS Coinbase-A simple example with some CSV from Coinbase.-The spot price is recorded using cost notation.-The legacy \f[CR]amount\f[R] field name conveniently sets amount 2-(posting 2\[aq]s amount) to the total cost.-.IP-.EX-# Timestamp,Transaction Type,Asset,Quantity Transacted,Spot Price Currency,Spot Price at Transaction,Subtotal,Total (inclusive of fees and/or spread),Fees and/or Spread,Notes-# 2021\-12\-30T06:57:59Z,Receive,USDC,100,GBP,0.740000,\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]Received 100.00 USDC from an external account\[dq]-.EE-.IP-.EX-# coinbase.csv.rules-skip         1-fields       Timestamp,Transaction_Type,Asset,Quantity_Transacted,Spot_Price_Currency,Spot_Price_at_Transaction,Subtotal,Total,Fees_Spread,Notes-date         %Timestamp-date\-format  %Y\-%m\-%dT%T%Z-description  %Notes-account1     assets:coinbase:cc-amount       %Quantity_Transacted %Asset \[at] %Spot_Price_at_Transaction %Spot_Price_Currency-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger print \-f coinbase.csv-2021\-12\-30 Received 100.00 USDC from an external account-    assets:coinbase:cc    100 USDC \[at] 0.740000 GBP-    income:unknown                 \-74.000000 GBP-.EE-.SS Amazon-Here we convert amazon.com order history, and use an if block to-generate a third posting if there\[aq]s a fee.-(In practice you\[aq]d probably get this data from your bank instead,-but it\[aq]s an example.)-.IP-.EX-\[dq]Date\[dq],\[dq]Type\[dq],\[dq]To/From\[dq],\[dq]Name\[dq],\[dq]Status\[dq],\[dq]Amount\[dq],\[dq]Fees\[dq],\[dq]Transaction ID\[dq]-\[dq]Jul 29, 2012\[dq],\[dq]Payment\[dq],\[dq]To\[dq],\[dq]Foo.\[dq],\[dq]Completed\[dq],\[dq]$20.00\[dq],\[dq]$0.00\[dq],\[dq]16000000000000DGLNJPI1P9B8DKPVHL\[dq]-\[dq]Jul 30, 2012\[dq],\[dq]Payment\[dq],\[dq]To\[dq],\[dq]Adapteva, Inc.\[dq],\[dq]Completed\[dq],\[dq]$25.00\[dq],\[dq]$1.00\[dq],\[dq]17LA58JSKRD4HDGLNJPI1P9B8DKPVHL\[dq]-.EE-.IP-.EX-# amazon\-orders.csv.rules--# skip one header line-skip 1--# name the csv fields, and assign the transaction\[aq]s date, amount and code.-# Avoided the \[dq]status\[dq] and \[dq]amount\[dq] hledger field names to prevent confusion.-fields date, _, toorfrom, name, amzstatus, amzamount, fees, code--# how to parse the date-date\-format %b %\-d, %Y--# combine two fields to make the description-description %toorfrom %name--# save the status as a tag-comment     status:%amzstatus--# set the base account for all transactions-account1    assets:amazon-# leave amount1 blank so it can balance the other(s).-# I\[aq]m assuming amzamount excludes the fees, don\[aq]t remember--# set a generic account2-account2    expenses:misc-amount2     %amzamount-# and maybe refine it further:-#include categorisation.rules--# add a third posting for fees, but only if they are non\-zero.-if %fees [1\-9]- account3    expenses:fees- amount3     %fees-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f amazon\-orders.csv print-2012\-07\-29 (16000000000000DGLNJPI1P9B8DKPVHL) To Foo.  ; status:Completed-    assets:amazon-    expenses:misc          $20.00--2012\-07\-30 (17LA58JSKRD4HDGLNJPI1P9B8DKPVHL) To Adapteva, Inc.  ; status:Completed-    assets:amazon-    expenses:misc          $25.00-    expenses:fees           $1.00-.EE-.SS Paypal-Here\[aq]s a real\-world rules file for (customised) Paypal CSV, with-some Paypal\-specific rules, and a second rules file included:-.IP-.EX-\[dq]Date\[dq],\[dq]Time\[dq],\[dq]TimeZone\[dq],\[dq]Name\[dq],\[dq]Type\[dq],\[dq]Status\[dq],\[dq]Currency\[dq],\[dq]Gross\[dq],\[dq]Fee\[dq],\[dq]Net\[dq],\[dq]From Email Address\[dq],\[dq]To Email Address\[dq],\[dq]Transaction ID\[dq],\[dq]Item Title\[dq],\[dq]Item ID\[dq],\[dq]Reference Txn ID\[dq],\[dq]Receipt ID\[dq],\[dq]Balance\[dq],\[dq]Note\[dq]-\[dq]10/01/2019\[dq],\[dq]03:46:20\[dq],\[dq]PDT\[dq],\[dq]Calm Radio\[dq],\[dq]Subscription Payment\[dq],\[dq]Completed\[dq],\[dq]USD\[dq],\[dq]\-6.99\[dq],\[dq]0.00\[dq],\[dq]\-6.99\[dq],\[dq]simon\[at]joyful.com\[dq],\[dq]memberships\[at]calmradio.com\[dq],\[dq]60P57143A8206782E\[dq],\[dq]MONTHLY \- $1 for the first 2 Months: Me \- Order 99309. Item total: $1.00 USD first 2 months, then $6.99 / Month\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]I\-R8YLY094FJYR\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\-6.99\[dq],\[dq]\[dq]-\[dq]10/01/2019\[dq],\[dq]03:46:20\[dq],\[dq]PDT\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]Bank Deposit to PP Account \[dq],\[dq]Pending\[dq],\[dq]USD\[dq],\[dq]6.99\[dq],\[dq]0.00\[dq],\[dq]6.99\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]simon\[at]joyful.com\[dq],\[dq]0TU1544T080463733\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]60P57143A8206782E\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]0.00\[dq],\[dq]\[dq]-\[dq]10/01/2019\[dq],\[dq]08:57:01\[dq],\[dq]PDT\[dq],\[dq]Patreon\[dq],\[dq]PreApproved Payment Bill User Payment\[dq],\[dq]Completed\[dq],\[dq]USD\[dq],\[dq]\-7.00\[dq],\[dq]0.00\[dq],\[dq]\-7.00\[dq],\[dq]simon\[at]joyful.com\[dq],\[dq]support\[at]patreon.com\[dq],\[dq]2722394R5F586712G\[dq],\[dq]Patreon* Membership\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]B\-0PG93074E7M86381M\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\-7.00\[dq],\[dq]\[dq]-\[dq]10/01/2019\[dq],\[dq]08:57:01\[dq],\[dq]PDT\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]Bank Deposit to PP Account \[dq],\[dq]Pending\[dq],\[dq]USD\[dq],\[dq]7.00\[dq],\[dq]0.00\[dq],\[dq]7.00\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]simon\[at]joyful.com\[dq],\[dq]71854087RG994194F\[dq],\[dq]Patreon* Membership\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]2722394R5F586712G\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]0.00\[dq],\[dq]\[dq]-\[dq]10/19/2019\[dq],\[dq]03:02:12\[dq],\[dq]PDT\[dq],\[dq]Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.\[dq],\[dq]Subscription Payment\[dq],\[dq]Completed\[dq],\[dq]USD\[dq],\[dq]\-2.00\[dq],\[dq]0.00\[dq],\[dq]\-2.00\[dq],\[dq]simon\[at]joyful.com\[dq],\[dq]tle\[at]wikimedia.org\[dq],\[dq]K9U43044RY432050M\[dq],\[dq]Monthly donation to the Wikimedia Foundation\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]I\-R5C3YUS3285L\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\-2.00\[dq],\[dq]\[dq]-\[dq]10/19/2019\[dq],\[dq]03:02:12\[dq],\[dq]PDT\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]Bank Deposit to PP Account \[dq],\[dq]Pending\[dq],\[dq]USD\[dq],\[dq]2.00\[dq],\[dq]0.00\[dq],\[dq]2.00\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]simon\[at]joyful.com\[dq],\[dq]3XJ107139A851061F\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]K9U43044RY432050M\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]0.00\[dq],\[dq]\[dq]-\[dq]10/22/2019\[dq],\[dq]05:07:06\[dq],\[dq]PDT\[dq],\[dq]Noble Benefactor\[dq],\[dq]Subscription Payment\[dq],\[dq]Completed\[dq],\[dq]USD\[dq],\[dq]10.00\[dq],\[dq]\-0.59\[dq],\[dq]9.41\[dq],\[dq]noble\[at]bene.fac.tor\[dq],\[dq]simon\[at]joyful.com\[dq],\[dq]6L8L1662YP1334033\[dq],\[dq]Joyful Systems\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]I\-KC9VBGY2GWDB\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]9.41\[dq],\[dq]\[dq]-.EE-.IP-.EX-# paypal\-custom.csv.rules--# Tips:-# Export from Activity \-> Statements \-> Custom \-> Activity download-# Suggested transaction type: \[dq]Balance affecting\[dq]-# Paypal\[aq]s default fields in 2018 were:-# \[dq]Date\[dq],\[dq]Time\[dq],\[dq]TimeZone\[dq],\[dq]Name\[dq],\[dq]Type\[dq],\[dq]Status\[dq],\[dq]Currency\[dq],\[dq]Gross\[dq],\[dq]Fee\[dq],\[dq]Net\[dq],\[dq]From Email Address\[dq],\[dq]To Email Address\[dq],\[dq]Transaction ID\[dq],\[dq]Shipping Address\[dq],\[dq]Address Status\[dq],\[dq]Item Title\[dq],\[dq]Item ID\[dq],\[dq]Shipping and Handling Amount\[dq],\[dq]Insurance Amount\[dq],\[dq]Sales Tax\[dq],\[dq]Option 1 Name\[dq],\[dq]Option 1 Value\[dq],\[dq]Option 2 Name\[dq],\[dq]Option 2 Value\[dq],\[dq]Reference Txn ID\[dq],\[dq]Invoice Number\[dq],\[dq]Custom Number\[dq],\[dq]Quantity\[dq],\[dq]Receipt ID\[dq],\[dq]Balance\[dq],\[dq]Address Line 1\[dq],\[dq]Address Line 2/District/Neighborhood\[dq],\[dq]Town/City\[dq],\[dq]State/Province/Region/County/Territory/Prefecture/Republic\[dq],\[dq]Zip/Postal Code\[dq],\[dq]Country\[dq],\[dq]Contact Phone Number\[dq],\[dq]Subject\[dq],\[dq]Note\[dq],\[dq]Country Code\[dq],\[dq]Balance Impact\[dq]-# This rules file assumes the following more detailed fields, configured in \[dq]Customize report fields\[dq]:-# \[dq]Date\[dq],\[dq]Time\[dq],\[dq]TimeZone\[dq],\[dq]Name\[dq],\[dq]Type\[dq],\[dq]Status\[dq],\[dq]Currency\[dq],\[dq]Gross\[dq],\[dq]Fee\[dq],\[dq]Net\[dq],\[dq]From Email Address\[dq],\[dq]To Email Address\[dq],\[dq]Transaction ID\[dq],\[dq]Item Title\[dq],\[dq]Item ID\[dq],\[dq]Reference Txn ID\[dq],\[dq]Receipt ID\[dq],\[dq]Balance\[dq],\[dq]Note\[dq]--fields date, time, timezone, description_, type, status_, currency, grossamount, feeamount, netamount, fromemail, toemail, code, itemtitle, itemid, referencetxnid, receiptid, balance, note--skip  1--date\-format  %\-m/%\-d/%Y--# ignore some paypal events-if-In Progress-Temporary Hold-Update to- skip--# add more fields to the description-description %description_ %itemtitle--# save some other fields as tags-comment  itemid:%itemid, fromemail:%fromemail, toemail:%toemail, time:%time, type:%type, status:%status_--# convert to short currency symbols-if %currency USD- currency $-if %currency EUR- currency E-if %currency GBP- currency P--# generate postings--# the first posting will be the money leaving/entering my paypal account-# (negative means leaving my account, in all amount fields)-account1 assets:online:paypal-amount1  %netamount--# the second posting will be money sent to/received from other party-# (account2 is set below)-amount2  \-%grossamount--# if there\[aq]s a fee, add a third posting for the money taken by paypal.-if %feeamount [1\-9]- account3 expenses:banking:paypal- amount3  \-%feeamount- comment3 business:--# choose an account for the second posting--# override the default account names:-# if the amount is positive, it\[aq]s income (a debit)-if %grossamount \[ha][\[ha]\-]- account2 income:unknown-# if negative, it\[aq]s an expense (a credit)-if %grossamount \[ha]\-- account2 expenses:unknown--# apply common rules for setting account2 & other tweaks-include common.rules--# apply some overrides specific to this csv--# Transfers from/to bank. These are usually marked Pending,-# which can be disregarded in this case.-if-Bank Account-Bank Deposit to PP Account- description %type for %referencetxnid %itemtitle- account2 assets:bank:wf:pchecking- account1 assets:online:paypal--# Currency conversions-if Currency Conversion- account2 equity:currency conversion-.EE-.IP-.EX-# common.rules--if-darcs-noble benefactor- account2 revenues:foss donations:darcshub- comment2 business:--if-Calm Radio- account2 expenses:online:apps--if-electronic frontier foundation-Patreon-wikimedia-Advent of Code- account2 expenses:dues--if Google- account2 expenses:online:apps- description google | music-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f paypal\-custom.csv  print-2019\-10\-01 (60P57143A8206782E) Calm Radio MONTHLY \- $1 for the first 2 Months: Me \- Order 99309. Item total: $1.00 USD first 2 months, then $6.99 / Month  ; itemid:, fromemail:simon\[at]joyful.com, toemail:memberships\[at]calmradio.com, time:03:46:20, type:Subscription Payment, status:Completed-    assets:online:paypal          $\-6.99 = $\-6.99-    expenses:online:apps           $6.99--2019\-10\-01 (0TU1544T080463733) Bank Deposit to PP Account for 60P57143A8206782E  ; itemid:, fromemail:, toemail:simon\[at]joyful.com, time:03:46:20, type:Bank Deposit to PP Account, status:Pending-    assets:online:paypal               $6.99 = $0.00-    assets:bank:wf:pchecking          $\-6.99--2019\-10\-01 (2722394R5F586712G) Patreon Patreon* Membership  ; itemid:, fromemail:simon\[at]joyful.com, toemail:support\[at]patreon.com, time:08:57:01, type:PreApproved Payment Bill User Payment, status:Completed-    assets:online:paypal          $\-7.00 = $\-7.00-    expenses:dues                  $7.00--2019\-10\-01 (71854087RG994194F) Bank Deposit to PP Account for 2722394R5F586712G Patreon* Membership  ; itemid:, fromemail:, toemail:simon\[at]joyful.com, time:08:57:01, type:Bank Deposit to PP Account, status:Pending-    assets:online:paypal               $7.00 = $0.00-    assets:bank:wf:pchecking          $\-7.00--2019\-10\-19 (K9U43044RY432050M) Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Monthly donation to the Wikimedia Foundation  ; itemid:, fromemail:simon\[at]joyful.com, toemail:tle\[at]wikimedia.org, time:03:02:12, type:Subscription Payment, status:Completed-    assets:online:paypal             $\-2.00 = $\-2.00-    expenses:dues                     $2.00-    expenses:banking:paypal      ; business:--2019\-10\-19 (3XJ107139A851061F) Bank Deposit to PP Account for K9U43044RY432050M  ; itemid:, fromemail:, toemail:simon\[at]joyful.com, time:03:02:12, type:Bank Deposit to PP Account, status:Pending-    assets:online:paypal               $2.00 = $0.00-    assets:bank:wf:pchecking          $\-2.00--2019\-10\-22 (6L8L1662YP1334033) Noble Benefactor Joyful Systems  ; itemid:, fromemail:noble\[at]bene.fac.tor, toemail:simon\[at]joyful.com, time:05:07:06, type:Subscription Payment, status:Completed-    assets:online:paypal                       $9.41 = $9.41-    revenues:foss donations:darcshub         $\-10.00  ; business:-    expenses:banking:paypal                    $0.59  ; business:-.EE-.PP-.SH Timeclock-hledger can read time logs in the timeclock time logging format of-timeclock.el.-As with Ledger, hledger\[aq]s timeclock format is a subset/variant of-timeclock.el\[aq]s.-.PP-hledger\[aq]s timeclock format was updated in hledger 1.43 and 1.50.-If your old time logs are rejected, you should adapt them to modern-hledger; for now, you can restore the pre\-1.43 behaviour with the-\f[CR]\-\-old\-timeclock\f[R] flag.-.PP-Here the timeclock format in hledger 1.50+:-.IP-.EX-# Comment lines like these, and blank lines, are ignored:-# comment line-; comment line-* comment line--# Lines beginning with b, h, or capital O are also ignored, for compatibility:-b SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+\-ZZZZ][ TEXT]-h SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+\-ZZZZ][ TEXT]-O SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+\-ZZZZ][ TEXT]--# Lines beginning with i or o are are clock\-in / clock\-out entries:-i SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+\-ZZZZ] ACCOUNT[  DESCRIPTION][;COMMENT]]-o SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+\-ZZZZ][ ACCOUNT][;COMMENT]-.EE-.PP-The date is a hledger simple date (YYYY\-MM\-DD or similar).-The time parts must use two digits.-The seconds are optional.-A + or \- four\-digit time zone is accepted for compatibility, but-currently ignored; times are always interpreted as a local time.-.PP-In clock\-in entries (\f[CR]i\f[R]), the account name is required.-A transaction description, separated from the account name by 2+ spaces,-is optional.-A transaction comment, beginning with \f[CR];\f[R], is also optional.-(Indented following comment lines are also allowed, as in journal-format.)-.PP-In clock\-out entries (\f[CR]o\f[R]) have no description, but can have a-comment if you wish.-A clock\-in and clock\-out pair form a \[dq]transaction\[dq] posting-some number of hours to an account \- also known as a session.-Eg:-.IP-.EX-i 2015/03/30 09:00:00 session1-o 2015/03/30 10:00:00-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f a.timeclock print-2015\-03\-30 * 09:00\-10:00-    (session1)           1.00h-.EE-.PP-Clock\-ins and clock\-outs are matched by their account/session name.-If a clock\-out does not specify a name, the most recent unclosed-clock\-in is closed.-You can have multiple sessions active simultaneously.-Entries are processed in the order they are parsed.-Sessions spanning more than one day are automatically split at day-boundaries.-.PP-Eg, the following time log:-.IP-.EX-i 2015/03/30 09:00:00 some account  optional description after 2 spaces ; optional comment, tags:-o 2015/03/30 09:20:00-i 2015/03/31 22:21:45 another:account-o 2015/04/01 02:00:34-i 2015/04/02 12:00:00 another:account  ; this demonstrates multple sessions being clocked in-i 2015/04/02 13:00:00 some account-o 2015/04/02 14:00:00-o 2015/04/02 15:00:00 another:account-.EE-.PP-generates these transactions:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f t.timeclock print-2015\-03\-30 * optional description after 2 spaces   ; optional comment, tags:-    (some account)           0.33h--2015\-03\-31 * 22:21\-23:59-    (another:account)           1.64h--2015\-04\-01 * 00:00\-02:00-    (another:account)           2.01h--2015\-04\-02 * 12:00\-15:00  ; this demonstrates multiple sessions being clocked in-    (another:account)           3.00h--2015\-04\-02 * 13:00\-14:00-    (some account)           1.00h-.EE-.PP-Here is a sample.timeclock to download and some queries to try:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f sample.timeclock balance                               # current time balances-$ hledger \-f sample.timeclock register \-p 2009/3                    # sessions in march 2009-$ hledger \-f sample.timeclock register \-p weekly \-\-depth 1 \-\-empty  # time summary by week-.EE-.PP-To generate time logs, ie to clock in and clock out, you could:-.IP \[bu] 2-use these shell aliases at the command line:-.RS 2-.IP-.EX-alias ti=\[aq]echo i \[ga]date \[dq]+%Y\-%m\-%d %H:%M:%S\[dq]\[ga] $* >>$TIMELOG\[aq]-alias to=\[aq]echo o \[ga]date \[dq]+%Y\-%m\-%d %H:%M:%S\[dq]\[ga] >>$TIMELOG\[aq]-.EE-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-or Emacs\[aq]s built\-in timeclock.el, or the extended timeclock\-x.el,-and perhaps the extras in ledgerutils.el-.IP \[bu] 2-or use the old \f[CR]ti\f[R] and \f[CR]to\f[R] scripts in the ledger 2.x-repository.-These rely on a \[dq]timeclock\[dq] executable which I think is just the-ledger 2 executable renamed.-.PP-.SH Timedot-\f[CR]timedot\f[R] format is hledger\[aq]s human\-friendly time logging-format.-Compared to \f[CR]timeclock\f[R] format, it is more convenient for-quick, approximate, and retroactive time logging, and more-human\-readable (you can see at a glance where time was spent).-A quick example:-.IP-.EX-2023\-05\-01-hom:errands          .... ....  ; two hours; the space is ignored-fos:hledger:timedot  ..         ; half an hour-per:admin:finance               ; no time spent yet-.EE-.PP-hledger reads this as a transaction on this day with three (unbalanced)-postings, where each dot represents \[dq]0.25\[dq].-No commodity symbol is assumed, but we typically interpret it as hours.-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f a.timedot print   # .timedot file extension (or timedot: prefix) is required-2023\-05\-01 *-    (hom:errands)                    2.00  ; two hours-    (fos:hledger:timedot)            0.50  ; half an hour-    (per:admin:finance)                 0-.EE-.PP-A timedot file contains a series of transactions (usually one per day).-Each begins with a \f[B]simple date\f[R] (Y\-M\-D, Y/M/D, or Y.M.D),-optionally be followed on the same line by a transaction description,-and/or a transaction comment following a semicolon.-.PP-After the date line are zero or more time postings, consisting of:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[B]An account name\f[R] \- any hledger\-style account name, optionally-indented.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[B]Two or more spaces\f[R] \- required if there is an amount (as in-journal format).-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[B]A timedot amount\f[R], which can be-.RS 2-.IP \[bu] 2-empty (representing zero)-.IP \[bu] 2-a number, optionally followed by a unit \f[CR]s\f[R], \f[CR]m\f[R],-\f[CR]h\f[R], \f[CR]d\f[R], \f[CR]w\f[R], \f[CR]mo\f[R], or-\f[CR]y\f[R], representing a precise number of seconds, minutes, hours,-days weeks, months or years (hours is assumed by default), which will be-converted to hours according to 60s = 1m, 60m = 1h, 24h = 1d, 7d = 1w,-30d = 1mo, 365d = 1y.-.IP \[bu] 2-one or more dots (period characters), each representing 0.25.-These are the dots in \[dq]timedot\[dq].-Spaces are ignored and can be used for grouping/alignment.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[I]Added in 1.32\f[R] one or more letters.-These are like dots but they also generate a tag \f[CR]t:\f[R] (short-for \[dq]type\[dq]) with the letter as its value, and a separate posting-for each of the values.-This provides a second dimension of categorisation, viewable in reports-with \f[CR]\-\-pivot t\f[R].-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[B]An optional comment\f[R] following a semicolon (a hledger\-style-posting comment).-.PP-There is some flexibility to help with keeping time log data and notes-in the same file:-.IP \[bu] 2-Blank lines and lines beginning with \f[CR]#\f[R] or \f[CR];\f[R] are-ignored.-.IP \[bu] 2-After the first date line, lines which do not contain a double space are-parsed as postings with zero amount.-(hledger\[aq]s register reports will show these if you add \-E).-.IP \[bu] 2-Before the first date line, lines beginning with \f[CR]*\f[R] (eg org-headings) are ignored.-And from the first date line onward, Emacs org mode heading prefixes at-the start of lines (one or more \f[CR]*\f[R]\[aq]s followed by a space)-will be ignored.-This means the time log can also be a org outline.-.PP-Timedot files don\[aq]t support directives like journal files.-So a common pattern is to have a main journal file (eg-\f[CR]time.journal\f[R]) that contains any needed directives, and then-includes the timedot file (\f[CR]include time.timedot\f[R]).-.SS Timedot examples-Numbers:-.IP-.EX-2016/2/3-inc:client1   4-fos:hledger   3h-biz:research  60m-.EE-.PP-Dots:-.IP-.EX-# on this day, 6h was spent on client work, 1.5h on haskell FOSS work, etc.-2016/2/1-inc:client1   .... .... .... .... .... ....-fos:haskell   .... ..-biz:research  .--2016/2/2-inc:client1   .... ....-biz:research  .-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f a.timedot print date:2016/2/2-2016\-02\-02 *-    (inc:client1)          2.00--2016\-02\-02 *-    (biz:research)          0.25-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f a.timedot bal \-\-daily \-\-tree-Balance changes in 2016\-02\-01\-2016\-02\-03:--            ||  2016\-02\-01d  2016\-02\-02d  2016\-02\-03d -============++========================================- biz        ||         0.25         0.25         1.00 -   research ||         0.25         0.25         1.00 - fos        ||         1.50            0         3.00 -   haskell  ||         1.50            0            0 -   hledger  ||            0            0         3.00 - inc        ||         6.00         2.00         4.00 -   client1  ||         6.00         2.00         4.00 -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--            ||         7.75         2.25         8.00 -.EE-.PP-Letters:-.IP-.EX-# Activity types:-#  c cleanup/catchup/repair-#  e enhancement-#  s support-#  l learning/research--2023\-11\-01-work:adm  ccecces-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f a.timedot print-2023\-11\-01-    (work:adm)  1     ; t:c-    (work:adm)  0.5   ; t:e-    (work:adm)  0.25  ; t:s-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f a.timedot bal-                1.75  work:adm-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--                1.75  -.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f a.timedot bal \-\-pivot t-                1.00  c-                0.50  e-                0.25  s-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--                1.75  -.EE-.PP-Org:-.IP-.EX-* 2023 Work Diary-** Q1-*** 2023\-02\-29-**** DONE-0700 yoga-**** UNPLANNED-**** BEGUN-hom:chores- cleaning  ...- water plants-  outdoor \- one full watering can-  indoor \- light watering-**** TODO-adm:planning: trip-*** LATER-.EE-.PP-Using \f[CR].\f[R] as account name separator:-.IP-.EX-2016/2/4-fos.hledger.timedot  4h-fos.ledger           ..-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f a.timedot \-\-alias \[aq]/\[rs]./=:\[aq] bal \-t-                4.50  fos-                4.00    hledger:timedot-                0.50    ledger-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--                4.50-.EE-.SH PART 3: REPORTING CONCEPTS-.SH Time periods-.SS Report start & end date-Most hledger reports will by default show the full time period-represented by the journal.-The report start date will be the earliest transaction or posting date,-and the report end date will be the latest transaction, posting, or-market price date.-.PP-Often you will want to see a shorter period, such as the current month.-You can specify a start and/or end date with the-\f[CR]\-b/\-\-begin\f[R], \f[CR]\-e/\-\-end\f[R], or-\f[CR]\-p/\-\-period\f[R] options, or a \f[CR]date:\f[R] query argument,-described below.-All of these accept the smart date syntax, also described below.-.PP-End dates are exclusive; specify the day after the last day you want to-see in the report.-.PP-When dates are specified by multiple options, the last (right\-most)-option wins.-And when \f[CR]date:\f[R] queries and date options are combined, the-report period will be their intersection.-.PP-Examples:-.TP-\f[CR]\-b 2016/3/17\f[R]-beginning on St.-Patrick\[cq]s day 2016-.TP-\f[CR]\-e 12/1\f[R]-ending at the start of December 1st in the current year-.TP-\f[CR]\-p \[aq]this month\[aq]\f[R]-during the current month-.TP-\f[CR]\-p thismonth\f[R]-same as above, spaces are optional-.TP-\f[CR]\-b 2023\f[R]-beginning on the first day of 2023-.TP-\f[CR]date:2023..\f[R] or \f[CR]date:2023\-\f[R]-same as above-.PP-\f[CR]\-b 2024 \-e 2025 \-p \[aq]2000 to 2030\[aq] date:2020\-01 date:2020\f[R]-:-.PD 0-.P-.PD-during January 2020 (the smallest common period, with the \-p overriding-\-b and \-e)-.SS Smart dates-In hledger\[aq]s user interfaces (though not in the journal file), you-can optionally use \[dq]smart date\[dq] syntax.-Smart dates can be written with english words, can be relative, and can-have parts omitted.-Missing parts are inferred as 1, when needed.-Smart dates can be interpreted as dates or periods depending on the-context.-.PP-Examples:-.PP-\f[CR]2004\-01\-01\f[R], \f[CR]2004/10/1\f[R], \f[CR]2004.9.1\f[R],-\f[CR]20240504\f[R], \f[CR]2024Q1\f[R] :-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Exact dates.-The year must have at least four digits, the month must be 1\-12, the-day must be 1\-31, the separator can be \f[CR]\-\f[R] or \f[CR]/\f[R] or-\f[CR].\f[R] or nothing.-The q can be upper or lower case and the quarter number must be 1\-4.-.TP-\f[CR]2004\-10\f[R]-start of month-.TP-\f[CR]2004q3\f[R]-start of third quarter of 2004-.TP-\f[CR]q3\f[R]-start of third quarter of current year-.TP-\f[CR]2004\f[R]-start of year-.TP-\f[CR]10/1\f[R] or \f[CR]oct\f[R] or \f[CR]october\f[R]-October 1st in current year-.TP-\f[CR]21\f[R]-21st day in current month-.TP-\f[CR]yesterday, today, tomorrow\f[R]-\-1, 0, 1 days from today-.TP-\f[CR]last/this/next day/week/month/quarter/year\f[R]-\-1, 0, 1 periods from the current period-.TP-\f[CR]in n days/weeks/months/quarters/years\f[R]-n periods from the current period-.TP-\f[CR]n days/weeks/months/quarters/years ahead\f[R]-n periods from the current period-.TP-\f[CR]n days/weeks/months/quarters/years ago\f[R]-\-n periods from the current period-.TP-\f[CR]20181201\f[R]-8 digit YYYYMMDD with valid year month and day-.TP-\f[CR]201812\f[R]-6 digit YYYYMM with valid year and month-.PP-Dates with no separators are allowed but might give surprising results-if mistyped:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]20181301\f[R] (YYYYMMDD with an invalid month) is parsed as an-eight\-digit year-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]20181232\f[R] (YYYYMMDD with an invalid day) gives a parse error-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]201801012\f[R] (a valid YYYYMMDD followed by additional digits)-gives a parse error-.PP-The meaning of relative dates depends on today\[aq]s date.-If you need to test or reproduce old reports, you can use the-\f[CR]\-\-today\f[R] option to override that.-(Except for periodic transaction rules, which are not affected by-\f[CR]\-\-today\f[R].)-.SS Report intervals-A report interval can be specified so that reports like register,-balance or activity become multi\-period, showing each subperiod as a-separate row or column.-.PP-The following standard intervals can be enabled with command\-line-flags:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-D/\-\-daily\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-W/\-\-weekly\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-M/\-\-monthly\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-Q/\-\-quarterly\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-Y/\-\-yearly\f[R]-.PP-More complex intervals can be specified using \f[CR]\-p/\-\-period\f[R],-described below.-.SS Date adjustments-.SS Start date adjustment-If you let hledger infer a report\[aq]s start date, it will adjust the-date to the previous natural boundary of the report interval, for-convenient periodic reports.-(If you don\[aq]t want that, specify a start date.)-.PP-For example, if the journal\[aq]s first transaction is on january 10th,-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]hledger register\f[R] (no report interval) will start the report-on january 10th.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]hledger register \-\-monthly\f[R] will start the report on the-previous month boundary, january 1st.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]hledger register \-\-monthly \-\-begin 1/5\f[R] will start the-report on january 5th [1].-.PP-Also if you are generating transactions or budget goals with periodic-transaction rules, their start date may be adjusted in a similar way (in-certain situations).-.SS End date adjustment-A report\[aq]s end date is always adjusted to include a whole number of-intervals, so that the last subperiod has the same length as the others.-.PP-For example, if the journal\[aq]s last transaction is on february 20th,-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]hledger register\f[R] will end the report on february 20th.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]hledger register \-\-monthly\f[R] will end the report at the end-of february.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]hledger register \-\-monthly \-\-end 2/14\f[R] also will end the-report at the end of february (overriding the requested end date).-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]hledger register \-\-monthly \-\-begin 1/5 \-\-end 2/14\f[R] will-end the report on march 4th [1].-.PP-[1] Since hledger 1.29.-.SS Period headings-With non\-standard subperiods, hledger will show-\[dq]STARTDATE..ENDDATE\[dq] headings.-With standard subperiods (ie, starting on a natural interval boundary),-you\[aq]ll see more compact headings, which are usually preferable.-(Though month names will be in english, currently.)-.PP-So if you are specifying a start date and you want compact headings:-choose a start of year for yearly reports, a start of quarter for-quarterly reports, a start of month for monthly reports, etc.-(Remember, you can write eg \f[CR]\-b 2024\f[R] or \f[CR]1/1\f[R] as a-shortcut for a start of year, or \f[CR]2024\-04\f[R] or-\f[CR]202404\f[R] or \f[CR]Apr\f[R] for a start of month or quarter.)-.PP-For weekly reports, choose a date that\[aq]s a Monday.-(You can try different dates until you see the short headings, or write-eg \f[CR]\-b \[aq]3 weeks ago\[aq]\f[R].)-.SS Period expressions-The \f[CR]\-p/\-\-period\f[R] option specifies a period expression,-which is a compact way of expressing a start date, end date, and/or-report interval.-.PP-Here\[aq]s a period expression with a start and end date (specifying the-first quarter of 2009):-.PP-.TS-tab(@);-l.-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]from 2009/1/1 to 2009/4/1\[dq]\f[R]-T}-.TE-.PP-Several keywords like \[dq]from\[dq] and \[dq]to\[dq] are supported for-readability; these are optional.-\[dq]to\[dq] can also be written as \[dq]..\[dq] or \[dq]\-\[dq].-The spaces are also optional, as long as you don\[aq]t run two dates-together.-So the following are equivalent to the above:-.PP-.TS-tab(@);-l.-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]2009/1/1 2009/4/1\[dq]\f[R]-T}-T{-\f[CR]\-p2009/1/1to2009/4/1\f[R]-T}-T{-\f[CR]\-p2009/1/1..2009/4/1\f[R]-T}-.TE-.PP-Dates are smart dates, so if the current year is 2009, these are also-equivalent to the above:-.PP-.TS-tab(@);-l.-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]1/1 4/1\[dq]\f[R]-T}-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]jan\-apr\[dq]\f[R]-T}-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]this year to 4/1\[dq]\f[R]-T}-.TE-.PP-If you specify only one date, the missing start or end date will be the-earliest or latest transaction date in the journal:-.PP-.TS-tab(@);-l l.-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]from 2009/1/1\[dq]\f[R]-T}@T{-everything after january 1, 2009-T}-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]since 2009/1\[dq]\f[R]-T}@T{-the same, since is a synonym-T}-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]from 2009\[dq]\f[R]-T}@T{-the same-T}-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]to 2009\[dq]\f[R]-T}@T{-everything before january 1, 2009-T}-.TE-.PP-You can also specify a period by writing a single partial or full date:-.PP-.TS-tab(@);-lw(14.5n) lw(55.5n).-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]2009\[dq]\f[R]-T}@T{-the year 2009; equivalent to \[lq]2009/1/1 to 2010/1/1\[rq]-T}-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]2009/1\[dq]\f[R]-T}@T{-the month of january 2009; equivalent to \[lq]2009/1/1 to 2009/2/1\[rq]-T}-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]2009/1/1\[dq]\f[R]-T}@T{-the first day of 2009; equivalent to \[lq]2009/1/1 to 2009/1/2\[rq]-T}-.TE-.PP-or by using the \[dq]Q\[dq] quarter\-year syntax (case insensitive):-.PP-.TS-tab(@);-lw(15.3n) lw(54.7n).-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]2009Q1\[dq]\f[R]-T}@T{-first quarter of 2009, equivalent to \[lq]2009/1/1 to 2009/4/1\[rq]-T}-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]q4\[dq]\f[R]-T}@T{-fourth quarter of the current year-T}-.TE-.SS Period expressions with a report interval-A period expression can also begin with a report interval, separated-from the start/end dates (if any) by a space or the word \f[CR]in\f[R]:-.PP-.TS-tab(@);-l.-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]weekly from 2009/1/1 to 2009/4/1\[dq]\f[R]-T}-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]monthly in 2008\[dq]\f[R]-T}-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]quarterly\[dq]\f[R]-T}-.TE-.SS More complex report intervals-Some more complex intervals can be specified within period expressions,-such as:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]biweekly\f[R] (every two weeks)-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]fortnightly\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]bimonthly\f[R] (every two months)-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]every day|week|month|quarter|year\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]every N days|weeks|months|quarters|years\f[R]-.PP-Weekly on a custom day:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]every Nth day of week\f[R] (\f[CR]th\f[R], \f[CR]nd\f[R],-\f[CR]rd\f[R], or \f[CR]st\f[R] are all accepted after the number)-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]every WEEKDAYNAME\f[R] (full or three\-letter english weekday-name, case insensitive)-.PP-Monthly on a custom day:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]every Nth day [of month]\f[R] (\f[CR]31st day\f[R] will be-adjusted to each month\[aq]s last day)-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]every Nth WEEKDAYNAME [of month]\f[R]-.PP-Yearly on a custom month and day:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]every MM/DD [of year]\f[R] (month number and day of month number)-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]every MONTHNAME DDth [of year]\f[R] (full or three\-letter english-month name, case insensitive, and day of month number)-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]every DDth MONTHNAME [of year]\f[R] (equivalent to the above)-.PP-Examples:-.PP-.TS-tab(@);-lw(26.8n) lw(43.2n).-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]bimonthly from 2008\[dq]\f[R]-T}@T{-T}-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]every 2 weeks\[dq]\f[R]-T}@T{-T}-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]every 5 months from 2009/03\[dq]\f[R]-T}@T{-T}-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]every 2nd day of week\[dq]\f[R]-T}@T{-periods will go from Tue to Tue-T}-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]every Tue\[dq]\f[R]-T}@T{-same-T}-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]every 15th day\[dq]\f[R]-T}@T{-period boundaries will be on 15th of each month-T}-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]every 2nd Monday\[dq]\f[R]-T}@T{-period boundaries will be on second Monday of each month-T}-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]every 11/05\[dq]\f[R]-T}@T{-yearly periods with boundaries on 5th of November-T}-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]every 5th November\[dq]\f[R]-T}@T{-same-T}-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]every Nov 5th\[dq]\f[R]-T}@T{-same-T}-.TE-.PP-Show historical balances at end of the 15th day of each month (N is an-end date, exclusive as always):-.IP-.EX-$ hledger balance \-H \-p \[dq]every 16th day\[dq]-.EE-.PP-Group postings from the start of wednesday to end of the following-tuesday (N is both (inclusive) start date and (exclusive) end date):-.IP-.EX-$ hledger register checking \-p \[dq]every 3rd day of week\[dq]-.EE-.SS Multiple weekday intervals-This special form is also supported:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]every WEEKDAYNAME,WEEKDAYNAME,...\f[R] (full or three\-letter-english weekday names, case insensitive)-.PP-Also, \f[CR]weekday\f[R] and \f[CR]weekendday\f[R] are shorthand for-\f[CR]mon,tue,wed,thu,fri\f[R] and \f[CR]sat,sun\f[R].-.PP-This is mainly intended for use with \f[CR]\-\-forecast\f[R], to-generate periodic transactions on arbitrary days of the week.-It may be less useful with \f[CR]\-p\f[R], since it divides each week-into subperiods of unequal length, which is unusual.-(Related: #1632)-.PP-Examples:-.PP-.TS-tab(@);-lw(17.8n) lw(52.2n).-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]every mon,wed,fri\[dq]\f[R]-T}@T{-dates will be Mon, Wed, Fri; periods will be Mon\-Tue, Wed\-Thu,-Fri\-Sun-T}-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]every weekday\[dq]\f[R]-T}@T{-dates will be Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri; periods will be Mon, Tue, Wed,-Thu, Fri\-Sun-T}-T{-\f[CR]\-p \[dq]every weekendday\[dq]\f[R]-T}@T{-dates will be Sat, Sun; periods will be Sat, Sun\-Fri-T}-.TE-.SH Depth-With the \f[CR]\-\-depth NUM\f[R] option (short form, usually preferred:-\f[CR]\-NUM\f[R]), reports will show accounts only to the specified-depth, hiding deeper subaccounts.-Use this when you want a summary with less detail.-This flag has the same effect as a \f[CR]depth:\f[R] query argument.-So all of these are equivalent: \f[CR]depth:2\f[R],-\f[CR]\-\-depth=2\f[R], \f[CR]\-2\f[R].-.PP-You can also provide custom depths for specific accounts, by providing a-\f[CR]REGEX=NUM\f[R] argument instead of just \f[CR]NUM\f[R] \f[I](since-1.41)\f[R].-For example, \f[CR]\-\-depth assets=2\f[R] (or-\f[CR]depth:assets=2\f[R]) will collapse accounts matching the regular-expression \[dq]assets\[dq] to depth 2.-So \f[CR]assets:bank:savings\f[R] would be collapsed to-\f[CR]assets:bank\f[R], but \f[CR]liabilities:bank:credit card\f[R]-would not be affected.-.PP-If REGEX contains spaces or other special characters, enclose it in-quotes in the usual way.-Eg: \f[CR]\-\-depth \[aq]credit card=2\[aq]\f[R]-.SS Combining depth options-If a command line contains multiple general depth options, the last one-wins.-(Useful for overriding a depth specified by scripts.)-.PP-Or a command may contain a combination of general and custom depth-options.-In this case, the most specifically (deepest) matching option wins.-Some examples:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-depth assets=3 \-\-depth expenses=2 \-\-depth 1\f[R] would-collapse accounts containing \[dq]assets\[dq] to depth 3, accounts-containing \[dq]expenses\[dq] to depth 2, and all other accounts to-depth 1.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-depth assets=1 \-\-depth savings=2\f[R] would collapse-\f[CR]assets:bank:savings\f[R] to depth 2 (not depth 1; because-\[dq]savings\[dq] matches a deeper part of the account name than-\[dq]assets\[dq]).-.PP-Note currently, to override a custom depth option-\f[CR]\-\-depth REGEX=NUM\f[R] with a later option, the later option-must use the same REGEX.-.SH Queries-Many hledger commands accept query arguments, which restrict their scope-and let you report on a precise subset of your data.-Here\[aq]s a quick overview of hledger\[aq]s queries:-.IP \[bu] 2-By default, a query argument is treated as a case\-insensitive substring-pattern for matching account names.-Eg:-.RS 2-.PP-\f[CR]dining groceries\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-\f[CR]car:fuel\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-Patterns containing spaces or other special characters must be enclosed-in single or double quotes:-.RS 2-.PP-\f[CR]\[aq]personal care\[aq]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-Patterns are actually regular expressions, so you can add regexp-metacharacters for more precision (or you may need to backslash\-escape-certain characters; see \[dq]Regular expressions\[dq] above):-.RS 2-.PP-\f[CR]\[aq]\[ha]expenses\[rs]b\[aq]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-\f[CR]\[aq]food$\[aq]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-\f[CR]\[aq]fuel|repair\[aq]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-\f[CR]\[aq]accounts (payable|receivable)\[aq]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-To match something other than the account name, you can add a query type-prefix, such as:-.RS 2-.PP-\f[CR]date:202312\-\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-\f[CR]status:\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-\f[CR]desc:amazon\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-\f[CR]cur:USD\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-\f[CR]cur:\[rs]\[rs]$\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-\f[CR]amt:\[aq]>0\[aq]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-\f[CR]acct:groceries\f[R] (but \f[CR]acct:\f[R] is the default, so we-usually don\[aq]t bother writing it)-.PD 0-.P-.PD-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-To negate a query, add a \f[CR]not:\f[R] prefix:-.RS 2-.PP-\f[CR]not:status:\[aq]*\[aq]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-\f[CR]not:desc:\[aq]opening|closing\[aq]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-\f[CR]not:cur:USD\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-Multiple query terms can be combined, as space\-separated queries Eg:-\f[CR]hledger print date:2022 desc:amazon desc:amzn\f[R] (show-transactions dated in 2022 whose description contains \[dq]amazon\[dq]-or \[dq]amzn\[dq]).-.PD 0-.P-.PD-.IP \[bu] 2-Or more flexibly as boolean queries.-Eg:-\f[CR]hledger print expr:\[aq]date:2022 and (desc:amazon or desc:amzn) and not date:202210\[aq]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-.PP-All hledger commands use the same query language, but different commands-may interpret the query in different ways.-We haven\[aq]t described the commands yet (that\[aq]s coming in PART 4:-COMMANDS below) but here\[aq]s the gist of it:-.IP \[bu] 2-Transaction\-oriented commands (\f[CR]print\f[R], \f[CR]aregister\f[R],-\f[CR]close\f[R], \f[CR]import\f[R], \f[CR]descriptions\f[R]..)-try to match transactions (including the transaction\[aq]s postings).-.IP \[bu] 2-Posting\-oriented commands (\f[CR]register\f[R], \f[CR]balance\f[R],-\f[CR]balancesheet\f[R], \f[CR]incomestatement\f[R],-\f[CR]accounts\f[R]..)-try to match postings.-Postings inherit their transaction\[aq]s attributes for querying-purposes, so transaction fields like date or description can still be-referenced in a posting query.-.IP \[bu] 2-A few commands match in more specific ways.-(Eg \f[CR]aregister\f[R], which has a special first argument.)-.SS Query types-Here are the query types available:-.SS acct: query-\f[B]\f[CB]acct:REGEX\f[B]\f[R], or just \f[B]\f[CB]REGEX\f[B]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Match account names containing this case insensitive regular expression.-.PD 0-.P-.PD-This is the default query type, so we usually don\[aq]t bother writing-the \[dq]acct:\[dq] prefix.-.SS amt: query-\f[B]\f[CB]amt:N, amt:\[aq]<N\[aq], amt:\[aq]<=N\[aq], amt:\[aq]>N\[aq], amt:\[aq]>=N\[aq]\f[B]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Match postings with a single\-commodity amount equal to, less than, or-greater than N. (Postings with multi\-commodity amounts are not tested-and will always match.)-\f[CR]amt:\f[R] needs quotes to hide the less than/greater than sign-from the command line shell.-.PP-The comparison has two modes: if N is preceded by a + or \- sign (or is-0), the two signed numbers are compared.-Otherwise, the absolute magnitudes are compared, ignoring sign.-.PP-Keep in mind that \f[CR]amt:\f[R] matches posting amounts, not account-balances.-.SS code: query-\f[B]\f[CB]code:REGEX\f[B]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Match by transaction code (eg check number).-.SS cur: query-\f[B]\f[CB]cur:REGEX\f[B]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Match postings or transactions including any amounts whose-currency/commodity symbol is fully matched by REGEX.-(Contrary to hledger\[aq]s usual infix matching.-To do infix matching, write \f[CR].*REGEX.*\f[R].)-Note, to match special characters which are regex\-significant, you need-to escape them with \f[CR]\[rs]\f[R].-And for characters which are significant to your shell you will usually-need one more level of escaping.-Eg to match the dollar sign: \f[CR]cur:\[rs]\[rs]$\f[R] or-\f[CR]cur:\[aq]\[rs]$\[aq]\f[R]-.SS desc: query-\f[B]\f[CB]desc:REGEX\f[B]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Match transaction descriptions.-.SS date: query-\f[B]\f[CB]date:PERIODEXPR\f[B]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Match dates (or with the \f[CR]\-\-date2\f[R] flag, secondary dates)-within the specified period.-PERIODEXPR is a period expression with no report interval.-Examples:-.PD 0-.P-.PD-\f[CR]date:2016\f[R], \f[CR]date:thismonth\f[R],-\f[CR]date:2/1\-2/15\f[R], \f[CR]date:2021\-07\-27..nextquarter\f[R].-.SS date2: query-\f[B]\f[CB]date2:PERIODEXPR\f[B]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-If you use secondary dates: this matches secondary dates within the-specified period.-It is not affected by the \f[CR]\-\-date2\f[R] flag.-.SS depth: query-\f[B]\f[CB]depth:[REGEXP=]N\f[B]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Match (or display, depending on command) accounts at or above this-depth, optionally only for accounts matching a provided regular-expression.-See Depth for detailed rules.-.SS note: query-\f[B]\f[CB]note:REGEX\f[B]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Match transaction notes (the part of the description right of-\f[CR]|\f[R], or the whole description if there\[aq]s no \f[CR]|\f[R]).-.SS payee: query-\f[B]\f[CB]payee:REGEX\f[B]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Match transaction payee/payer names (the part of the description left of-\f[CR]|\f[R], or the whole description if there\[aq]s no \f[CR]|\f[R]).-.SS real: query-\f[B]\f[CB]real:, real:0\f[B]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Match real or virtual postings respectively.-.SS status: query-\f[B]\f[CB]status:, status:!, status:*\f[B]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Match unmarked, pending, or cleared transactions respectively.-.SS type: query-\f[B]\f[CB]type:TYPECODES\f[B]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Match by account type (see Declaring accounts > Account types).-\f[CR]TYPECODES\f[R] is one or more of the single\-letter account type-codes \f[CR]ALERXCV\f[R], case insensitive.-Note \f[CR]type:A\f[R] and \f[CR]type:E\f[R] will also match their-respective subtypes \f[CR]C\f[R] (Cash) and \f[CR]V\f[R] (Conversion).-Certain kinds of account alias can disrupt account types, see Rewriting-accounts > Aliases and account types.-.SS tag: query-\f[B]\f[CB]tag:NAMEREGEX[=VALREGEX]\f[B]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Match by tag name, and optionally also by tag value.-Note:-.IP \[bu] 2-Both regular expressions do infix matching.-If you need a complete match, use \f[CR]\[ha]\f[R] and \f[CR]$\f[R].-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Eg: \f[CR]tag:\[aq]\[ha]fullname$\[aq]\f[R],-\f[CR]tag:\[aq]\[ha]fullname$=\[ha]fullvalue$\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-To match values, ignoring names, do \f[CR]tag:.=VALREGEX\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-Accounts also inherit the tags of their parent accounts.-.IP \[bu] 2-Postings also inherit the tags of their account and their transaction .-.IP \[bu] 2-Transactions also acquire the tags of their postings.-.SS Negative queries-.SS not: query-\f[B]\f[CB]not:QUERY\f[B]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-You can prepend \f[B]\f[CB]not:\f[B]\f[R] to a query to negate the-match.-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Eg: \f[CR]not:equity\f[R], \f[CR]not:desc:apple\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-(Also, a trick: \f[CR]not:not:...\f[R] can sometimes solve query-problems conveniently.)-.SS Space\-separated queries-When given multiple space\-separated query terms, most commands select-things which match:-.IP \[bu] 2-any of the description terms AND-.IP \[bu] 2-any of the account terms AND-.IP \[bu] 2-any of the status terms AND-.IP \[bu] 2-all the other terms.-.PP-The print command is a little different, showing transactions which:-.IP \[bu] 2-match any of the description terms AND-.IP \[bu] 2-have any postings matching any of the positive account terms AND-.IP \[bu] 2-have no postings matching any of the negative account terms AND-.IP \[bu] 2-match all the other terms.-.SS Boolean queries-You can write more complicated \[dq]boolean\[dq] query expressions,-enclosed in quotes and prefixed with \f[CR]expr:\f[R].-These can combine subqueries with NOT, AND, OR operators (case-insensitive), and parentheses for grouping.-Eg, to show transactions involving both cash and expense accounts:-.IP-.EX-hledger print expr:\[aq]cash AND expenses\[aq]-.EE-.PP-The prefix and enclosing quotes are required, so don\[aq]t write-\f[CR]hledger print cash AND expenses\f[R].-That would be a space\-separated query showing transactions involving-accounts with any of \[dq]cash\[dq], \[dq]and\[dq], \[dq]expenses\[dq]-in their names.-.PP-You can write space\-separated queries \f[I]inside\f[R] a boolean query,-and they will combine as described above, but it might be confusing and-best avoided.-Eg these are equivalent, showing transactions involving cash or expenses-accounts:-.IP-.EX-hledger print expr:\[aq]cash expenses\[aq]-hledger print cash expenses-.EE-.PP-There is a restriction with \f[CR]date:\f[R] queries: they may not be-used inside OR expressions.-.PP-Actually, there are three types of boolean query: \f[CR]expr:\f[R] for-general use, and \f[CR]any:\f[R] and \f[CR]all:\f[R] variants which can-be useful with \f[CR]print\f[R].-.SS expr: query-\f[B]\f[CB]expr:\[aq]QUERYEXPR\[aq]\f[B]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-For example,-\f[CR]expr:\[aq]date:lastmonth AND NOT (food OR rent)\[aq]\f[R] means-\[dq]match things which are dated in the last month and do not have food-or rent in the account name\[dq].-.PP-When using \f[CR]expr:\f[R] with transaction\-oriented commands like-\f[CR]print\f[R], posting\-oriented query terms like \f[CR]acct:\f[R]-and \f[CR]amt:\f[R] are considered to match the transaction if they-match any of its postings.-.PD 0-.P-.PD-So, \f[CR]hledger print expr:\[aq]cash and amt:>0\[aq]\f[R] means-\[dq]show transactions with (at least one posting involving a cash-account) and (at least one posting with a positive amount)\[dq].-.SS any: query-\f[B]\f[CB]any:\[aq]QUERYEXPR\[aq]\f[B]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Like \f[CR]expr:\f[R], but when used with transaction\-oriented commands-like \f[CR]print\f[R], it matches the transaction only if a posting can-be matched by all of QUERYEXPR.-.PD 0-.P-.PD-So, \f[CR]hledger print any:\[aq]cash and amt:>0\[aq]\f[R] means-\[dq]show transactions where at least one posting posts a positive-amount to a cash account\[dq].-.SS all: query-\f[B]\f[CB]all:\[aq]QUERYEXPR\[aq]\f[B]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Like \f[CR]expr:\f[R], but when used with transaction\-oriented commands-like \f[CR]print\f[R], it matches the transaction only if all postings-are matched by all of QUERYEXPR (and there is at least one posting).-.PD 0-.P-.PD-So, \f[CR]hledger print all:\[aq]cash and amt:0\[aq]\f[R] means-\[dq]show transactions where all postings involve a cash account and-have a zero amount\[dq].-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Or, \f[CR]hledger print all:\[aq]cash or checking\[aq]\f[R] means-\[dq]show transactions which touch only cash and/or checking-accounts\[dq].-.SS Queries and command options-Some queries can also be expressed as command\-line options:-\f[CR]depth:2\f[R] is equivalent to \f[CR]\-\-depth 2\f[R],-\f[CR]date:2023\f[R] is equivalent to \f[CR]\-p 2023\f[R], etc.-When you mix command options and query arguments, generally the-resulting query is their intersection.-.SS Queries and account aliases-When account names are rewritten with \f[CR]\-\-alias\f[R] or-\f[CR]alias\f[R], \f[CR]acct:\f[R] will match either the old or the new-account name.-.SS Queries and valuation-When amounts are converted to other commodities in cost or value-reports, \f[CR]cur:\f[R] and \f[CR]amt:\f[R] match the old commodity-symbol and the old amount quantity, not the new ones.-(Except in hledger 1.22, #1625.)-.SH Pivoting-Normally, hledger groups amounts and displays their totals by account-(name).-With \f[CR]\-\-pivot PIVOTEXPR\f[R], some other field\[aq]s (or multiple-fields\[aq]) value is used as a synthetic account name, causing-different grouping and display.-PIVOTEXPR can be-.IP \[bu] 2-any of these standard transaction or posting fields (their value is-substituted): \f[CR]status\f[R], \f[CR]code\f[R], \f[CR]desc\f[R],-\f[CR]payee\f[R], \f[CR]note\f[R], \f[CR]acct\f[R],-\f[CR]comm\f[R]/\f[CR]cur\f[R], \f[CR]amt\f[R], \f[CR]cost\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-or a tag name-.IP \[bu] 2-or any combination of these, colon\-separated.-.PP-Some special cases:-.IP \[bu] 2-Colons appearing in PIVOTEXPR or in a pivoted tag value will generate-account hierarchy.-.IP \[bu] 2-When pivoting a posting that has multiple values for a tag, the-tag\[aq]s first value will be used as the pivoted value.-.IP \[bu] 2-When a posting has multiple commodities, the pivoted value of-\[dq]comm\[dq]/\[dq]cur\[dq] will be \[dq]\[dq].-Also when an unrecognised tag name or field is provided, its pivoted-value will be \[dq]\[dq].-(If this causes confusing output, consider excluding those postings from-the report.)-.PP-Examples:-.IP-.EX-2016/02/16 Yearly Dues Payment-    assets:bank account                 2 EUR-    income:dues                        \-2 EUR  ; member: John Doe, kind: Lifetime-.EE-.PP-Normal balance report showing account names:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger balance-               2 EUR  assets:bank account-              \-2 EUR  income:dues-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--                   0-.EE-.PP-Pivoted balance report, using member: tag values instead:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger balance \-\-pivot member-               2 EUR-              \-2 EUR  John Doe-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--                   0-.EE-.PP-One way to show only amounts with a member: value (using a query):-.IP-.EX-$ hledger balance \-\-pivot member tag:member=.-              \-2 EUR  John Doe-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--              \-2 EUR-.EE-.PP-Another way (the acct: query matches against the pivoted \[dq]account-name\[dq]):-.IP-.EX-$ hledger balance \-\-pivot member acct:.-              \-2 EUR  John Doe-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--              \-2 EUR-.EE-.PP-Hierarchical reports can be generated with multiple pivot values:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger balance Income:Dues \-\-pivot kind:member-              \-2 EUR  Lifetime:John Doe-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--              \-2 EUR-.EE-.SH Generating data-hledger can enrich the data provided to it, or generate new data, in a-number of ways.-Mostly, this is done only if you request it:-.IP \[bu] 2-Missing amounts or missing costs in transactions are inferred-automatically when possible.-.IP \[bu] 2-The \f[CR]\-\-infer\-equity\f[R] flag infers missing conversion equity-postings from \[at]/\[at]\[at] costs.-.IP \[bu] 2-The \f[CR]\-\-infer\-costs\f[R] flag infers missing costs from-conversion equity postings.-.IP \[bu] 2-The \f[CR]\-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R] flag infers \f[CR]P\f[R] price-directives from costs.-.IP \[bu] 2-The \f[CR]\-\-auto\f[R] flag adds extra postings to transactions matched-by auto posting rules.-.IP \[bu] 2-The \f[CR]\-\-forecast\f[R] option generates transactions from periodic-transaction rules.-.IP \[bu] 2-The \f[CR]balance \-\-budget\f[R] report infers budget goals from-periodic transaction rules.-.IP \[bu] 2-Commands like \f[CR]close\f[R], \f[CR]rewrite\f[R], and-\f[CR]hledger\-interest\f[R] generate transactions or postings.-.IP \[bu] 2-CSV data is converted to transactions by applying CSV conversion rules..-etc.-.PP-Such generated data is temporary, existing only at report time.-You can convert it to permanent recorded data by, eg, capturing the-output of \f[CR]hledger print\f[R] and saving it in your journal file.-This can sometimes be useful as a data entry aid.-.PP-If you are curious what data is being generated and why, run-\f[CR]hledger print \-x \-\-verbose\-tags\f[R].-\f[CR]\-x/\-\-explicit\f[R] shows inferred amounts and-\f[CR]\-\-verbose\-tags\f[R] adds tags like-\f[CR]generated\-transaction\f[R] (from periodic rules) and-\f[CR]generated\-posting\f[R], \f[CR]modified\f[R] (from auto posting-rules).-Similar hidden tags (with an underscore prefix) are always present,-also, so you can always match such data with queries like-\f[CR]tag:generated\f[R] or \f[CR]tag:modified\f[R].-.SH Forecasting-Forecasting, or speculative future reporting, can be useful for-estimating future balances, or for exploring different future scenarios.-.PP-The simplest and most flexible way to do it with hledger is to manually-record a bunch of future\-dated transactions.-You could keep these in a separate \f[CR]future.journal\f[R] and include-that with \f[CR]\-f\f[R] only when you want to see them.-.SS \-\-forecast-There is another way: with the \f[CR]\-\-forecast\f[R] option, hledger-can generate temporary \[dq]forecast transactions\[dq] for reporting-purposes, according to periodic transaction rules defined in the-journal.-Each rule can generate multiple recurring transactions, so by changing-one rule you can change many forecasted transactions.-.PP-Forecast transactions usually start after ordinary transactions end.-By default, they begin after your latest\-dated ordinary transaction, or-today, whichever is later, and they end six months from today.-(The exact rules are a little more complicated, and are given below.)-.PP-This is the \[dq]forecast period\[dq], which need not be the same as the-report period.-You can override it \- eg to forecast farther into the future, or to-force forecast transactions to overlap your ordinary transactions \- by-giving the \-\-forecast option a period expression argument, like-\f[CR]\-\-forecast=..2099\f[R] or-\f[CR]\-\-forecast=2023\-02\-15..\f[R].-Note that the \f[CR]=\f[R] is required.-.SS Inspecting forecast transactions-\f[CR]print\f[R] is the best command for inspecting and troubleshooting-forecast transactions.-Eg:-.IP-.EX-\[ti] monthly from 2022\-12\-20    rent-    assets:bank:checking-    expenses:rent           $1000-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger print \-\-forecast \-\-today=2023/4/21-2023\-05\-20 rent-    ; generated\-transaction: \[ti] monthly from 2022\-12\-20-    assets:bank:checking-    expenses:rent                  $1000--2023\-06\-20 rent-    ; generated\-transaction: \[ti] monthly from 2022\-12\-20-    assets:bank:checking-    expenses:rent                  $1000--2023\-07\-20 rent-    ; generated\-transaction: \[ti] monthly from 2022\-12\-20-    assets:bank:checking-    expenses:rent                  $1000--2023\-08\-20 rent-    ; generated\-transaction: \[ti] monthly from 2022\-12\-20-    assets:bank:checking-    expenses:rent                  $1000--2023\-09\-20 rent-    ; generated\-transaction: \[ti] monthly from 2022\-12\-20-    assets:bank:checking-    expenses:rent                  $1000-.EE-.PP-Here there are no ordinary transactions, so the forecasted transactions-begin on the first occurrence after today\[aq]s date.-(You won\[aq]t normally use \f[CR]\-\-today\f[R]; it\[aq]s just to make-these examples reproducible.)-.SS Forecast reports-Forecast transactions affect all reports, as you would expect.-Eg:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger areg rent \-\-forecast \-\-today=2023/4/21-Transactions in expenses:rent and subaccounts:-2023\-05\-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $1000-2023\-06\-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $2000-2023\-07\-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $3000-2023\-08\-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $4000-2023\-09\-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $5000-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger bal \-M expenses \-\-forecast \-\-today=2023/4/21-Balance changes in 2023\-05\-01..2023\-09\-30:--               ||   May    Jun    Jul    Aug    Sep -===============++===================================- expenses:rent || $1000  $1000  $1000  $1000  $1000 -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--               || $1000  $1000  $1000  $1000  $1000 -.EE-.SS Forecast tags-Forecast transactions generated by \-\-forecast have a hidden tag,-\f[CR]_generated\-transaction\f[R].-So if you ever need to match forecast transactions, you could use-\f[CR]tag:_generated\-transaction\f[R] (or just-\f[CR]tag:generated\f[R]) in a query.-.PP-For troubleshooting, you can add the \f[CR]\-\-verbose\-tags\f[R] flag.-Then, visible \f[CR]generated\-transaction\f[R] tags will be added also,-so you can view them with the \f[CR]print\f[R] command.-Their value indicates which periodic rule was responsible.-.SS Forecast period, in detail-Forecast start/end dates are chosen so as to do something useful by-default in almost all situations, while also being flexible.-Here are (with luck) the exact rules, to help with troubleshooting:-.PP-The forecast period starts on:-.IP \[bu] 2-the later of-.RS 2-.IP \[bu] 2-the start date in the periodic transaction rule-.IP \[bu] 2-the start date in \f[CR]\-\-forecast\f[R]\[aq]s argument-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-otherwise (if those are not available): the later of-.RS 2-.IP \[bu] 2-the report start date specified with-\f[CR]\-b\f[R]/\f[CR]\-p\f[R]/\f[CR]date:\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-the day after the latest ordinary transaction in the journal-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-otherwise (if none of these are available): today.-.PP-The forecast period ends on:-.IP \[bu] 2-the earlier of-.RS 2-.IP \[bu] 2-the end date in the periodic transaction rule-.IP \[bu] 2-the end date in \f[CR]\-\-forecast\f[R]\[aq]s argument-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-otherwise: the report end date specified with-\f[CR]\-e\f[R]/\f[CR]\-p\f[R]/\f[CR]date:\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-otherwise: 180 days (\[ti]6 months) from today.-.SS Forecast troubleshooting-When \-\-forecast is not doing what you expect, one of these tips should-help:-.IP \[bu] 2-Remember to use the \f[CR]\-\-forecast\f[R] option.-.IP \[bu] 2-Remember to have at least one periodic transaction rule in your journal.-.IP \[bu] 2-Test with \f[CR]print \-\-forecast\f[R].-.IP \[bu] 2-Check for typos or too\-restrictive start/end dates in your periodic-transaction rule.-.IP \[bu] 2-Leave at least 2 spaces between the rule\[aq]s period expression and-description fields.-.IP \[bu] 2-Check for future\-dated ordinary transactions suppressing forecasted-transactions.-.IP \[bu] 2-Try setting explicit report start and/or end dates with \f[CR]\-b\f[R],-\f[CR]\-e\f[R], \f[CR]\-p\f[R] or \f[CR]date:\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-Try adding the \f[CR]\-E\f[R] flag to encourage display of empty-periods/zero transactions.-.IP \[bu] 2-Try setting explicit forecast start and/or end dates with-\f[CR]\-\-forecast=START..END\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-Consult Forecast period, in detail, above.-.IP \[bu] 2-Check inside the engine: add \f[CR]\-\-debug=2\f[R] (eg).-.SH Budgeting-With the balance command\[aq]s \f[CR]\-\-budget\f[R] report, each-periodic transaction rule generates recurring budget goals in specified-accounts, and goals and actual performance can be compared.-See the balance command\[aq]s doc below.-.PP-You can generate budget goals and forecast transactions at the same-time, from the same or different periodic transaction rules:-\f[CR]hledger bal \-M \-\-budget \-\-forecast ...\f[R]-.PP-See also: Budgeting and Forecasting.-.SH Amount formatting-.SS Commodity display style-For the amounts in each commodity, hledger chooses a consistent display-style (symbol placement, decimal mark and digit group marks, number of-decimal digits) to use in most reports.-This is inferred as follows:-.PP-First, if there\[aq]s a \f[CR]D\f[R] directive declaring a default-commodity, that commodity symbol and amount format is applied to all-no\-symbol amounts in the journal.-.PP-Then each commodity\[aq]s display style is determined from its-\f[CR]commodity\f[R] directive.-We recommend always declaring commodities with \f[CR]commodity\f[R]-directives, since they help ensure consistent display styles and-precisions, and bring other benefits such as error checking for-commodity symbols.-Here\[aq]s an example:-.IP-.EX-# Set display styles (and decimal marks, for parsing, if there is no decimal\-mark directive)-# for the $, EUR, INR and no\-symbol commodities:-commodity $1,000.00-commodity EUR 1.000,00-commodity INR 9,99,99,999.00-commodity 1 000 000.9455-.EE-.PP-But for convenience, if a \f[CR]commodity\f[R] directive is not present,-hledger infers a commodity\[aq]s display styles from its amounts as they-are written in the journal (excluding cost amounts and amounts in-periodic transaction rules or auto posting rules).-It uses-.IP \[bu] 2-the symbol placement and decimal mark of the first amount seen-.IP \[bu] 2-the digit group marks of the first amount with digit group marks-.IP \[bu] 2-and the maximum number of decimal digits seen across all amounts.-.PP-And as fallback if no applicable amounts are found, it would use a-default style, like \f[CR]$1000.00\f[R] (symbol on the left with no-space, period as decimal mark, and two decimal digits).-.PP-Finally, commodity styles can be overridden by the-\f[CR]\-c/\-\-commodity\-style\f[R] command line option.-.SS Rounding-Amounts are stored internally as decimal numbers with up to 255 decimal-places.-They are displayed with their original journal precisions by print and-print\-like reports, and rounded to their display precision (the number-of decimal digits specified by the commodity display style) by other-reports.-When rounding, hledger uses banker\[aq]s rounding (it rounds to the-nearest even digit).-So eg 0.5 displayed with zero decimal digits appears as \[dq]0\[dq].-.SS Trailing decimal marks-If you\[aq]re wondering why your \f[CR]print\f[R] report sometimes shows-trailing decimal marks, with no decimal digits; it does this when-showing amounts that have digit group marks but no decimal digits, to-disambiguate them and allow them to be re\-parsed reliably (see Decimal-marks).-Eg:-.IP-.EX-commodity $1,000.00--2023\-01\-02-    (a)      $1000-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger print-2023\-01\-02-    (a)        $1,000.-.EE-.PP-If this is a problem (eg when exporting to Ledger), you can avoid it by-disabling digit group marks, eg with \-c/\-\-commodity (for each-affected commodity):-.IP-.EX-$ hledger print \-c \[aq]$1000.00\[aq]-2023\-01\-02-    (a)          $1000-.EE-.PP-or by forcing print to always show decimal digits, with \-\-round:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger print \-c \[aq]$1,000.00\[aq] \-\-round=soft-2023\-01\-02-    (a)      $1,000.00-.EE-.SS Amount parseability-More generally, hledger output falls into three rough categories, which-format amounts a little bit differently to suit different consumers:-.PP-\f[B]1.-\[dq]hledger\-readable output\[dq] \- should be readable by hledger (and-by humans)\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-This is produced by reports that show full journal entries:-\f[CR]print\f[R], \f[CR]import\f[R], \f[CR]close\f[R],-\f[CR]rewrite\f[R] etc.-.IP \[bu] 2-It shows amounts with their original journal precisions, which may not-be consistent from one amount to the next.-.IP \[bu] 2-It adds a trailing decimal mark when needed to avoid showing ambiguous-amounts.-.IP \[bu] 2-It can be parsed reliably (by hledger and ledger2beancount at least, but-perhaps not by Ledger..)-.PP-\f[B]2.-\[dq]human\-readable output\[dq] \- usually for humans\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-This is produced by all other reports.-.IP \[bu] 2-It shows amounts with standard display precisions, which will be-consistent within each commodity.-.IP \[bu] 2-It shows ambiguous amounts unmodified.-.IP \[bu] 2-It can be parsed reliably in the context of a known report (when you-know decimals are consistently not being shown, you can assume a single-mark is a digit group mark).-.PP-\f[B]3.-\[dq]machine\-readable output\[dq] \- usually for other software\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-This is produced by all reports when an output format like-\f[CR]csv\f[R], \f[CR]tsv\f[R], \f[CR]json\f[R], or \f[CR]sql\f[R] is-selected.-.IP \[bu] 2-It shows amounts as 1 or 2 do, but without digit group marks.-.IP \[bu] 2-It can be parsed reliably (if needed, the decimal mark can be changed-with \-c/\-\-commodity\-style).-.SH Cost reporting-In some transactions \- for example a currency conversion, or a purchase-or sale of stock \- one commodity is exchanged for another.-In these transactions there is a conversion rate, also called the cost-(when buying) or selling price (when selling).-(In hledger docs we just say \[dq]cost\[dq] generically for-convenience.)-With the \f[CR]\-B/\-\-cost\f[R] flag, hledger can show amounts \[dq]at-cost\[dq], converted to the cost\[aq]s commodity.-.SS Recording costs-We\[aq]ll explore several ways of recording transactions involving-costs.-These are also summarised at hledger Cookbook > Cost notation.-.PP-Costs can be recorded explicitly in the journal, using the-\f[CR]\[at] UNITCOST\f[R] or \f[CR]\[at]\[at] TOTALCOST\f[R] notation-described in Journal > Costs:-.PP-\f[B]Variant 1\f[R]-.IP-.EX-2022\-01\-01-  assets:dollars    $\-135-  assets:euros       €100 \[at] $1.35   ; $1.35 per euro (unit cost)-.EE-.PP-\f[B]Variant 2\f[R]-.IP-.EX-2022\-01\-01-  assets:dollars    $\-135-  assets:euros       €100 \[at]\[at] $135   ; $135 total cost-.EE-.PP-Typically, writing the unit cost (variant 1) is preferable; it can be-more effort, requiring more attention to decimal digits; but it reveals-the per\-unit cost basis, and makes stock sales easier.-.PP-Costs can also be left implicit, and hledger will infer the cost that is-consistent with a balanced transaction:-.PP-\f[B]Variant 3\f[R]-.IP-.EX-2022\-01\-01-  assets:dollars    $\-135-  assets:euros       €100-.EE-.PP-Here, hledger will attach a \f[CR]\[at]\[at] €100\f[R] cost to the first-amount (you can see it with \f[CR]hledger print \-x\f[R]).-This form looks convenient, but there are downsides:-.IP \[bu] 2-It sacrifices some error checking.-For example, if you accidentally wrote €10 instead of €100, hledger-would not be able to detect the mistake.-.IP \[bu] 2-It is sensitive to the order of postings \- if they were reversed, a-different entry would be inferred and reports would be different.-.IP \[bu] 2-The per\-unit cost basis is not easy to read.-.PP-So generally this kind of entry is not recommended.-You can make sure you have none of these by using \f[CR]\-s\f[R] (strict-mode), or by running \f[CR]hledger check balanced\f[R].-.SS Reporting at cost-Now when you add the \f[CR]\-B\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-cost\f[R] flag to reports-(\[dq]B\[dq] is from Ledger\[aq]s \-B/\-\-basis/\-\-cost flag), any-amounts which have been annotated with costs will be converted to their-cost\[aq]s commodity (in the report output).-Ie they will be displayed \[dq]at cost\[dq] or \[dq]at sale price\[dq].-.PP-Some things to note:-.IP \[bu] 2-Costs are attached to specific posting amounts in specific transactions,-and once recorded they do not change.-This contrasts with market prices, which are ambient and fluctuating.-.IP \[bu] 2-Conversion to cost is performed before conversion to market value-(described below).-.SS Equity conversion postings-There is a problem with the entries above \- they are not conventional-Double Entry Bookkeeping (DEB) notation, and because of the-\[dq]magical\[dq] transformation of one commodity into another, they-cause an imbalance in the Accounting Equation.-This shows up as a non\-zero grand total in balance reports like-\f[CR]hledger bse\f[R].-.PP-For most hledger users, this doesn\[aq]t matter in practice and can-safely be ignored !-But if you\[aq]d like to learn more, keep reading.-.PP-Conventional DEB uses an extra pair of equity postings to balance the-transaction.-Of course you can do this in hledger as well:-.PP-\f[B]Variant 4\f[R]-.IP-.EX-2022\-01\-01-    assets:dollars      $\-135-    assets:euros         €100-    equity:conversion    $135-    equity:conversion   €\-100-.EE-.PP-Now the transaction is perfectly balanced according to standard DEB, and-\f[CR]hledger bse\f[R]\[aq]s total will not be disrupted.-.PP-And, hledger can still infer the cost for cost reporting, but it\[aq]s-not done by default \- you must add the \f[CR]\-\-infer\-costs\f[R] flag-like so:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger print \-\-infer\-costs-2022\-01\-01 one hundred euros purchased at $1.35 each-    assets:dollars       $\-135 \[at]\[at] €100-    assets:euros                  €100-    equity:conversion             $135-    equity:conversion            €\-100-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger bal \-\-infer\-costs \-B-               €\-100  assets:dollars                                                                                                                                              -                €100  assets:euros                                                                                                                                                -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-                                                                                                                                                              -                   0                                                                                                                                                              -.EE-.PP-Here are some downsides of this kind of entry:-.IP \[bu] 2-The per\-unit cost basis is not easy to read.-.IP \[bu] 2-Instead of \f[CR]\-B\f[R] you must remember to type-\f[CR]\-B \-\-infer\-costs\f[R].-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-infer\-costs\f[R] works only where hledger can identify the-two equity:conversion postings and match them up with the two-non\-equity postings.-So writing the journal entry in a particular format becomes more-important.-More on this below.-.SS Inferring equity conversion postings-Can we go in the other direction ?-Yes, if you have transactions written with the \[at]/\[at]\[at] cost-notation, hledger can infer the missing equity postings, if you add the-\f[CR]\-\-infer\-equity\f[R] flag.-Eg:-.IP-.EX-2022\-01\-01-  assets:dollars  \-$135-  assets:euros     €100 \[at] $1.35-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger print \-\-infer\-equity-2022\-01\-01-    assets:dollars                    $\-135-    assets:euros               €100 \[at] $1.35-    equity:conversion:$\-€:€           €\-100-    equity:conversion:$\-€:$         $135.00-.EE-.PP-The equity account names will be \[dq]equity:conversion:A\-B:A\[dq] and-\[dq]equity:conversion:A\-B:B\[dq] where A is the alphabetically first-commodity symbol.-You can customise the \[dq]equity:conversion\[dq] part by declaring an-account with the \f[CR]V\f[R]/\f[CR]Conversion\f[R] account type.-.PP-Note you will need to add account declarations for these to your-journal, if you use \f[CR]check accounts\f[R] or-\f[CR]check \-\-strict\f[R].-.SS Combining costs and equity conversion postings-Finally, you can use both the \[at]/\[at]\[at] cost notation and equity-postings at the same time.-This in theory gives the best of all worlds \- preserving the accounting-equation, revealing the per\-unit cost basis, and providing more-flexibility in how you write the entry:-.PP-\f[B]Variant 5\f[R]-.IP-.EX-2022\-01\-01 one hundred euros purchased at $1.35 each-    assets:dollars      $\-135-    equity:conversion    $135-    equity:conversion   €\-100-    assets:euros         €100 \[at] $1.35-.EE-.PP-All the other variants above can (usually) be rewritten to this final-form with:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger print \-x \-\-infer\-costs \-\-infer\-equity-.EE-.PP-Downsides:-.IP \[bu] 2-The precise format of the journal entry becomes more important.-If hledger can\[aq]t detect and match up the cost and equity postings,-it will give a transaction balancing error.-.IP \[bu] 2-The add command does not yet accept this kind of entry (#2056).-.IP \[bu] 2-This is the most verbose form.-.SS Requirements for detecting equity conversion postings-\f[CR]\-\-infer\-costs\f[R] has certain requirements (unlike-\f[CR]\-\-infer\-equity\f[R], which always works).-It will infer costs only in transactions with:-.IP \[bu] 2-Two non\-equity postings, in different commodities.-Their order is significant: the cost will be added to the first of them.-.IP \[bu] 2-Two postings to equity conversion accounts, next to one another, which-balance the two non\-equity postings.-This balancing is checked to the same precision (number of decimal-places) used in the conversion posting\[aq]s amount.-Equity conversion accounts are:-.RS 2-.IP \[bu] 2-any accounts declared with account type-\f[CR]V\f[R]/\f[CR]Conversion\f[R], or their subaccounts-.IP \[bu] 2-otherwise, accounts named \f[CR]equity:conversion\f[R],-\f[CR]equity:trade\f[R], or \f[CR]equity:trading\f[R], or their-subaccounts.-.RE-.PP-And multiple such four\-posting groups can coexist within a single-transaction.-When \f[CR]\-\-infer\-costs\f[R] fails, it does not infer a cost in that-transaction, and does not raise an error (ie, it infers costs where it-can).-.PP-Reading variant 5 journal entries, combining cost notation and equity-postings, has all the same requirements.-When reading such an entry fails, hledger raises an \[dq]unbalanced-transaction\[dq] error.-.SS Infer cost and equity by default ?-Should \f[CR]\-\-infer\-costs\f[R] and \f[CR]\-\-infer\-equity\f[R] be-enabled by default ?-Try using them always, eg with a shell alias:-.IP-.EX-alias h=\[dq]hledger \-\-infer\-equity \-\-infer\-costs\[dq]-.EE-.PP-and let us know what problems you find.-.PP-.SH Value reporting-hledger can also show amounts \[dq]at market value\[dq], converted to-some other commodity using the market price or conversion rate on a-certain date.-.PP-This is controlled by the \f[CR]\-\-value=TYPE[,COMMODITY]\f[R] option.-We also provide simpler \f[CR]\-V\f[R] and \f[CR]\-X COMMODITY\f[R]-aliases for this, which are often sufficient.-The market prices are declared with a special \f[CR]P\f[R] directive,-and/or they can be inferred from the costs recorded in transactions, by-using the \f[CR]\-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R] flag.-.SS \-X: Value in specified commodity-The \f[CR]\-X COMM\f[R] (or \f[CR]\-\-exchange=COMM\f[R]) option-converts amounts to their market value in the specified commodity, using-the market prices in effect on the \f[I]valuation date(s)\f[R], if any.-(More on these in a minute.)-.PP-Use this when you want to (eg) show everything in your base currency as-far as possible.-(Commodities for which no conversion rate can be found, will not be-converted.)-.PP-COMM should be the full commodity symbol or name.-Remember to quote special shell characters, if needed.-Some examples:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-X€\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-X$\f[R] (nothing after $, no quoting needed)-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-X CNY\f[R] (the space after \-X is optional)-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-X \[aq]red apples\[aq]\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-X \[aq]r&r\[aq]\f[R]-.SS \-V: Value in default commodity(s)-The \f[CR]\-V/\-\-market\f[R] flag is a variant of \f[CR]\-X\f[R] where-you don\[aq]t have to specify COMM.-Instead it tries to guess a \f[I]default valuation commodity\f[R] for-each original commodity, based on the market prices in effect on the-valuation date(s).-.PP-\f[CR]\-V\f[R] can often be a convenient shortcut for-\f[CR]\-X MYCURRENCY\f[R], but not always; depending on your data it-could guess multiple valuation commodities.-Usually you want to convert to a single commodity, so it\[aq]s better to-use \f[CR]\-X\f[R], unless you\[aq]re sure \f[CR]\-V\f[R] is doing what-you want.-.SS Valuation date-Market prices can change from day to day.-hledger will use the prices on a particular valuation date (or on more-than one date).-By default hledger uses \[dq]end\[dq] dates for valuation.-More specifically:-.IP \[bu] 2-For single period reports (including normal print and register reports):-.RS 2-.IP \[bu] 2-If an explicit report end date is specified, that is used.-.IP \[bu] 2-Otherwise the latest transaction date or non\-future P directive date is-used.-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-For multiperiod reports, each period is valued on its last day.-.PP-This can be customised with the \-\-value option described below, which-can select either \[dq]then\[dq], \[dq]end\[dq], \[dq]now\[dq], or-\[dq]custom\[dq] dates.-.SS Finding market price-To convert a commodity A to its market value in another commodity B,-hledger looks for a suitable market price (exchange rate) as follows, in-this order of preference:-.IP "1." 3-A \f[I]declared market price\f[R] or \f[I]inferred market price\f[R]:-A\[aq]s latest market price in B on or before the valuation date as-declared by a P directive, or (with the-\f[CR]\-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R] flag) inferred from costs.-\-.IP "2." 3-A \f[I]reverse market price\f[R]: the inverse of a declared or inferred-market price from B to A.-.IP "3." 3-A \f[I]forward chain of market prices\f[R]: a synthetic price formed by-combining the shortest chain of \[dq]forward\[dq] (only 1 above) market-prices, leading from A to B.-.IP "4." 3-\f[I]Any chain of market prices\f[R]: a chain of any market prices,-including both forward and reverse prices (1 and 2 above), leading from-A to B.-.PP-There is a limit to the length of these price chains; if hledger reaches-that length without finding a complete chain or exhausting all-possibilities, it will give up (with a \[dq]gave up\[dq] message visible-in \f[CR]\-\-debug=2\f[R] output).-That limit is currently 1000.-.PP-Amounts for which no suitable market price can be found, are not-converted.-.SS \-\-infer\-market\-prices: market prices from transactions-Normally, market value in hledger is fully controlled by, and requires,-P directives in your journal.-Since adding and updating those can be a chore, and since transactions-usually take place at close to market value, why not use the recorded-costs as additional market prices (as Ledger does) ?-Adding the \f[CR]\-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R] flag to \f[CR]\-V\f[R],-\f[CR]\-X\f[R] or \f[CR]\-\-value\f[R] enables this.-.PP-So for example, \f[CR]hledger bs \-V \-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R] will-get market prices both from P directives and from transactions.-If both occur on the same day, the P directive takes precedence.-.PP-There is a downside: value reports can sometimes be affected in-confusing/undesired ways by your journal entries.-If this happens to you, read all of this Value reporting section-carefully, and try adding \f[CR]\-\-debug\f[R] or \f[CR]\-\-debug=2\f[R]-to troubleshoot.-.PP-\f[CR]\-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R] can infer market prices from:-.IP \[bu] 2-multicommodity transactions with explicit prices-(\f[CR]\[at]\f[R]/\f[CR]\[at]\[at]\f[R])-.IP \[bu] 2-multicommodity transactions with implicit prices (no \f[CR]\[at]\f[R],-two commodities, unbalanced).-(With these, the order of postings matters.-\f[CR]hledger print \-x\f[R] can be useful for troubleshooting.)-.IP \[bu] 2-multicommodity transactions with equity postings, if cost is inferred-with \f[CR]\-\-infer\-costs\f[R].-.PP-There is a limitation (bug) currently: when a valuation commodity is not-specified, prices inferred with \f[CR]\-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R] do-not help select a default valuation commodity, as \f[CR]P\f[R] prices-would.-So conversion might not happen because no valuation commodity was-detected (\f[CR]\-\-debug=2\f[R] will show this).-To be safe, specify the valuation commmodity, eg:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-X EUR \-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R], not-\f[CR]\-V \-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-value=then,EUR \-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R], not-\f[CR]\-\-value=then \-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R]-.PP-Signed costs and market prices can be confusing.-For reference, here is the current behaviour, since hledger 1.25.-(If you think it should work differently, see #1870.)-.IP-.EX-2022\-01\-01 Positive Unit prices-    a        A 1-    b        B \-1 \[at] A 1--2022\-01\-01 Positive Total prices-    a        A 1-    b        B \-1 \[at]\[at] A 1---2022\-01\-02 Negative unit prices-    a        A 1-    b        B 1 \[at] A \-1--2022\-01\-02 Negative total prices-    a        A 1-    b        B 1 \[at]\[at] A \-1---2022\-01\-03 Double Negative unit prices-    a        A \-1-    b        B \-1 \[at] A \-1--2022\-01\-03 Double Negative total prices-    a        A \-1-    b        B \-1 \[at]\[at] A \-1-.EE-.PP-All of the transactions above are considered balanced (and on each day,-the two transactions are considered equivalent).-Here are the market prices inferred for B:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f\- \-\-infer\-market\-prices prices-P 2022\-01\-01 B A 1-P 2022\-01\-01 B A 1.0-P 2022\-01\-02 B A \-1-P 2022\-01\-02 B A \-1.0-P 2022\-01\-03 B A \-1-P 2022\-01\-03 B A \-1.0-.EE-.SS Valuation commodity-\f[B]When you specify a valuation commodity (\f[CB]\-X COMM\f[B] or-\f[CB]\-\-value TYPE,COMM\f[B]):\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-hledger will convert all amounts to COMM, wherever it can find a-suitable market price (including by reversing or chaining prices).-.PP-\f[B]When you leave the valuation commodity unspecified (\f[CB]\-V\f[B]-or \f[CB]\-\-value TYPE\f[B]):\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-For each commodity A, hledger picks a default valuation commodity as-follows, in this order of preference:-.IP "1." 3-The price commodity from the latest P\-declared market price for A on or-before valuation date.-.IP "2." 3-The price commodity from the latest P\-declared market price for A on-any date.-(Allows conversion to proceed when there are inferred prices before the-valuation date.)-.IP "3." 3-If there are no P directives at all (any commodity or date) and the-\f[CR]\-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R] flag is used: the price commodity-from the latest transaction\-inferred price for A on or before valuation-date.-.PP-This means:-.IP \[bu] 2-If you have P directives, they determine which commodities-\f[CR]\-V\f[R] will convert, and to what.-.IP \[bu] 2-If you have no P directives, and use the-\f[CR]\-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R] flag, costs determine it.-.PP-Amounts for which no valuation commodity can be found are not converted.-.SS \-\-value: Flexible valuation-\f[CR]\-V\f[R] and \f[CR]\-X\f[R] are special cases of the more general-\f[CR]\-\-value\f[R] option:-.IP-.EX- \-\-value=TYPE[,COMM]  TYPE is then, end, now or YYYY\-MM\-DD.-                      COMM is an optional commodity symbol.-                      Shows amounts converted to:-                      \- default valuation commodity (or COMM) using market prices at posting dates-                      \- default valuation commodity (or COMM) using market prices at period end(s)-                      \- default valuation commodity (or COMM) using current market prices-                      \- default valuation commodity (or COMM) using market prices at some date-.EE-.PP-The TYPE part selects cost or value and valuation date:-.TP-\f[CR]\-\-value=then\f[R]-Convert amounts to their value in the default valuation commodity, using-market prices on each posting\[aq]s date.-.TP-\f[CR]\-\-value=end\f[R]-Convert amounts to their value in the default valuation commodity, using-market prices on the last day of the report period (or if unspecified,-the journal\[aq]s end date); or in multiperiod reports, market prices on-the last day of each subperiod.-.TP-\f[CR]\-\-value=now\f[R]-Convert amounts to their value in the default valuation commodity using-current market prices (as of when report is generated).-.TP-\f[CR]\-\-value=YYYY\-MM\-DD\f[R]-Convert amounts to their value in the default valuation commodity using-market prices on this date.-.PP-To select a different valuation commodity, add the optional-\f[CR],COMM\f[R] part: a comma, then the target commodity\[aq]s symbol.-Eg: \f[B]\f[CB]\-\-value=now,EUR\f[B]\f[R].-hledger will do its best to convert amounts to this commodity, deducing-market prices as described above.-.SS Valuation examples-Here are some quick examples of \f[CR]\-V\f[R]:-.IP-.EX-; one euro is worth this many dollars from nov 1-P 2016/11/01 € $1.10--; purchase some euros on nov 3-2016/11/3-    assets:euros        €100-    assets:checking--; the euro is worth fewer dollars by dec 21-P 2016/12/21 € $1.03-.EE-.PP-How many euros do I have ?-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f t.j bal \-N euros-                €100  assets:euros-.EE-.PP-What are they worth at end of nov 3 ?-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f t.j bal \-N euros \-V \-e 2016/11/4-             $110.00  assets:euros-.EE-.PP-What are they worth after 2016/12/21 ?-(no report end date specified, defaults to today)-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f t.j bal \-N euros \-V-             $103.00  assets:euros-.EE-.PP-Here are some examples showing the effect of \f[CR]\-\-value\f[R], as-seen with \f[CR]print\f[R]:-.IP-.EX-P 2000\-01\-01 A  1 B-P 2000\-02\-01 A  2 B-P 2000\-03\-01 A  3 B-P 2000\-04\-01 A  4 B--2000\-01\-01-  (a)      1 A \[at] 5 B--2000\-02\-01-  (a)      1 A \[at] 6 B--2000\-03\-01-  (a)      1 A \[at] 7 B-.EE-.PP-Show the cost of each posting:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f\- print \-\-cost-2000\-01\-01-    (a)             5 B--2000\-02\-01-    (a)             6 B--2000\-03\-01-    (a)             7 B-.EE-.PP-Show the value as of the last day of the report period (2000\-02\-29):-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f\- print \-\-value=end date:2000/01\-2000/03-2000\-01\-01-    (a)             2 B--2000\-02\-01-    (a)             2 B-.EE-.PP-With no report period specified, the latest transaction date or price-date is used as valuation date (2000\-04\-01):-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f\- print \-\-value=end-2000\-01\-01-    (a)             3 B--2000\-02\-01-    (a)             3 B--2000\-03\-01-    (a)             3 B-.EE-.PP-The value today is the same (the 2000\-04\-01 price is still in effect):-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f\- print \-\-value=now-2000\-01\-01-    (a)             4 B--2000\-02\-01-    (a)             4 B--2000\-03\-01-    (a)             4 B-.EE-.PP-Show the value on 2000/01/15:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f\- print \-\-value=2000\-01\-15-2000\-01\-01-    (a)             1 B--2000\-02\-01-    (a)             1 B--2000\-03\-01-    (a)             1 B-.EE-.SS Interaction of valuation and queries-When matching postings based on queries in the presence of valuation,-the following happens:-.IP "1." 3-The query is separated into two parts:-.RS 4-.IP "1." 3-the currency (\f[CR]cur:\f[R]) or amount (\f[CR]amt:\f[R]).-.IP "2." 3-all other parts.-.RE-.IP "2." 3-The postings are matched to the currency and amount queries based on-pre\-valued amounts.-.IP "3." 3-Valuation is applied to the postings.-.IP "4." 3-The postings are matched to the other parts of the query based on-post\-valued amounts.-.PP-Related: #1625-.SS Effect of valuation on reports-Here is a reference for how valuation is supposed to affect each part of-hledger\[aq]s reports.-It may be useful when troubleshooting.-If you find problems, please report them, ideally with a reproducible-example.-Related: #329, #1083.-.PP-First, a quick glossary:-.TP-\f[I]cost\f[R]-calculated using price(s) recorded in the transaction(s).-.TP-\f[I]value\f[R]-market value using available market price declarations, or the unchanged-amount if no conversion rate can be found.-.TP-\f[I]report start\f[R]-the first day of the report period specified with \-b or \-p or date:,-otherwise today.-.TP-\f[I]report or journal start\f[R]-the first day of the report period specified with \-b or \-p or date:,-otherwise the earliest transaction date in the journal, otherwise today.-.TP-\f[I]report end\f[R]-the last day of the report period specified with \-e or \-p or date:,-otherwise today.-.TP-\f[I]report or journal end\f[R]-the last day of the report period specified with \-e or \-p or date:,-otherwise the latest transaction date in the journal, otherwise today.-.TP-\f[I]report interval\f[R]-a flag (\-D/\-W/\-M/\-Q/\-Y) or period expression that activates the-report\[aq]s multi\-period mode (whether showing one or many-subperiods).-.PP-.TS-tab(@);-lw(9.5n) lw(11.8n) lw(12.0n) lw(17.2n) lw(12.0n) lw(7.4n).-T{-Report type-T}@T{-\f[CR]\-B\f[R], \f[CR]\-\-cost\f[R]-T}@T{-\f[CR]\-V\f[R], \f[CR]\-X\f[R]-T}@T{-\f[CR]\-\-value=then\f[R]-T}@T{-\f[CR]\-\-value=end\f[R]-T}@T{-\f[CR]\-\-value=DATE\f[R], \f[CR]\-\-value=now\f[R]-T}-_-T{-\f[B]print\f[R]-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}-T{-posting amounts-T}@T{-cost-T}@T{-value at report end or today-T}@T{-value at posting date-T}@T{-value at report or journal end-T}@T{-value at DATE/today-T}-T{-balance assertions/assignments-T}@T{-unchanged-T}@T{-unchanged-T}@T{-unchanged-T}@T{-unchanged-T}@T{-unchanged-T}-T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}-T{-\f[B]register\f[R]-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}-T{-starting balance (\-H)-T}@T{-cost-T}@T{-value at report or journal end-T}@T{-valued at day each historical posting was made-T}@T{-value at report or journal end-T}@T{-value at DATE/today-T}-T{-starting balance (\-H) with report interval-T}@T{-cost-T}@T{-value at day before report or journal start-T}@T{-valued at day each historical posting was made-T}@T{-value at day before report or journal start-T}@T{-value at DATE/today-T}-T{-posting amounts-T}@T{-cost-T}@T{-value at report or journal end-T}@T{-value at posting date-T}@T{-value at report or journal end-T}@T{-value at DATE/today-T}-T{-summary posting amounts with report interval-T}@T{-summarised cost-T}@T{-value at period ends-T}@T{-sum of postings in interval, valued at interval start-T}@T{-value at period ends-T}@T{-value at DATE/today-T}-T{-running total/average-T}@T{-sum/average of displayed values-T}@T{-sum/average of displayed values-T}@T{-sum/average of displayed values-T}@T{-sum/average of displayed values-T}@T{-sum/average of displayed values-T}-T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}-T{-\f[B]balance (bs, bse, cf, is)\f[R]-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}-T{-balance changes-T}@T{-sums of costs-T}@T{-value at report end or today of sums of postings-T}@T{-value at posting date-T}@T{-value at report or journal end of sums of postings-T}@T{-value at DATE/today of sums of postings-T}-T{-budget amounts (\-\-budget)-T}@T{-like balance changes-T}@T{-like balance changes-T}@T{-like balance changes-T}@T{-like balances-T}@T{-like balance changes-T}-T{-grand total-T}@T{-sum of displayed values-T}@T{-sum of displayed values-T}@T{-sum of displayed valued-T}@T{-sum of displayed values-T}@T{-sum of displayed values-T}-T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}-T{-\f[B]balance (bs, bse, cf, is) with report interval\f[R]-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}-T{-starting balances (\-H)-T}@T{-sums of costs of postings before report start-T}@T{-value at report start of sums of all postings before report start-T}@T{-sums of values of postings before report start at respective posting-dates-T}@T{-value at report start of sums of all postings before report start-T}@T{-sums of postings before report start-T}-T{-balance changes (bal, is, bs \-\-change, cf \-\-change)-T}@T{-sums of costs of postings in period-T}@T{-same as \-\-value=end-T}@T{-sums of values of postings in period at respective posting dates-T}@T{-balance change in each period, valued at period ends-T}@T{-value at DATE/today of sums of postings-T}-T{-end balances (bal \-H, is \-\-H, bs, cf)-T}@T{-sums of costs of postings from before report start to period end-T}@T{-same as \-\-value=end-T}@T{-sums of values of postings from before period start to period end at-respective posting dates-T}@T{-period end balances, valued at period ends-T}@T{-value at DATE/today of sums of postings-T}-T{-budget amounts (\-\-budget)-T}@T{-like balance changes/end balances-T}@T{-like balance changes/end balances-T}@T{-like balance changes/end balances-T}@T{-like balances-T}@T{-like balance changes/end balances-T}-T{-row totals, row averages (\-T, \-A)-T}@T{-sums, averages of displayed values-T}@T{-sums, averages of displayed values-T}@T{-sums, averages of displayed values-T}@T{-sums, averages of displayed values-T}@T{-sums, averages of displayed values-T}-T{-column totals-T}@T{-sums of displayed values-T}@T{-sums of displayed values-T}@T{-sums of displayed values-T}@T{-sums of displayed values-T}@T{-sums of displayed values-T}-T{-grand total, grand average-T}@T{-sum, average of column totals-T}@T{-sum, average of column totals-T}@T{-sum, average of column totals-T}@T{-sum, average of column totals-T}@T{-sum, average of column totals-T}-T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}-.TE-.PP-\f[CR]\-\-cumulative\f[R] is omitted to save space, it works like-\f[CR]\-H\f[R] but with a zero starting balance.-.SH PART 4: COMMANDS-.PP-Here are hledger\[aq]s standard subcommands.-You can list these by running \f[CR]hledger\f[R].-If you have installed more add\-on commands, they also will be listed.-.PP-In the following command docs, each command\[aq]s specific options are-shown.-Most commands also support the general options described above, though-some of them might have no effect.-(Usually if there\[aq]s a sensible way for a general option to affect a-command, it will.)-You can list all of a command\[aq]s options by running-\f[CR]hledger CMD \-h\f[R].-.PP-\f[B]Help commands\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-commands \- show the hledger commands list (default)-.IP \[bu] 2-demo \- show small hledger demos in the terminal-.IP \[bu] 2-help \- show the hledger manual with info, man, or pager-.PP-\f[B]User interface commands\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-repl \- run commands from an interactive prompt-.IP \[bu] 2-run \- run commands from a script-.IP \[bu] 2-ui \- (if installed) run hledger\[aq]s terminal UI-.IP \[bu] 2-web \- (if installed) run hledger\[aq]s web UI-.PP-\f[B]Data entry commands\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-add \- add transactions using terminal prompts-.IP \[bu] 2-import \- add new transactions from other files, eg CSV files-.PP-\f[B]Basic report commands\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-accounts \- show account names-.IP \[bu] 2-codes \- show transaction codes-.IP \[bu] 2-commodities \- show commodity/currency symbols-.IP \[bu] 2-descriptions \- show transaction descriptions-.IP \[bu] 2-files \- show input file paths-.IP \[bu] 2-notes \- show note parts of transaction descriptions-.IP \[bu] 2-payees \- show payee parts of transaction descriptions-.IP \[bu] 2-prices \- show market prices-.IP \[bu] 2-stats \- show journal statistics-.IP \[bu] 2-tags \- show tag names-.PP-\f[B]Standard report commands\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-print \- show transactions or export journal data-.IP \[bu] 2-aregister (areg) \- show transactions in a particular account-.IP \[bu] 2-register (reg) \- show postings in one or more accounts & running total-.IP \[bu] 2-balancesheet (bs) \- show assets, liabilities and net worth-.IP \[bu] 2-balancesheetequity (bse) \- show assets, liabilities and equity-.IP \[bu] 2-cashflow (cf) \- show changes in liquid assets-.IP \[bu] 2-incomestatement (is) \- show revenues and expenses-.PP-\f[B]Advanced report commands\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-balance (bal) \- show balance changes, end balances, budgets, gains..-.IP \[bu] 2-roi \- show return on investments-.PP-\f[B]Chart commands\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-activity \- show bar charts of posting counts per period-.PP-\f[B]Data generation commands\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-close \- generate balance\-zeroing/restoring transactions-.IP \[bu] 2-rewrite \- generate auto postings, like print \-\-auto-.PP-\f[B]Maintenance commands\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-check \- check for various kinds of error in the data-.IP \[bu] 2-diff \- compare account transactions in two journal files-.IP \[bu] 2-setup \- check and show the status of the hledger installation-.IP \[bu] 2-test \- run self tests-.PP-Next, these commands are described in detail.-.SH Help commands-.SS commands-Show the hledger commands list.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-     \-\-builtin             show only builtin commands, not addons-.EE-.SS demo-Play demos of hledger usage in the terminal, if asciinema is installed.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-  \-s \-\-speed=SPEED         playback speed (1 is original speed, .5 is half, 2-                           is double, etc (default: 2))-.EE-.PP-Run this command with no argument to list the demos.-To play a demo, write its number or a prefix or substring of its title.-Tips:-.PP-Make your terminal window large enough to see the demo clearly.-.PP-Use the \-s/\-\-speed SPEED option to set your preferred playback speed,-eg \f[CR]\-s4\f[R] to play at 4x original speed or \f[CR]\-s.5\f[R] to-play at half speed.-The default speed is 2x.-.PP-During playback, several keys are available: SPACE to pause/unpause, .-to step forward (while paused), CTRL\-c quit.-.PP-Examples:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger demo               # list available demos-$ hledger demo 1             # play the first demo at default speed (2x)-$ hledger demo install \-s4   # play the \[dq]install\[dq] demo at 4x speed-.EE-.PP-This command is experimental: there aren\[aq]t many useful demos yet.-.SS help-Show the hledger user manual with \f[CR]info\f[R], \f[CR]man\f[R], or a-pager.-With a (case insensitive) TOPIC argument, try to open it at that section-heading.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-  \-i                       show the manual with info-  \-m                       show the manual with man-  \-p                       show the manual with $PAGER or less-                           (less is always used if TOPIC is specified)-.EE-.PP-This command shows the hledger manual built in to your hledger-executable.-It can be useful when offline, or when you prefer the terminal to a web-browser, or when the appropriate hledger manual or viewers are not-installed properly on your system.-.PP-By default it chooses the best viewer found in $PATH, trying in this-order: \f[CR]info\f[R], \f[CR]man\f[R], \f[CR]$PAGER\f[R],-\f[CR]less\f[R], \f[CR]more\f[R], stdout.-(If a TOPIC is specified, \f[CR]$PAGER\f[R] and \f[CR]more\f[R] are not-tried.)-You can force the use of info, man, or a pager with the \f[CR]\-i\f[R],-\f[CR]\-m\f[R], or \f[CR]\-p\f[R] flags.-If no viewer can be found, or if running non\-interactively, it just-prints the manual to stdout.-.PP-When using \f[CR]info\f[R], TOPIC can match either the full heading or a-prefix.-If your \f[CR]info \-\-version\f[R] is < 6, you\[aq]ll need to upgrade-it, eg with \[aq]\f[CR]brew install texinfo\f[R]\[aq] on mac.-.PP-When using \f[CR]man\f[R] or \f[CR]less\f[R], TOPIC must match the full-heading.-For a prefix match, you can write \[aq]\f[CR]TOPIC.*\f[R]\[aq].-.PP-Examples-.IP-.EX-$ hledger help \-h                 # show the help command\[aq]s usage-$ hledger help                    # show the manual with info, man or $PAGER-$ hledger help \[aq]time periods\[aq]     # show the manual\[aq]s \[dq]Time periods\[dq] topic-$ hledger help \[aq]time periods\[aq] \-m  # use man, even if info is installed-.EE-.SH User interface commands-.SS repl-Start an interactive prompt, where you can run any of hledger\[aq]s-commands.-Data files are parsed just once, so the commands run faster.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-no command\-specific flags-.EE-.PP-This command is experimental and could change in the future.-.PP-\f[CR]hledger repl\f[R] starts a read\-eval\-print loop (REPL) where you-can enter commands interactively.-As with the \f[CR]run\f[R] command, each input file (or each input-file/input options combination) is parsed just once, so commands will-run more quickly than if you ran them individually at the command line.-.PP-Also like \f[CR]run\f[R], the input file(s) specified for the-\f[CR]repl\f[R] command will be the default input for all interactive-commands.-You can override this temporarily by specifying an \f[CR]\-f\f[R] option-in particular commands.-But note that commands will not see any changes made to input files (eg-by \f[CR]add\f[R]) until you exit and restart the REPL.-.PP-The command syntax is the same as with \f[CR]run\f[R]:-.IP \[bu] 2-enter one hledger command at a time, without the usual-\f[CR]hledger\f[R] first word-.IP \[bu] 2-empty lines and comment text from \f[CR]#\f[R] to end of line are-ignored-.IP \[bu] 2-use single or double quotes to quote arguments when needed-.IP \[bu] 2-type \f[CR]exit\f[R] or \f[CR]quit\f[R] or control\-D to exit the REPL.-.PP-While it is running, the REPL remembers your command history, and you-can navigate in the usual ways:-.IP \[bu] 2-Keypad or Emacs navigation keys to edit the current command line-.IP \[bu] 2-UP/DOWN or control\-P/control\-N to step back/forward through history-.IP \[bu] 2-control\-R to search for a past command-.IP \[bu] 2-TAB to complete file paths.-.PP-Generally \f[CR]repl\f[R] command lines should feel much like the normal-hledger CLI, but you may find differences.-\f[CR]repl\f[R] is a little stricter; eg it requires full command names-or official abbreviations (as seen in the commands list).-.PP-The \f[CR]commands\f[R] and \f[CR]help\f[R] commands, and the command-help flags (\f[CR]CMD \-\-tldr\f[R], \f[CR]CMD \-h/\-\-help\f[R],-\f[CR]CMD \-\-info\f[R], \f[CR]CMD \-\-man\f[R]), can be useful.-.PP-You can type control\-C to cancel a long\-running command (but only-once; typing it a second time will exit the REPL).-.PP-And in most shells you can type control\-Z to temporarily exit to the-shell (and then \f[CR]fg\f[R] to return to the REPL).-.SS Examples-Start the REPL and enter some commands:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger repl -Enter hledger commands. To exit, enter \[aq]quit\[aq] or \[aq]exit\[aq], or send EOF.-% stats-Main file           : .../2025.journal-\&...-% stats \-f 2024/2024.journal -Main file           : .../2024.journal-\&...-% stats-Main file           : .../2025.journal-\&...-.EE-.PP-or:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger repl \-f some.journal-Enter hledger commands. To exit, enter \[aq]quit\[aq] or \[aq]exit\[aq], or send EOF.-% bs-\&...-% print \-b \[aq]last week\[aq]-\&...-% bs \-f other.journal-\&...-.EE-.SS run-Run a sequence of hledger commands, provided as files or command line-arguments.-Data files are parsed just once, so the commands run faster.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-no command\-specific flags-.EE-.PP-This command is experimental and could change in the future.-.PP-You can use \f[CR]run\f[R] in three ways:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]hledger run \-\- CMD1 \-\- CMD2 \-\- CMD3\f[R] \- read commands-from the command line, separated by \f[CR]\-\-\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]hledger run SCRIPTFILE1 SCRIPTFILE2\f[R] \- read commands from one-or more files-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]cat SCRIPTFILE1 | hledger run\f[R] \- read commands from standard-input.-.PP-\f[CR]run\f[R] first loads the input file(s) specified by-\f[CR]LEDGER_FILE\f[R] or by \f[CR]\-f\f[R] options, in the usual way.-Then it runs each command in turn, each using the same input data.-But if you want a particular command to use different input, you can-specify an \f[CR]\-f\f[R] option within that command.-This will override (not add to) the default input, just for that-command.-.PP-Each input file (more precisely, each combination of input file and-input options) is parsed only once.-This means that commands will not see any changes made to these files,-until the next run.-But the commands will run more quickly than if run individually-(typically about twice as fast).-.PP-Command scripts, whether in a file or written on the command line, have-a simple syntax:-.IP \[bu] 2-each line may contain a single hledger command and its arguments,-without the usual \f[CR]hledger\f[R] first word-.IP \[bu] 2-empty lines are ignored-.IP \[bu] 2-text from \f[CR]#\f[R] to end of line is a comment, and ignored-.IP \[bu] 2-you can use single or double quotes to quote arguments when needed, as-on the command line-.IP \[bu] 2-these extra commands are available: \f[CR]echo TEXT\f[R] prints some-text, and \f[CR]exit\f[R] or \f[CR]quit\f[R] ends the run.-.PP-On unix systems you can use \f[CR]#!/usr/bin/env hledger run\f[R] in the-first line of a command file to make it a runnable script.-If that gives an error, use \f[CR]#!/usr/bin/env \-S hledger run\f[R].-.PP-It\[aq]s ok to use the \f[CR]run\f[R] command recursively within a-command script.-.PP-You may find some differences in behaviour between \f[CR]run\f[R]-command lines and normal hledger command lines.-\f[CR]run\f[R] is a little stricter; eg it requires full command names-or official abbreviations (as seen in the commands list), and command-options must be written after the command name.-.SS Examples-Run commands from the command line:-.IP-.EX-hledger \-f some.journal run \-\- balance assets \-\-depth 2 \-\- balance liabilities \-f /some/other.journal \-\-depth 3 \-\-transpose \-\- stats-.EE-.PP-This would load \f[CR]some.journal\f[R], run-\f[CR]balance assets \-\-depth 2\f[R] on it, then run-\f[CR]balance liabilities \-\-depth 3 \-\-transpose\f[R] on-\f[CR]/some/other.journal\f[R], and finally run \f[CR]stats\f[R] on-\f[CR]some.journal\f[R]-.PP-Run commands from standard input:-.IP-.EX-(echo \[dq]files\[dq]; echo \[dq]stats\[dq]) | hledger \-f some.journal run-.EE-.PP-Run commands as a script:-.IP-.EX-$ cat report-#!/usr/bin/env \-S hledger run \-f some.journal--echo \[dq]List of accounts in some.journal\[dq]-accounts--echo \[dq]Assets of some.journal\[dq]-balance assets \-\-depth 2--echo \[dq]Liabilities from /some/other.journal\[dq]-balance liabilities \-f /some/other.journal \-\-depth 3 \-\-transpose--echo \[dq]Commands from another.script, applied to another.journal\[dq]-run \-f another.journal another.script-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ chmod +x report-$ ./report-List of accounts in some.journal-\&...-.EE-.SS ui-Runs hledger\-ui (if installed).-.SS web-Runs hledger\-web (if installed).-.SH Data entry commands-.SS add-Add new transactions to a journal file, with interactive prompting.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-     \-\-no\-new\-accounts      don\[aq]t allow creating new accounts-.EE-.PP-Many hledger users edit their journals directly with a text editor, or-generate them from CSV.-For more interactive data entry, there is the \f[CR]add\f[R] command,-which prompts interactively on the console for new transactions, and-appends them to the main journal file (which should be in journal-format).-Existing transactions are not changed.-This is one of the few hledger commands that writes to the journal file-(see also \f[CR]import\f[R]).-.PP-To use it, just run \f[CR]hledger add\f[R] and follow the prompts.-You can add as many transactions as you like; when you are finished,-enter \f[CR].\f[R] or press control\-d or control\-c to exit.-.PP-Features:-.IP \[bu] 2-add tries to provide useful defaults, using the most similar (by-description) recent transaction (filtered by the query, if any) as a-template.-.IP \[bu] 2-You can also set the initial defaults with command line arguments.-.IP \[bu] 2-Readline\-style edit keys can be used during data entry.-.IP \[bu] 2-The tab key will auto\-complete whenever possible \- accounts,-payees/descriptions, dates (\f[CR]yesterday\f[R], \f[CR]today\f[R],-\f[CR]tomorrow\f[R]).-If the input area is empty, it will insert the default value.-.IP \[bu] 2-A parenthesised transaction code may be entered following a date.-.IP \[bu] 2-Comments and tags may be entered following a description or amount.-.IP \[bu] 2-If you make a mistake, enter \f[CR]<\f[R] at any prompt to go one step-backward.-.IP \[bu] 2-Input prompts are displayed in a different colour when the terminal-supports it.-.PP-Notes:-.IP \[bu] 2-If you enter a number with no commodity symbol, and you have declared a-default commodity with a \f[CR]D\f[R] directive, you might expect-\f[CR]add\f[R] to add this symbol for you.-It does not do this; we assume that if you are using a \f[CR]D\f[R]-directive you prefer not to see the commodity symbol repeated on amounts-in the journal.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]add\f[R] creates entries in journal format; it won\[aq]t work with-timeclock or timedot files.-.PP-Examples:-.IP \[bu] 2-Record new transactions, saving to the default journal file:-.RS 2-.PP-\f[CR]hledger add\f[R]-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-Add transactions to 2024.journal, but also load 2023.journal for-completions:-.RS 2-.PP-\f[CR]hledger add \-\-file 2024.journal \-\-file 2023.journal\f[R]-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-Provide answers for the first four prompts:-.RS 2-.PP-\f[CR]hledger add today \[aq]best buy\[aq] expenses:supplies \[aq]$20\[aq]\f[R]-.RE-.PP-There is a detailed tutorial at https://hledger.org/add.html.-.SS add and balance assertions-Since hledger 1.43, you can add a balance assertion by writing-\f[CR]AMOUNT = BALANCE\f[R] when asked for an amount.-Eg \f[CR]100 = 500\f[R].-.PP-Also, each time you enter a new amount, hledger re\-checks all balance-assertions in the journal and rejects the new amount if it would make-any of them fail.-You can run \f[CR]add\f[R] with-\f[CR]\-I\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-ignore\-assertions\f[R] to disable balance-assertion checking.-.SS add and balance assignments-Since hledger 1.51, you can add a balance assignment by writing-\f[CR]= BALANCE\f[R] (or \f[CR]==\f[R], \f[CR]=*\f[R] etc) when asked-for an amount.-The missing amount will be calculated automatically.-.PP-\f[CR]add\f[R] normally won\[aq]t let you add a new posting which is-dated earlier than an existing balance assignment.-(Because when \f[CR]add\f[R] runs, existing balance assignments have-already been calculated and converted to amounts and balance-assertions.)-You can allow it by disabling balance assertion checking with-\f[CR]\-I\f[R].-.SS import-Import new transactions from one or more data files to the main journal.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-     \-\-catchup              just mark all transactions as already imported-     \-\-dry\-run              just show the transactions to be imported-.EE-.PP-This command detects new transactions in one or more data files-specified as arguments, and appends them to the main journal.-.PP-You can import from any input file format hledger supports, but-CSV/SSV/TSV files, downloaded from financial institutions, are the most-common import source.-.PP-The import destination is the default journal file, or another specified-in the usual way with \f[CR]$LEDGER_FILE\f[R] or-\f[CR]\-f/\-\-file\f[R].-It should be in journal format.-.PP-Examples:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger import bank1\-checking.csv bank1\-savings.csv-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger import *.csv-.EE-.SS Import dry run-It\[aq]s useful to preview the import by running first with-\f[CR]\-\-dry\-run\f[R], to sanity check the range of dates being-imported, and to check the effect of your conversion rules if converting-from CSV.-Eg:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger import bank.csv \-\-dry\-run-.EE-.PP-The dry run output is valid journal format, so hledger can re\-parse it.-If the output is large, you could show just the uncategorised-transactions like so:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger import \-\-dry\-run bank.csv | hledger \-f\- \-I print unknown-.EE-.PP-You could also run this repeatedly to see the effect of edits to your-conversion rules:-.IP-.EX-$ watchexec \-\- \[dq]hledger import \-\-dry\-run bank.csv | hledger \-f\- \-I print unknown\[dq]-.EE-.PP-Once the conversion and dates look good enough to import to your-journal, perhaps with some manual fixups to follow, you would do the-actual import:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger import bank.csv-.EE-.SS Overlap detection-Reading CSV files is built in to hledger, and not specific to-\f[CR]import\f[R]; so you could also import by doing-\f[CR]hledger \-f bank.csv print >>$LEDGER_FILE\f[R].-.PP-But \f[CR]import\f[R] is easier and provides some advantages.-The main one is that it avoids re\-importing transactions it has seen on-previous runs.-This means you don\[aq]t have to worry about overlapping data in-successive downloads of your bank CSV; just download and-\f[CR]import\f[R] as often as you like, and only the new transactions-will be imported each time.-.PP-We don\[aq]t call this \[dq]deduplication\[dq], as it\[aq]s generally-not possible to reliably detect duplicates in bank CSV.-Instead, \f[CR]import\f[R] remembers the latest date processed-previously in each CSV file (saving it in a hidden file), and skips any-records prior to that date.-This works well for most real\-world CSV, where:-.IP "1." 3-the data file name is stable (does not change) across imports-.IP "2." 3-the item dates are stable across imports-.IP "3." 3-the order of same\-date items is stable across imports-.IP "4." 3-the newest items have the newest dates-.PP-(Occasional violations of 2\-4 are often harmless; you can reduce the-chance of disruption by downloading and importing more often.)-.PP-Overlap detection is automatic, and shouldn\[aq]t require much attention-from you, except perhaps at first import (see below).-But here\[aq]s how it works:-.IP \[bu] 2-For each \f[CR]FILE\f[R] being imported from:-.RS 2-.IP "1." 3-hledger reads a file named \f[CR].latest.FILE\f[R] file in the same-directory, if any.-This file contains the latest record date previously imported from FILE,-in YYYY\-MM\-DD format.-If multiple records with that date were imported, the date is repeated-on N lines.-.IP "2." 3-hledger reads records from FILE.-If a latest date was found in step 1, any records before that date, and-the first N records on that date, are skipped.-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-After a successful import from all FILEs, without error and without-\f[CR]\-\-dry\-run\f[R], hledger updates each FILE\[aq]s-\f[CR].latest.FILE\f[R] for next time.-.PP-If this goes wrong, it\[aq]s relatively easy to repair:-.IP \[bu] 2-You\[aq]ll notice it before import when you preview with-\f[CR]import \-\-dry\-run\f[R].-.IP \[bu] 2-Or after import when you try to reconcile your hledger account balances-with your bank.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]hledger print \-f FILE.csv\f[R] will show all recently downloaded-transactions.-Compare these with your journal.-Copy/paste if needed.-.IP \[bu] 2-Update your conversion rules and print again, if needed.-.IP \[bu] 2-You can manually update or remove the .latest file, or use-\f[CR]import \-\-catchup FILE\f[R].-.IP \[bu] 2-Download and import more often, eg twice a week, at least while you are-learning.-It\[aq]s easier to review and troubleshoot when there are fewer-transactions.-.SS First import-The first time you import from a file, when no corresponding .latest-file has been created yet, all of the records will be imported.-.PP-But perhaps you have been entering the data manually, so you know that-all of these transactions are already recorded in the journal.-In this case you can run \f[CR]hledger import \-\-catchup\f[R] once.-This will create a .latest file containing the latest CSV record date,-so that none of those records will be re\-imported.-.PP-Or, if you know that some but not all of the transactions are in the-journal, you can create the .latest file yourself.-Eg, let\[aq]s say you previously recorded foobank transactions up to-2024\-10\-31 in the journal.-Then in the directory where you\[aq]ll be saving \f[CR]foobank.csv\f[R],-you would create a \f[CR].latest.foobank.csv\f[R] file containing-.IP-.EX-2024\-10\-31-.EE-.PP-Or if you had three foobank transactions recorded with that date, you-would repeat the date that many times:-.IP-.EX-2024\-10\-31-2024\-10\-31-2024\-10\-31-.EE-.PP-Then \f[CR]hledger import foobank.csv [\-\-dry\-run]\f[R] will import-only the newer records.-.SS Importing balance assignments-Journal entries added by import will have all posting amounts made-explicit (like \f[CR]print \-x\f[R]).-.PP-This means that any balance assignments in the imported entries would-need to be evaluated.-But this generally isn\[aq]t possible, as the main file\[aq]s account-balances are not visible during import.-So try to avoid generating balance assignments with your CSV rules, or-importing from a journal that contains balance assignments.-(Balance assignments are best avoided anyway.)-.PP-But if you must use them, eg because your CSV includes only balances:-you can import with \f[CR]print\f[R], which leaves implicit amounts-implicit.-(\f[CR]print\f[R] can also do overlap detection like import, with the-\f[CR]\-\-new\f[R] flag):-.IP-.EX-$ hledger print \-\-new \-f bank.csv >> $LEDGER_FILE-.EE-.PP-(If you think \f[CR]import\f[R] should preserve implicit balances,-please test that and send a pull request.)-.SS Import and commodity styles-Amounts in entries added by import will be formatted according to the-journal\[aq]s canonical commodity styles, as declared by-\f[CR]commodity\f[R] directives or inferred from the journal\[aq]s-amounts.-.PP-Related: CSV > Amount decimal places.-.SS Import archiving-When importing from a CSV rules file-(\f[CR]hledger import bank.rules\f[R]), you can use the archive rule to-enable automatic archiving of the data file.-After a successful import, the data file (specified by-\f[CR]source\f[R]) will be moved to an archive folder (\f[CR]data/\f[R],-next to the rules file, auto\-created), and renamed similar to the rules-file, with a date.-This can be useful for troubleshooting, detecting variations in your-banks\[aq] CSV data, regenerating entries with improved rules, etc.-.PP-The \f[CR]archive\f[R] rule also causes \f[CR]import\f[R] to handle-\f[CR]source\f[R] glob patterns differently: when there are multiple-matched files, it will pick the oldest, not the newest.-.SS Import special cases-.SS Deduplication-Here are two kinds of \[dq]deduplication\[dq] which \f[CR]import\f[R]-does not handle (and should not, because these can happen legitimately-in financial data):-.IP \[bu] 2-Two or more of the new CSV records are identical, and generate identical-new journal entries.-.IP \[bu] 2-A new CSV record generates a journal entry identical to one(s) already-in the journal.-.SS Varying file name-If you have a download whose file name varies, you could rename it to a-fixed name after each download.-Or you could use a CSV \f[CR]source\f[R] rule with a suitable glob-pattern, and import from the .rules file.-.SS Multiple versions-Say you download \f[CR]bank.csv\f[R], import it, but forget to delete it-from your downloads folder.-The next time you download it, your web browser will save it as (eg)-\f[CR]bank (2).csv\f[R].-The source rule\[aq]s glob patterns are for just this situation: instead-of specifying \f[CR]source bank.csv\f[R], specify-\f[CR]source bank*.csv\f[R].-Then \f[CR]hledger \-f bank.rules CMD\f[R] or-\f[CR]hledger import bank.rules\f[R] will automatically pick the newest-matched file (\f[CR]bank (2).csv\f[R]).-.PP-Alternately, what if you download, but forget to import or delete, then-download again ?-Now each of \f[CR]bank.csv\f[R] and \f[CR]bank (2).csv\f[R] might-contain data that\[aq]s not in the other, and not in your journal.-In this case, it\[aq]s best to import each of them in turn, oldest first-(otherwise, overlap detection could cause new records to be skipped).-Enabling import archiving ensures this.-Then \f[CR]hledger import bank.rules; hledger import bank.rules\f[R]-will import and archive first \f[CR]bank.csv\f[R], then-\f[CR]bank (2).csv\f[R].-.SH Basic report commands-.SS accounts-List the account names used or declared in the journal.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-  \-u \-\-used                 list accounts used-  \-d \-\-declared             list accounts declared-     \-\-undeclared           list accounts used but not declared-     \-\-unused               list accounts declared but not used-     \-\-find                 list the first account matched by the first-                            argument (a case\-insensitive infix regexp)-     \-\-directives           show as account directives, for use in journals-     \-\-locations            also show where accounts were declared-     \-\-types                also show account types when known-  \-l \-\-flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list-                            (default)-  \-t \-\-tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree-     \-\-drop=N               flat mode: omit N leading account name parts-.EE-.PP-This command lists account names \- all of them by default, or just the-ones which have been used in transactions (\f[CR]\-u/\-\-used\f[R]), or-declared with \f[CR]account\f[R] directives-(\f[CR]\-d/\-\-declared\f[R]), or used but not declared-(\f[CR]\-\-undeclared\f[R]), or declared but not used-(\f[CR]\-\-unused\f[R]), or just the first one matched by a pattern-(\f[CR]\-\-find\f[R], returning a non\-zero exit code if it fails).-.PP-You can add query arguments to select a subset of transactions or-accounts.-.PP-With \f[CR]\-\-directives\f[R], it shows valid account directives which-could be pasted into a journal file.-This is useful together with \f[CR]\-\-undeclared\f[R] when updating-your account declarations to satisfy \f[CR]hledger check accounts\f[R].-.PP-With \f[CR]\-\-locations\f[R], it also shows the file and line number of-each account\[aq]s declaration, if any, and the account\[aq]s overall-declaration order; these may be useful when troubleshooting account-display order.-.PP-With \f[CR]\-\-types\f[R], it also shows each account\[aq]s type, if-it\[aq]s known.-(See Declaring accounts > Account types.)-.PP-It shows a flat list by default.-With \f[CR]\-\-tree\f[R], it uses indentation to show the account-hierarchy.-In flat mode you can add \f[CR]\-\-drop N\f[R] to omit the first few-account name components.-Account names can be depth\-clipped with \f[CR]depth:N\f[R] or-\f[CR]\-\-depth N\f[R] or \f[CR]\-N\f[R].-.PP-Examples:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger accounts-assets:bank:checking-assets:bank:saving-assets:cash-expenses:food-expenses:supplies-income:gifts-income:salary-liabilities:debts-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger accounts \-\-undeclared \-\-directives >> $LEDGER_FILE-$ hledger check accounts-.EE-.SS codes-List the codes seen in transactions, in the order parsed.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-no command\-specific flags-.EE-.PP-This command prints the value of each transaction\[aq]s code field, in-the order transactions were parsed.-The transaction code is an optional value written in parentheses between-the date and description, often used to store a cheque number, order-number or similar.-.PP-Transactions aren\[aq]t required to have a code, and missing or empty-codes will not be shown by default.-With the \f[CR]\-E\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-empty\f[R] flag, they will be printed-as blank lines.-.PP-You can add a query to select a subset of transactions.-.PP-Examples:-.IP-.EX-2022/1/1 (123) Supermarket   - Food       $5.00- Checking    --2022/1/2 (124) Post Office- Postage    $8.32- Checking--2022/1/3 Supermarket- Food      $11.23- Checking --2022/1/4 (126) Post Office- Postage    $3.21- Checking-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger codes-123-124-126-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger codes \-E-123-124--126-.EE-.SS commodities-List the commodity symbols used or declared in the journal.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-     \-\-used                 list commodities used-     \-\-declared             list commodities declared-     \-\-undeclared           list commodities used but not declared-     \-\-unused               list commodities declared but not used-     \-\-find                 list the first commodity matched by the first-                            argument (a case\-insensitive infix regexp)-.EE-.PP-This command lists commodity symbols/names \- all of them by default, or-just the ones which have been used in transactions or \f[CR]P\f[R]-directives, or declared with \f[CR]commodity\f[R] directives, or used-but not declared, or declared but not used, or just the first one-matched by a pattern (with \f[CR]\-\-find\f[R], returning a non\-zero-exit code if it fails).-.PP-You can add \f[CR]cur:\f[R] query arguments to further limit the-commodities.-.SS descriptions-List the unique descriptions used in transactions.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-no command\-specific flags-.EE-.PP-This command lists the unique descriptions that appear in transactions,-in alphabetic order.-You can add a query to select a subset of transactions.-.PP-Example:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger descriptions-Store Name-Gas Station | Petrol-Person A-.EE-.SS files-List all files included in the journal.-With a REGEX argument, only file names matching the regular expression-(case sensitive) are shown.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-no command\-specific flags-.EE-.SS notes-List the unique notes that appear in transactions.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-no command\-specific flags-.EE-.PP-This command lists the unique notes that appear in transactions, in-alphabetic order.-You can add a query to select a subset of transactions.-The note is the part of the transaction description after a | character-(or if there is no |, the whole description).-.PP-Example:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger notes-Petrol-Snacks-.EE-.SS payees-List the payee/payer names used or declared in the journal.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-     \-\-used                 list payees used-     \-\-declared             list payees declared-     \-\-undeclared           list payees used but not declared-     \-\-unused               list payees declared but not used-     \-\-find                 list the first payee matched by the first-                            argument (a case\-insensitive infix regexp)-.EE-.PP-This command lists unique payee/payer names \- all of them by default,-or just the ones which have been used in transaction descriptions, or-declared with \f[CR]payee\f[R] directives, or used but not declared, or-declared but not used, or just the first one matched by a pattern (with-\f[CR]\-\-find\f[R], returning a non\-zero exit code if it fails).-.PP-The payee/payer name is the part of the transaction description before a-| character (or if there is no |, the whole description).-.PP-You can add query arguments to select a subset of transactions or-payees.-.PP-Example:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger payees-Store Name-Gas Station-Person A-.EE-.SS prices-Print the market prices declared with P directives.-With \-\-infer\-market\-prices, also show any additional prices inferred-from costs.-With \-\-show\-reverse, also show additional prices inferred by-reversing known prices.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-     \-\-show\-reverse         also show the prices inferred by reversing known-                            prices-.EE-.PP-Price amounts are always displayed with their full precision, except for-reverse prices which are limited to 8 decimal digits.-.PP-Prices can be filtered by a date:, cur: or amt: query.-.PP-Generally if you run this command with \-\-infer\-market\-prices-\-\-show\-reverse, it will show the same prices used internally to-calculate value reports.-But if in doubt, you can inspect those directly by running the value-report with \-\-debug=2.-.SS stats-Show journal and performance statistics.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-  \-1                        show a single line of output-  \-v \-\-verbose              show more detailed output-  \-o \-\-output\-file=FILE     write output to FILE.-.EE-.PP-The stats command shows summary information for the whole journal, or a-matched part of it.-With a reporting interval, it shows a report for each report period.-.PP-It also shows some performance statistics:-.IP \[bu] 2-how long the program ran for-.IP \[bu] 2-the number of transactions processed per second-.IP \[bu] 2-the peak live memory in use by the program to do its work-.IP \[bu] 2-the peak allocated memory as seen by the program-.PP-By default, the output is reasonably discreet; it reveals the main file-name, your activity level, and the speed of your machine.-.PP-With \f[CR]\-v/\-\-verbose\f[R], more details are shown: the full paths-of all files, and the names of the commodities you work with.-.PP-With \f[CR]\-1\f[R], only one line of output is shown, in a-machine\-friendly tab\-separated format: the program version, the main-journal file name, and the performance stats,-.PP-The run time of \f[CR]stats\f[R] is similar to that of a balance report.-.PP-Example:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger stats \-f examples/1ktxns\-1kaccts.journal -Main file           : .../1ktxns\-1kaccts.journal-Included files      : 0-Txns span           : 2000\-01\-01 to 2002\-09\-27 (1000 days)-Last txn            : 2002\-09\-26 (7827 days ago)-Txns                : 1000 (1.0 per day)-Txns last 30 days   : 0 (0.0 per day)-Txns last 7 days    : 0 (0.0 per day)-Payees/descriptions : 1000-Accounts            : 1000 (depth 10)-Commodities         : 26-Market prices       : 1000-Runtime stats       : 0.12 s elapsed, 8266 txns/s, 4 MB live, 16 MB alloc-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger stats \-1 \-f examples/10ktxns\-1kaccts.journal-1.50.99\-g0835a2485\-20251119, mac\-aarch64    10ktxns\-1kaccts.journal 0.66 s elapsed  15244 txns/s    28 MB live  86 MB alloc-.EE-.PP-This command supports the \-o/\-\-output\-file option (but not-\-O/\-\-output\-format).-.SS tags-List the tag names used or declared in the journal, or their values.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-     \-\-used                 list tags used-     \-\-declared             list tags declared-     \-\-undeclared           list tags used but not declared-     \-\-unused               list tags declared but not used-     \-\-find                 list the first tag whose name is matched by the-                            first argument (a case\-insensitive infix regexp)-     \-\-values               list tag values instead of tag names-     \-\-parsed               show them in the order they were parsed (mostly),-                            including duplicates-.EE-.PP-This command lists tag names \- all of them by default, or just the ones-which have been used on transactions/postings/accounts, or declared with-\f[CR]tag\f[R] directives, or used but not declared, or declared but not-used, or just the first one matched by a pattern (with-\f[CR]\-\-find\f[R], returning a non\-zero exit code if it fails).-.PP-Note this command\[aq]s non\-standard first argument: it is a-case\-insensitive infix regular expression for matching tag names, which-limits the tags shown.-Any additional arguments are standard query arguments, which limit the-transactions, postings, or accounts providing tags.-.PP-With \f[CR]\-\-values\f[R], the tags\[aq] unique non\-empty values are-listed instead.-.PP-With \f[CR]\-E\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-empty\f[R], blank/empty values are also-shown.-.PP-With \f[CR]\-\-parsed\f[R], tags or values are shown in the order they-were parsed, with duplicates included.-(Except, tags from account declarations are always shown first.)-.PP-Remember that accounts also acquire tags from their parents; postings-also acquire tags from their account and transaction; and transactions-also acquire tags from their postings.-.SH Standard report commands-.SS print-Show full journal entries, representing transactions.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-  \-x \-\-explicit             show all amounts explicitly-     \-\-invert               display all amounts with reversed sign-     \-\-locations            add tags showing file paths and line numbers-  \-m \-\-match=DESC           fuzzy search for one recent transaction with-                            description closest to DESC-     \-\-new                  show only newer\-dated transactions added in each-                            file since last run-     \-\-round=TYPE           how much rounding or padding should be done when-                            displaying amounts ?-                            none \- show original decimal digits,-                                   as in journal (default)-                            soft \- just add or remove decimal zeros-                                   to match precision-                            hard \- round posting amounts to precision-                                   (can unbalance transactions)-                            all  \- also round cost amounts to precision-                                   (can unbalance transactions)-     \-\-base\-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate links to hledger\-web,-                            with this prefix. (Usually the base url shown by-                            hledger\-web; can also be relative.)-  \-O \-\-output\-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:-                            txt, beancount, csv, tsv, html, fods, json, sql.-  \-o \-\-output\-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching-                            one of the above formats selects that format.-.EE-.PP-The print command displays full journal entries (transactions) from the-journal file, sorted by date (or with \f[CR]\-\-date2\f[R], by secondary-date).-.PP-Directives and inter\-transaction comments are not shown, currently.-This means the print command is somewhat lossy, and if you are using it-to reformat/regenerate your journal you should take care to also copy-over the directives and inter\-transaction comments.-.PP-Eg:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger print \-f examples/sample.journal date:200806-2008/06/01 gift-    assets:bank:checking            $1-    income:gifts                   $\-1--2008/06/02 save-    assets:bank:saving              $1-    assets:bank:checking           $\-1--2008/06/03 * eat & shop-    expenses:food                $1-    expenses:supplies            $1-    assets:cash                 $\-2-.EE-.SS print amount explicitness-Normally, whether posting amounts are implicit or explicit is preserved.-For example, when an amount is omitted in the journal, it will not-appear in the output.-Similarly, if a conversion cost is implied but not written, it will not-appear in the output.-.PP-You can use the \f[CR]\-x\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-explicit\f[R] flag to force-explicit display of all amounts and costs.-This can be useful for troubleshooting or for making your journal more-readable and robust against data entry errors.-\f[CR]\-x\f[R] is also implied by using any of-\f[CR]\-B\f[R],\f[CR]\-V\f[R],\f[CR]\-X\f[R],\f[CR]\-\-value\f[R].-.PP-The \f[CR]\-x\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-explicit\f[R] flag will cause any postings-with a multi\-commodity amount (which can arise when a multi\-commodity-transaction has an implicit amount) to be split into multiple-single\-commodity postings, keeping the output parseable.-.SS print alignment-Amounts are shown right\-aligned within each transaction (but not-aligned across all transactions; you can achieve that with ledger\-mode-in Emacs).-.SS print amount style-Amounts will be displayed mostly in their commodity\[aq]s display style,-with standardised symbol placement, decimal mark, and digit group marks.-This does not apply to their decimal digits; \f[CR]print\f[R] normally-shows the same decimal digits that are recorded in each journal entry.-.PP-You can override the decimal precisions with \f[CR]print\f[R]\[aq]s-special \f[CR]\-\-round\f[R] option (\f[I]since 1.32\f[R]).-\f[CR]\-\-round\f[R] tries to show amounts with their commodities\[aq]-standard decimal precisions, increasingly strongly:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-round=none\f[R] show amounts with original precisions-(default)-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-round=soft\f[R] add/remove decimal zeros in amounts (except-costs)-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-round=hard\f[R] round amounts (except costs), possibly hiding-significant digits-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-round=all\f[R] round all amounts and costs-.PP-\f[CR]soft\f[R] is good for non\-lossy cleanup, displaying more-consistent decimals where possible, without making entries unbalanced.-.PP-\f[CR]hard\f[R] or \f[CR]all\f[R] can be good for stronger cleanup, when-decimal rounding is wanted.-Note rounding can produce unbalanced journal entries, perhaps requiring-manual fixup.-.SS print parseability-Normally, print\[aq]s output is a valid hledger journal, which you can-\[dq]pipe\[dq] to a second hledger command for further processing.-This is sometimes convenient for achieving certain kinds of query-(though less needed now that queries have become more powerful):-.IP-.EX-# Show running total of food expenses paid from cash.-# \-f\- reads from stdin. \-I/\-\-ignore\-assertions is sometimes needed.-$ hledger print assets:cash | hledger \-f\- \-I reg expenses:food-.EE-.PP-But here are some things which can cause print\[aq]s output to become-unparseable:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-round\f[R] (see above) can disrupt transaction balancing.-.IP \[bu] 2-Account aliases or pivoting can disrupt account names, balance-assertions, or balance assignments.-.IP \[bu] 2-Value reporting also can disrupt balance assertions or balance-assignments.-.IP \[bu] 2-Auto postings can generate too many amountless postings.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-infer\-costs or \-\-infer\-equity\f[R] can generate-too\-complex redundant costs.-.IP \[bu] 2-Because print always shows transactions in date order, balance-assertions involving non\-date\-ordered transactions (and same\-day-postings) could be disrupted.-.SS print, other features-With \f[CR]\-B\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-cost\f[R], amounts with costs are shown-converted to cost.-.PP-With \f[CR]\-\-invert\f[R], posting amounts are shown with their sign-flipped.-It could be useful if you have accidentally recorded some transactions-with the wrong signs.-.PP-With \f[CR]\-\-new\f[R], print shows only transactions it has not seen-on a previous run.-This uses the same deduplication system as the \f[CR]import\f[R]-command.-(See import\[aq]s docs for details.)-.PP-With \f[CR]\-m DESC\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-match=DESC\f[R], print shows one-recent transaction whose description is most similar to DESC.-DESC should contain at least two characters.-If there is no similar\-enough match, no transaction will be shown and-the program exit code will be non\-zero.-.PP-With \f[CR]\-\-locations\f[R], print adds the source file and line-number to every transaction, as a tag.-.SS print output format-This command also supports the output destination and output format-options The output formats supported are \f[CR]txt\f[R],-\f[CR]beancount\f[R] (\f[I]Added in 1.32\f[R]), \f[CR]csv\f[R],-\f[CR]tsv\f[R] (\f[I]Added in 1.32\f[R]), \f[CR]json\f[R] and-\f[CR]sql\f[R].-.PP-The \f[CR]beancount\f[R] format tries to produce Beancount\-compatible-output, as follows:-.IP \[bu] 2-Transaction and postings with unmarked status are converted to cleared-(\f[CR]*\f[R]) status.-.IP \[bu] 2-Transactions\[aq] payee and note are backslash\-escaped and-double\-quote\-escaped and wrapped in double quotes.-.IP \[bu] 2-Transaction tags are copied to Beancount #tag format.-.IP \[bu] 2-Commodity symbols are converted to upper case, and a small number of-currency symbols like \f[CR]$\f[R] are converted to the corresponding-currency names.-.IP \[bu] 2-Account name parts are capitalised and unsupported characters are-replaced with \f[CR]\-\f[R].-If an account name part does not begin with a letter, or if the first-part is not Assets, Liabilities, Equity, Income, or Expenses, an error-is raised.-(Use \f[CR]\-\-alias\f[R] options to bring your accounts into-compliance.)-.IP \[bu] 2-An \f[CR]open\f[R] directive is generated for each account used, on the-earliest transaction date.-.PP-Some limitations:-.IP \[bu] 2-Balance assertions are removed.-.IP \[bu] 2-Balance assignments become missing amounts.-.IP \[bu] 2-Virtual and balanced virtual postings become regular postings.-.IP \[bu] 2-Directives are not converted.-.PP-Here\[aq]s an example of print\[aq]s CSV output:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger print \-Ocsv-\[dq]txnidx\[dq],\[dq]date\[dq],\[dq]date2\[dq],\[dq]status\[dq],\[dq]code\[dq],\[dq]description\[dq],\[dq]comment\[dq],\[dq]account\[dq],\[dq]amount\[dq],\[dq]commodity\[dq],\[dq]credit\[dq],\[dq]debit\[dq],\[dq]posting\-status\[dq],\[dq]posting\-comment\[dq]-\[dq]1\[dq],\[dq]2008/01/01\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]income\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]assets:bank:checking\[dq],\[dq]1\[dq],\[dq]$\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]1\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq]-\[dq]1\[dq],\[dq]2008/01/01\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]income\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]income:salary\[dq],\[dq]\-1\[dq],\[dq]$\[dq],\[dq]1\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq]-\[dq]2\[dq],\[dq]2008/06/01\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]gift\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]assets:bank:checking\[dq],\[dq]1\[dq],\[dq]$\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]1\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq]-\[dq]2\[dq],\[dq]2008/06/01\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]gift\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]income:gifts\[dq],\[dq]\-1\[dq],\[dq]$\[dq],\[dq]1\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq]-\[dq]3\[dq],\[dq]2008/06/02\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]save\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]assets:bank:saving\[dq],\[dq]1\[dq],\[dq]$\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]1\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq]-\[dq]3\[dq],\[dq]2008/06/02\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]save\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]assets:bank:checking\[dq],\[dq]\-1\[dq],\[dq]$\[dq],\[dq]1\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq]-\[dq]4\[dq],\[dq]2008/06/03\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]*\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]eat & shop\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]expenses:food\[dq],\[dq]1\[dq],\[dq]$\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]1\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq]-\[dq]4\[dq],\[dq]2008/06/03\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]*\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]eat & shop\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]expenses:supplies\[dq],\[dq]1\[dq],\[dq]$\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]1\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq]-\[dq]4\[dq],\[dq]2008/06/03\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]*\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]eat & shop\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]assets:cash\[dq],\[dq]\-2\[dq],\[dq]$\[dq],\[dq]2\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq]-\[dq]5\[dq],\[dq]2008/12/31\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]*\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]pay off\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]liabilities:debts\[dq],\[dq]1\[dq],\[dq]$\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]1\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq]-\[dq]5\[dq],\[dq]2008/12/31\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]*\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]pay off\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]assets:bank:checking\[dq],\[dq]\-1\[dq],\[dq]$\[dq],\[dq]1\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq],\[dq]\[dq]-.EE-.IP \[bu] 2-There is one CSV record per posting, with the parent transaction\[aq]s-fields repeated.-.IP \[bu] 2-The \[dq]txnidx\[dq] (transaction index) field shows which postings-belong to the same transaction.-(This number might change if transactions are reordered within the file,-files are parsed/included in a different order, etc.)-.IP \[bu] 2-The amount is separated into \[dq]commodity\[dq] (the symbol) and-\[dq]amount\[dq] (numeric quantity) fields.-.IP \[bu] 2-The numeric amount is repeated in either the \[dq]credit\[dq] or-\[dq]debit\[dq] column, for convenience.-(Those names are not accurate in the accounting sense; it just puts-negative amounts under credit and zero or greater amounts under debit.)-.SS aregister-(areg)-.PP-Show the transactions and running balances in one account, with each-transaction on one line.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-     \-\-txn\-dates            filter strictly by transaction date, not posting-                            date. Warning: this can show a wrong running-                            balance.-     \-\-no\-elide             don\[aq]t show only 2 commodities per amount-     \-\-cumulative           accumulation mode: show running total from report-                            start date-  \-H \-\-historical           accumulation mode: show historical running-                            total/balance (includes postings before report-                            start date) (default)-     \-\-invert               display all amounts with reversed sign-     \-\-heading=YN           show heading row above table: yes (default) or no-  \-w \-\-width=N              set output width (default: terminal width). \-wN,M-                            sets description width as well.-     \-\-align\-all            guarantee alignment across all lines (slower)-  \-O \-\-output\-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:-                            txt, html, csv, tsv, json.-  \-o \-\-output\-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching-                            one of the above formats selects that format.-.EE-.PP-\f[CR]aregister\f[R] shows the overall transactions affecting a-particular account (and any subaccounts).-Each report line represents one transaction in this account.-Transactions before the report start date are included in the running-balance (\f[CR]\-\-historical\f[R] mode is the default).-You can suppress this behaviour using the \f[CR]\-\-cumulative\f[R]-option.-.PP-This is a more \[dq]real world\[dq], bank\-like view than the-\f[CR]register\f[R] command (which shows individual postings, possibly-from multiple accounts, not necessarily in historical mode).-As a quick rule of thumb:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]aregister\f[R] is best when reconciling real\-world-asset/liability accounts-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]register\f[R] is best when reviewing individual revenues/expenses.-.PP-Note this command\[aq]s non\-standard, and required, first argument; it-specifies the account whose register will be shown.-You can write the account\[aq]s name, or (to save typing) a-case\-insensitive infix regular expression matching the name, which-selects the alphabetically first matched account.-(For example, if you have \f[CR]assets:personal checking\f[R] and-\f[CR]assets:business checking\f[R], \f[CR]hledger areg checking\f[R]-would select \f[CR]assets:business checking\f[R].)-.PP-Transactions involving subaccounts of this account will also be shown.-\f[CR]aregister\f[R] ignores depth limits, so its final total will-always match a historical balance report with similar arguments.-.PP-Any additional arguments are standard query arguments, which will limit-the transactions shown.-Note some queries will disturb the running balance, causing it to be-different from the account\[aq]s real\-world running balance.-.PP-An example: this shows the transactions and historical running balance-during july, in the first account whose name contains-\[dq]checking\[dq]:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger areg checking date:jul-.EE-.PP-Each \f[CR]aregister\f[R] line item shows:-.IP \[bu] 2-the transaction\[aq]s date (or the relevant posting\[aq]s date if-different, see below)-.IP \[bu] 2-the names of all the other account(s) involved in this transaction-(probably abbreviated)-.IP \[bu] 2-the total change to this account\[aq]s balance from this transaction-.IP \[bu] 2-the account\[aq]s historical running balance after this transaction.-.PP-Transactions making a net change of zero are not shown by default; add-the \f[CR]\-E/\-\-empty\f[R] flag to show them.-.PP-For performance reasons, column widths are chosen based on the first-1000 lines; this means unusually wide values in later lines can cause-visual discontinuities as column widths are adjusted.-If you want to ensure perfect alignment, at the cost of more time and-memory, use the \f[CR]\-\-align\-all\f[R] flag.-.PP-By default, \f[CR]aregister\f[R] shows a heading above the data.-However, when reporting in a language different from English, it is-easier to omit this heading and prepend your own one.-For this purpose, use the \f[CR]\-\-heading=no\f[R] option.-.PP-This command also supports the output destination and output format-options.-The output formats supported are \f[CR]txt\f[R], \f[CR]csv\f[R],-\f[CR]tsv\f[R] (\f[I]Added in 1.32\f[R]), \f[CR]html\f[R],-\f[CR]fods\f[R] (\f[I]Added in 1.41\f[R]) and \f[CR]json\f[R].-.SS aregister and posting dates-aregister always shows one line (and date and amount) per transaction.-But sometimes transactions have postings with different dates.-Also, not all of a transaction\[aq]s postings may be within the report-period.-To resolve this, aregister shows the earliest of the transaction\[aq]s-date and posting dates that is in\-period, and the sum of the in\-period-postings.-In other words it will show a combined line item with just the earliest-date, and the running balance will (temporarily, until the-transaction\[aq]s last posting) be inaccurate.-Use \f[CR]register \-H\f[R] if you need to see the individual postings.-.PP-There is also a \f[CR]\-\-txn\-dates\f[R] flag, which filters strictly-by transaction date, ignoring posting dates.-This too can cause an inaccurate running balance.-.SS register-(reg)-.PP-Show postings and their running total.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-     \-\-cumulative           accumulation mode: show running total from report-                            start date (default)-  \-H \-\-historical           accumulation mode: show historical running-                            total/balance (includes postings before report-                            start date)-  \-A \-\-average              show running average of posting amounts instead-                            of total (implies \-\-empty)-  \-m \-\-match=DESC           fuzzy search for one recent posting with-                            description closest to DESC-  \-r \-\-related              show postings\[aq] siblings instead-     \-\-invert               display all amounts with reversed sign-     \-\-sort=FIELDS          sort by: date, desc, account, amount, absamount,-                            or a comma\-separated combination of these. For a-                            descending sort, prefix with \-. (Default: date)-  \-w \-\-width=N              set output width (default: terminal width). \-wN,M-                            sets description width as well.-     \-\-align\-all            guarantee alignment across all lines (slower)-     \-\-base\-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate links to hledger\-web,-                            with this prefix. (Usually the base url shown by-                            hledger\-web; can also be relative.)-  \-O \-\-output\-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:-                            txt, csv, tsv, html, fods, json.-  \-o \-\-output\-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching-                            one of the above formats selects that format.-.EE-.PP-The register command displays matched postings, across all accounts, in-date order, with their running total or running historical balance.-(See also the \f[CR]aregister\f[R] command, which shows matched-transactions in a specific account.)-.PP-register normally shows line per posting, but note that multi\-commodity-amounts will occupy multiple lines (one line per commodity).-.PP-It is typically used with a query selecting a particular account, to see-that account\[aq]s activity:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger register checking-2008/01/01 income               assets:bank:checking            $1           $1-2008/06/01 gift                 assets:bank:checking            $1           $2-2008/06/02 save                 assets:bank:checking           $\-1           $1-2008/12/31 pay off              assets:bank:checking           $\-1            0-.EE-.PP-With \f[CR]\-\-date2\f[R], it shows and sorts by secondary date instead.-.PP-For performance reasons, column widths are chosen based on the first-1000 lines; this means unusually wide values in later lines can cause-visual discontinuities as column widths are adjusted.-If you want to ensure perfect alignment, at the cost of more time and-memory, use the \f[CR]\-\-align\-all\f[R] flag.-.PP-The \f[CR]\-\-historical\f[R]/\f[CR]\-H\f[R] flag adds the balance from-any undisplayed prior postings to the running total.-This is useful when you want to see only recent activity, with a-historically accurate running balance:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger register checking \-b 2008/6 \-\-historical-2008/06/01 gift                 assets:bank:checking            $1           $2-2008/06/02 save                 assets:bank:checking           $\-1           $1-2008/12/31 pay off              assets:bank:checking           $\-1            0-.EE-.PP-The \f[CR]\-\-depth\f[R] option limits the amount of sub\-account detail-displayed.-.PP-The \f[CR]\-\-average\f[R]/\f[CR]\-A\f[R] flag shows the running average-posting amount instead of the running total (so, the final number-displayed is the average for the whole report period).-This flag implies \f[CR]\-\-empty\f[R] (see below).-It is affected by \f[CR]\-\-historical\f[R].-It works best when showing just one account and one commodity.-.PP-The \f[CR]\-\-related\f[R]/\f[CR]\-r\f[R] flag shows the \f[I]other\f[R]-postings in the transactions of the postings which would normally be-shown.-.PP-The \f[CR]\-\-invert\f[R] flag negates all amounts.-For example, it can be used on an income account where amounts are-normally displayed as negative numbers.-It\[aq]s also useful to show postings on the checking account together-with the related account:-.PP-The \f[CR]\-\-sort=FIELDS\f[R] flag sorts by the fields given, which can-be any of \f[CR]account\f[R], \f[CR]amount\f[R], \f[CR]absamount\f[R],-\f[CR]date\f[R], or \f[CR]desc\f[R]/\f[CR]description\f[R], optionally-separated by commas.-For example, \f[CR]\-\-sort account,amount\f[R] will group all-transactions in each account, sorted by transaction amount.-Each field can be negated by a preceding \f[CR]\-\f[R], so-\f[CR]\-\-sort \-amount\f[R] will show transactions ordered from-smallest amount to largest amount.-.IP-.EX-$ hledger register \-\-related \-\-invert assets:checking-.EE-.PP-With a reporting interval, register shows summary postings, one per-interval, aggregating the postings to each account:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger register \-\-monthly income-2008/01                 income:salary                          $\-1          $\-1-2008/06                 income:gifts                           $\-1          $\-2-.EE-.PP-Periods with no activity, and summary postings with a zero amount, are-not shown by default; use the \f[CR]\-\-empty\f[R]/\f[CR]\-E\f[R] flag-to see them:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger register \-\-monthly income \-E-2008/01                 income:salary                          $\-1          $\-1-2008/02                                                          0          $\-1-2008/03                                                          0          $\-1-2008/04                                                          0          $\-1-2008/05                                                          0          $\-1-2008/06                 income:gifts                           $\-1          $\-2-2008/07                                                          0          $\-2-2008/08                                                          0          $\-2-2008/09                                                          0          $\-2-2008/10                                                          0          $\-2-2008/11                                                          0          $\-2-2008/12                                                          0          $\-2-.EE-.PP-Often, you\[aq]ll want to see just one line per interval.-The \f[CR]\-\-depth\f[R] option helps with this, causing subaccounts to-be aggregated:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger register \-\-monthly assets \-\-depth 1-2008/01                 assets                                  $1           $1-2008/06                 assets                                 $\-1            0-2008/12                 assets                                 $\-1          $\-1-.EE-.PP-Note when using report intervals, if you specify start/end dates these-will be adjusted outward if necessary to contain a whole number of-intervals.-This ensures that the first and last intervals are full length and-comparable to the others in the report.-.PP-With \f[CR]\-m DESC\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-match=DESC\f[R], register does a-fuzzy search for one recent posting whose description is most similar to-DESC.-DESC should contain at least two characters.-If there is no similar\-enough match, no posting will be shown and the-program exit code will be non\-zero.-.SS Custom register output-register normally uses the full terminal width (or 80 columns if it-can\[aq]t detect that).-You can override this with the \f[CR]\-\-width\f[R]/\f[CR]\-w\f[R]-option.-.PP-The description and account columns normally share the space equally-(about half of (width \- 40) each).-You can adjust this by adding a description width as part of-\-\-width\[aq]s argument, comma\-separated: \f[CR]\-\-width W,D\f[R] .-Here\[aq]s a diagram (won\[aq]t display correctly in \-\-help):-.IP-.EX-<\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- width (W) \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\->-date (10)  description (D)       account (W\-41\-D)     amount (12)   balance (12)-DDDDDDDDDD dddddddddddddddddddd  aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa  AAAAAAAAAAAA  AAAAAAAAAAAA-.EE-.PP-and some examples:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger reg                     # use terminal width (or 80 on windows)-$ hledger reg \-w 100              # use width 100-$ hledger reg \-w 100,40           # set overall width 100, description width 40-.EE-.PP-This command also supports the output destination and output format-options The output formats supported are \f[CR]txt\f[R], \f[CR]csv\f[R],-\f[CR]tsv\f[R] (\f[I]Added in 1.32\f[R]), and \f[CR]json\f[R].-.SS balancesheet-(bs)-.PP-Show the end balances in asset and liability accounts.-Amounts are shown with normal positive sign, as in conventional-financial statements.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-     \-\-sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts-                            (default)-     \-\-valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of-                            period\-end historical balances (caused by deposits,-                            withdrawals, market price fluctuations)-     \-\-gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital-                            gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost-                            basis)-     \-\-count                calculation mode: show the count of postings-     \-\-change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column-                            start to column end (in multicolumn reports)-     \-\-cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report-                            start (specified by e.g. \-b/\-\-begin) to column end-  \-H \-\-historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from-                            journal start to column end (includes postings-                            before report start date) (default)-  \-l \-\-flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list-                            (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,-                            except where the account is depth\-clipped.-  \-t \-\-tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts-                            include subaccount amounts.-     \-\-drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts-     \-\-declared             include non\-parent declared accounts (best used-                            with \-E)-  \-A \-\-average              show a row average column (in multicolumn-                            reports)-  \-T \-\-row\-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)-     \-\-summary\-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,-                            average) (in multicolumn reports)-  \-N \-\-no\-total             omit the final total row-     \-\-no\-elide             in tree mode, don\[aq]t squash boring parent accounts-     \-\-format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)-  \-S \-\-sort\-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name-  \-% \-\-percent              express values in percentage of each column\[aq]s-                            total-     \-\-layout=ARG           how to show multi\-commodity amounts:-                            \[aq]wide[,WIDTH]\[aq]: all commodities on one line-                            \[aq]tall\[aq]        : each commodity on a new line-                            \[aq]bare\[aq]        : bare numbers, symbols in a column-     \-\-base\-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate hyperlinks to-                            hledger\-web, with this prefix. (Usually the base-                            url shown by hledger\-web; can also be relative.)-  \-O \-\-output\-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:-                            txt, html, csv, tsv, json.-  \-o \-\-output\-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching-                            one of the above formats selects that format.-.EE-.PP-This command displays a balance sheet, showing historical ending-balances of asset and liability accounts.-(To see equity as well, use the balancesheetequity command.)-.PP-Accounts declared with the \f[CR]Asset\f[R], \f[CR]Cash\f[R] or-\f[CR]Liability\f[R] type are shown (see account types).-Or if no such accounts are declared, it shows top\-level accounts named-\f[CR]asset\f[R] or \f[CR]liability\f[R] (case insensitive, plurals-allowed) and their subaccounts.-.PP-Example:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger balancesheet-Balance Sheet 2008\-12\-31--                    || 2008\-12\-31 -====================++============- Assets             ||            -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-- assets:bank:saving ||         $1 - assets:cash        ||        $\-2 -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--                    ||        $\-1 -====================++============- Liabilities        ||            -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-- liabilities:debts  ||        $\-1 -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--                    ||        $\-1 -====================++============- Net:               ||          0 -.EE-.PP-This command is a higher\-level variant of the \f[CR]balance\f[R]-command, and supports many of that command\[aq]s features, such as-multi\-period reports.-It is similar to \f[CR]hledger balance \-H assets liabilities\f[R], but-with smarter account detection, and liabilities displayed with their-sign flipped.-.PP-This command also supports the output destination and output format-options The output formats supported are \f[CR]txt\f[R], \f[CR]csv\f[R],-\f[CR]tsv\f[R] (\f[I]Added in 1.32\f[R]), \f[CR]html\f[R], and-\f[CR]json\f[R].-.SS balancesheetequity-(bse)-.PP-This command displays a balance sheet, showing historical ending-balances of asset, liability and equity accounts.-Amounts are shown with normal positive sign, as in conventional-financial statements.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-     \-\-sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts-                            (default)-     \-\-valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of-                            period\-end historical balances (caused by deposits,-                            withdrawals, market price fluctuations)-     \-\-gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital-                            gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost-                            basis)-     \-\-count                calculation mode: show the count of postings-     \-\-change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column-                            start to column end (in multicolumn reports)-     \-\-cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report-                            start (specified by e.g. \-b/\-\-begin) to column end-  \-H \-\-historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from-                            journal start to column end (includes postings-                            before report start date) (default)-  \-l \-\-flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list-                            (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,-                            except where the account is depth\-clipped.-  \-t \-\-tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts-                            include subaccount amounts.-     \-\-drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts-     \-\-declared             include non\-parent declared accounts (best used-                            with \-E)-  \-A \-\-average              show a row average column (in multicolumn-                            reports)-  \-T \-\-row\-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)-     \-\-summary\-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,-                            average) (in multicolumn reports)-  \-N \-\-no\-total             omit the final total row-     \-\-no\-elide             in tree mode, don\[aq]t squash boring parent accounts-     \-\-format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)-  \-S \-\-sort\-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name-  \-% \-\-percent              express values in percentage of each column\[aq]s-                            total-     \-\-layout=ARG           how to show multi\-commodity amounts:-                            \[aq]wide[,WIDTH]\[aq]: all commodities on one line-                            \[aq]tall\[aq]        : each commodity on a new line-                            \[aq]bare\[aq]        : bare numbers, symbols in a column-     \-\-base\-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate hyperlinks to-                            hledger\-web, with this prefix. (Usually the base-                            url shown by hledger\-web; can also be relative.)-  \-O \-\-output\-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:-                            txt, html, csv, tsv, json.-  \-o \-\-output\-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching-                            one of the above formats selects that format.-.EE-.PP-This report shows accounts declared with the \f[CR]Asset\f[R],-\f[CR]Cash\f[R], \f[CR]Liability\f[R] or \f[CR]Equity\f[R] type (see-account types).-Or if no such accounts are declared, it shows top\-level accounts named-\f[CR]asset\f[R], \f[CR]liability\f[R] or \f[CR]equity\f[R] (case-insensitive, plurals allowed) and their subaccounts.-.PP-Example:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger balancesheetequity-Balance Sheet With Equity 2008\-12\-31--                    || 2008\-12\-31 -====================++============- Assets             ||            -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-- assets:bank:saving ||         $1 - assets:cash        ||        $\-2 -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--                    ||        $\-1 -====================++============- Liabilities        ||            -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-- liabilities:debts  ||        $\-1 -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--                    ||        $\-1 -====================++============- Equity             ||            -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--                    ||          0 -====================++============- Net:               ||          0 -.EE-.PP-This command is a higher\-level variant of the \f[CR]balance\f[R]-command, and supports many of that command\[aq]s features, such as-multi\-period reports.-It is similar to-\f[CR]hledger balance \-H assets liabilities equity\f[R], but with-smarter account detection, and liabilities/equity displayed with their-sign flipped.-.PP-This report is the easiest way to see if the accounting equation (A+L+E-= 0) is satisfied (after you have done a \f[CR]close \-\-retain\f[R] to-merge revenues and expenses with equity, and perhaps added-\f[CR]\-\-infer\-equity\f[R] to balance your commodity conversions).-.PP-This command also supports the output destination and output format-options The output formats supported are \f[CR]txt\f[R], \f[CR]csv\f[R],-\f[CR]tsv\f[R], \f[CR]html\f[R], and \f[CR]json\f[R].-.SS cashflow-(cf)-.PP-This command displays a (simple) cashflow statement, showing the inflows-and outflows affecting \[dq]cash\[dq] (ie, liquid, easily convertible)-assets.-Amounts are shown with normal positive sign, as in conventional-financial statements.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-     \-\-sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts-                            (default)-     \-\-valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of-                            period\-end historical balances (caused by deposits,-                            withdrawals, market price fluctuations)-     \-\-gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital-                            gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost-                            basis)-     \-\-count                calculation mode: show the count of postings-     \-\-change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column-                            start to column end (in multicolumn reports)-                            (default)-     \-\-cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report-                            start (specified by e.g. \-b/\-\-begin) to column end-  \-H \-\-historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from-                            journal start to column end (includes postings-                            before report start date)-  \-l \-\-flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list-                            (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,-                            except where the account is depth\-clipped.-  \-t \-\-tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts-                            include subaccount amounts.-     \-\-drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts-     \-\-declared             include non\-parent declared accounts (best used-                            with \-E)-  \-A \-\-average              show a row average column (in multicolumn-                            reports)-  \-T \-\-row\-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)-     \-\-summary\-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,-                            average) (in multicolumn reports)-  \-N \-\-no\-total             omit the final total row-     \-\-no\-elide             in tree mode, don\[aq]t squash boring parent accounts-     \-\-format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)-  \-S \-\-sort\-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name-  \-% \-\-percent              express values in percentage of each column\[aq]s-                            total-     \-\-layout=ARG           how to show multi\-commodity amounts:-                            \[aq]wide[,WIDTH]\[aq]: all commodities on one line-                            \[aq]tall\[aq]        : each commodity on a new line-                            \[aq]bare\[aq]        : bare numbers, symbols in a column-     \-\-base\-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate hyperlinks to-                            hledger\-web, with this prefix. (Usually the base-                            url shown by hledger\-web; can also be relative.)-  \-O \-\-output\-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:-                            txt, html, csv, tsv, json.-  \-o \-\-output\-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching-                            one of the above formats selects that format.-.EE-.PP-This report shows accounts declared with the \f[CR]Cash\f[R] type (see-account types).-Or if no such accounts are declared, it shows accounts-.IP \[bu] 2-under a top\-level account named \f[CR]asset\f[R] (case insensitive,-plural allowed)-.IP \[bu] 2-whose name contains some variation of \f[CR]cash\f[R], \f[CR]bank\f[R],-\f[CR]checking\f[R] or \f[CR]saving\f[R].-.PP-More precisely: all accounts matching this case insensitive regular-expression:-.PP-\f[CR]\[ha]assets?(:.+)?:(cash|bank|che(ck|que?)(ing)?|savings?|currentcash)(:|$)\f[R]-.PP-and their subaccounts.-.PP-An example cashflow report:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger cashflow-Cashflow Statement 2008--                    || 2008 -====================++======- Cash flows         ||      -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-- assets:bank:saving ||   $1 - assets:cash        ||  $\-2 -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\--                    ||  $\-1 -.EE-.PP-This command is a higher\-level variant of the \f[CR]balance\f[R]-command, and supports many of that command\[aq]s features, such as-multi\-period reports.-It is similar to-\f[CR]hledger balance assets not:fixed not:investment not:receivable\f[R],-but with smarter account detection.-.PP-This command also supports the output destination and output format-options The output formats supported are \f[CR]txt\f[R], \f[CR]csv\f[R],-\f[CR]tsv\f[R] (\f[I]Added in 1.32\f[R]), \f[CR]html\f[R], and-\f[CR]json\f[R].-.SS incomestatement-(is)-.PP-Show revenue inflows and expense outflows during the report period.-Amounts are shown with normal positive sign, as in conventional-financial statements.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-     \-\-sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts-                            (default)-     \-\-valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of-                            period\-end historical balances (caused by deposits,-                            withdrawals, market price fluctuations)-     \-\-gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital-                            gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost-                            basis)-     \-\-count                calculation mode: show the count of postings-     \-\-change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column-                            start to column end (in multicolumn reports)-                            (default)-     \-\-cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report-                            start (specified by e.g. \-b/\-\-begin) to column end-  \-H \-\-historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from-                            journal start to column end (includes postings-                            before report start date)-  \-l \-\-flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list-                            (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,-                            except where the account is depth\-clipped.-  \-t \-\-tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts-                            include subaccount amounts.-     \-\-drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts-     \-\-declared             include non\-parent declared accounts (best used-                            with \-E)-  \-A \-\-average              show a row average column (in multicolumn-                            reports)-  \-T \-\-row\-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)-     \-\-summary\-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,-                            average) (in multicolumn reports)-  \-N \-\-no\-total             omit the final total row-     \-\-no\-elide             in tree mode, don\[aq]t squash boring parent accounts-     \-\-format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)-  \-S \-\-sort\-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name-  \-% \-\-percent              express values in percentage of each column\[aq]s-                            total-     \-\-layout=ARG           how to show multi\-commodity amounts:-                            \[aq]wide[,WIDTH]\[aq]: all commodities on one line-                            \[aq]tall\[aq]        : each commodity on a new line-                            \[aq]bare\[aq]        : bare numbers, symbols in a column-     \-\-base\-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate hyperlinks to-                            hledger\-web, with this prefix. (Usually the base-                            url shown by hledger\-web; can also be relative.)-  \-O \-\-output\-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:-                            txt, html, csv, tsv, json.-  \-o \-\-output\-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching-                            one of the above formats selects that format.-.EE-.PP-This command displays an income statement, showing revenues and expenses-during one or more periods.-.PP-It shows accounts declared with the \f[CR]Revenue\f[R] or-\f[CR]Expense\f[R] type (see account types).-Or if no such accounts are declared, it shows top\-level accounts named-\f[CR]revenue\f[R] or \f[CR]income\f[R] or \f[CR]expense\f[R] (case-insensitive, plurals allowed) and their subaccounts.-.PP-Example:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger incomestatement-Income Statement 2008--                   || 2008 -===================++======- Revenues          ||      -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-- income:gifts      ||   $1 - income:salary     ||   $1 -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\--                   ||   $2 -===================++======- Expenses          ||      -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-- expenses:food     ||   $1 - expenses:supplies ||   $1 -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\--                   ||   $2 -===================++======- Net:              ||    0 -.EE-.PP-This command is a higher\-level variant of the \f[CR]balance\f[R]-command, and supports many of that command\[aq]s features, such as-multi\-period reports.-It is similar to-\f[CR]hledger balance \[aq](revenues|income)\[aq] expenses\f[R], but-with smarter account detection, and revenues/income displayed with their-sign flipped.-.PP-This command also supports the output destination and output format-options The output formats supported are \f[CR]txt\f[R], \f[CR]csv\f[R],-\f[CR]tsv\f[R] (\f[I]Added in 1.32\f[R]), \f[CR]html\f[R], and-\f[CR]json\f[R].-.SH Advanced report commands-.SS balance-(bal)-.PP-A flexible, general purpose \[dq]summing\[dq] report that shows accounts-with some kind of numeric data.-This can be balance changes per period, end balances, budget-performance, unrealised capital gains, etc.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-     \-\-sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts-                            (default)-     \-\-valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of-                            period\-end historical balances (caused by deposits,-                            withdrawals, market price fluctuations)-     \-\-gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital-                            gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost-                            basis)-     \-\-budget[=DESCPAT]     calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts-                            together with budget goals defined by periodic-                            transactions. With a DESCPAT argument (must be-                            separated by = not space),-                            use only periodic transactions with matching-                            description-                            (case insensitive substring match).-     \-\-count                calculation mode: show the count of postings-     \-\-change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column-                            start to column end (in multicolumn reports,-                            default)-     \-\-cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report-                            start (specified by e.g. \-b/\-\-begin) to column end-  \-H \-\-historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from-                            journal start to column end (includes postings-                            before report start date)-  \-l \-\-flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list-                            (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,-                            except where the account is depth\-clipped.-  \-t \-\-tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts-                            include subaccount amounts.-     \-\-drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts-     \-\-declared             include non\-parent declared accounts (best used-                            with \-E)-  \-A \-\-average              show a row average column (in multicolumn-                            reports)-  \-T \-\-row\-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)-     \-\-summary\-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,-                            average) (in multicolumn reports)-  \-N \-\-no\-total             omit the final total row-     \-\-no\-elide             in tree mode, don\[aq]t squash boring parent accounts-     \-\-format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)-  \-S \-\-sort\-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name (in-                            flat mode). With multiple columns, sorts by the row-                            total, or by row average if that is displayed.-  \-% \-\-percent              express values in percentage of each column\[aq]s-                            total-  \-r \-\-related              show the other accounts transacted with, instead-     \-\-invert               display all amounts with reversed sign-     \-\-transpose            switch rows and columns (use vertical time axis)-     \-\-layout=ARG           how to lay out multi\-commodity amounts and the-                            overall table:-                            \[aq]wide[,W]\[aq]: commodities on same line, up to W wide-                            \[aq]tall\[aq]    : commodities on separate lines-                            \[aq]bare\[aq]    : commodity symbols in a separate column-                            \[aq]tidy\[aq]    : each data field in its own column-     \-\-base\-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate links to hledger\-web,-                            with this prefix. (Usually the base url shown by-                            hledger\-web; can also be relative.)-  \-O \-\-output\-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:-                            txt, html, csv, tsv, json, fods.-  \-o \-\-output\-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching-                            one of the above formats selects that format.-.EE-.PP-\f[CR]balance\f[R] is one of hledger\[aq]s oldest and most versatile-commands, for listing account balances, balance changes, values, value-changes and more, during one time period or many.-Generally it shows a table, with rows representing accounts, and columns-representing periods.-.PP-Note there are some variants of the \f[CR]balance\f[R] command with-convenient defaults, which are simpler to use: \f[CR]balancesheet\f[R],-\f[CR]balancesheetequity\f[R], \f[CR]cashflow\f[R] and-\f[CR]incomestatement\f[R].-When you need more control, then use \f[CR]balance\f[R].-.SS balance features-Here\[aq]s a quick overview of the \f[CR]balance\f[R] command\[aq]s-features, followed by more detailed descriptions and examples.-Many of these work with the other balance\-like commands as well-(\f[CR]bs\f[R], \f[CR]cf\f[R], \f[CR]is\f[R]..).-.PP-\f[CR]balance\f[R] can show..-.IP \[bu] 2-accounts as a list (\f[CR]\-l\f[R]) or a tree (\f[CR]\-t\f[R])-.IP \[bu] 2-optionally depth\-limited (\f[CR]\-[1\-9]\f[R])-.IP \[bu] 2-sorted by declaration order and name, or by amount-.PP-\&..and their..-.IP \[bu] 2-balance changes (the default)-.IP \[bu] 2-or actual and planned balance changes (\f[CR]\-\-budget\f[R])-.IP \[bu] 2-or value of balance changes (\f[CR]\-V\f[R])-.IP \[bu] 2-or change of balance values (\f[CR]\-\-valuechange\f[R])-.IP \[bu] 2-or unrealised capital gain/loss (\f[CR]\-\-gain\f[R])-.IP \[bu] 2-or balance changes from sibling postings-(\f[CR]\-\-related\f[R]/\f[CR]\-r\f[R])-.IP \[bu] 2-or postings count (\f[CR]\-\-count\f[R])-.PP-\&..in..-.IP \[bu] 2-one time period (the whole journal period by default)-.IP \[bu] 2-or multiple periods (\f[CR]\-D\f[R], \f[CR]\-W\f[R], \f[CR]\-M\f[R],-\f[CR]\-Q\f[R], \f[CR]\-Y\f[R], \f[CR]\-p INTERVAL\f[R])-.PP-\&..either..-.IP \[bu] 2-per period (the default)-.IP \[bu] 2-or accumulated since report start date (\f[CR]\-\-cumulative\f[R])-.IP \[bu] 2-or accumulated since account creation (\f[CR]\-\-historical/\-H\f[R])-.PP-\&..possibly converted to..-.IP \[bu] 2-cost-(\f[CR]\-\-value=cost[,COMM]\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-cost\f[R]/\f[CR]\-B\f[R])-.IP \[bu] 2-or market value, as of transaction dates-(\f[CR]\-\-value=then[,COMM]\f[R])-.IP \[bu] 2-or at period ends (\f[CR]\-\-value=end[,COMM]\f[R])-.IP \[bu] 2-or now (\f[CR]\-\-value=now\f[R])-.IP \[bu] 2-or at some other date (\f[CR]\-\-value=YYYY\-MM\-DD\f[R])-.PP-\&..with..-.IP \[bu] 2-totals (\f[CR]\-T\f[R]), averages (\f[CR]\-A\f[R]), percentages-(\f[CR]\-%\f[R]), inverted sign (\f[CR]\-\-invert\f[R])-.IP \[bu] 2-rows and columns swapped (\f[CR]\-\-transpose\f[R])-.IP \[bu] 2-another field used as account name (\f[CR]\-\-pivot\f[R])-.IP \[bu] 2-custom\-formatted line items (single\-period reports only)-(\f[CR]\-\-format\f[R])-.IP \[bu] 2-commodities displayed on the same line or multiple lines-(\f[CR]\-\-layout\f[R])-.PP-This command supports the output destination and output format options,-with output formats \f[CR]txt\f[R], \f[CR]csv\f[R], \f[CR]tsv\f[R]-(\f[I]Added in 1.32\f[R]), \f[CR]json\f[R], and (multi\-period reports-only:) \f[CR]html\f[R], \f[CR]fods\f[R] (\f[I]Added in 1.40\f[R]).-In \f[CR]txt\f[R] output in a colour\-supporting terminal, negative-amounts are shown in red.-.SS Simple balance report-With no arguments, \f[CR]balance\f[R] shows a list of all accounts and-their change of balance \- ie, the sum of posting amounts, both inflows-and outflows \- during the entire period of the journal.-(\[dq]Simple\[dq] here means just one column of numbers, covering a-single period.-You can also have multi\-period reports, described later.)-.PP-For real\-world accounts, these numbers will normally be their end-balance at the end of the journal period; more on this below.-.PP-Accounts are sorted by declaration order if any, and then alphabetically-by account name.-For instance (using examples/sample.journal):-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f examples/sample.journal bal-                  $1  assets:bank:saving-                 $\-2  assets:cash-                  $1  expenses:food-                  $1  expenses:supplies-                 $\-1  income:gifts-                 $\-1  income:salary-                  $1  liabilities:debts-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--                   0  -.EE-.PP-Accounts with a zero balance (and no non\-zero subaccounts, in tree mode-\- see below) are hidden by default.-Use \f[CR]\-E/\-\-empty\f[R] to show them (revealing-\f[CR]assets:bank:checking\f[R] here):-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f examples/sample.journal bal  \-E-                   0  assets:bank:checking-                  $1  assets:bank:saving-                 $\-2  assets:cash-                  $1  expenses:food-                  $1  expenses:supplies-                 $\-1  income:gifts-                 $\-1  income:salary-                  $1  liabilities:debts-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--                   0  -.EE-.PP-The total of the amounts displayed is shown as the last line, unless-\f[CR]\-N\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-no\-total\f[R] is used.-.SS Balance report line format-For single\-period balance reports displayed in the terminal (only), you-can use \f[CR]\-\-format FMT\f[R] to customise the format and content of-each line.-Eg:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f examples/sample.journal balance \-\-format \[dq]%20(account) %12(total)\[dq]-              assets          $\-1-         bank:saving           $1-                cash          $\-2-            expenses           $2-                food           $1-            supplies           $1-              income          $\-2-               gifts          $\-1-              salary          $\-1-   liabilities:debts           $1-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--                                0-.EE-.PP-The FMT format string specifies the formatting applied to each-account/balance pair.-It may contain any suitable text, with data fields interpolated like so:-.PP-\f[CR]%[MIN][.MAX](FIELDNAME)\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-MIN pads with spaces to at least this width (optional)-.IP \[bu] 2-MAX truncates at this width (optional)-.IP \[bu] 2-FIELDNAME must be enclosed in parentheses, and can be one of:-.RS 2-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]depth_spacer\f[R] \- a number of spaces equal to the account\[aq]s-depth, or if MIN is specified, MIN * depth spaces.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]account\f[R] \- the account\[aq]s name-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]total\f[R] \- the account\[aq]s balance/posted total, right-justified-.RE-.PP-Also, FMT can begin with an optional prefix to control how-multi\-commodity amounts are rendered:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]%_\f[R] \- render on multiple lines, bottom\-aligned (the default)-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]%\[ha]\f[R] \- render on multiple lines, top\-aligned-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]%,\f[R] \- render on one line, comma\-separated-.PP-There are some quirks.-Eg in one\-line mode, \f[CR]%(depth_spacer)\f[R] has no effect, instead-\f[CR]%(account)\f[R] has indentation built in.-\ Experimentation may be needed to get pleasing results.-.PP-Some example formats:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]%(total)\f[R] \- the account\[aq]s total-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]%\-20.20(account)\f[R] \- the account\[aq]s name, left justified,-padded to 20 characters and clipped at 20 characters-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]%,%\-50(account)  %25(total)\f[R] \- account name padded to 50-characters, total padded to 20 characters, with multiple commodities-rendered on one line-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]%20(total)  %2(depth_spacer)%\-(account)\f[R] \- the default-format for the single\-column balance report-.SS Filtered balance report-You can show fewer accounts, a different time period, totals from-cleared transactions only, etc.-by using query arguments or options to limit the postings being matched.-Eg:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f examples/sample.journal bal \-\-cleared assets date:200806-                 $\-2  assets:cash-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--                 $\-2  -.EE-.SS List or tree mode-By default, or with \f[CR]\-l/\-\-flat\f[R], accounts are shown as a-flat list with their full names visible, as in the examples above.-.PP-With \f[CR]\-t/\-\-tree\f[R], the account hierarchy is shown, with-subaccounts\[aq] \[dq]leaf\[dq] names indented below their parent:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f examples/sample.journal balance-                 $\-1  assets-                  $1    bank:saving-                 $\-2    cash-                  $2  expenses-                  $1    food-                  $1    supplies-                 $\-2  income-                 $\-1    gifts-                 $\-1    salary-                  $1  liabilities:debts-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--                   0-.EE-.PP-Notes:-.IP \[bu] 2-\[dq]Boring\[dq] accounts are combined with their subaccount for more-compact output, unless \f[CR]\-\-no\-elide\f[R] is used.-Boring accounts have no balance of their own and just one subaccount (eg-\f[CR]assets:bank\f[R] and \f[CR]liabilities\f[R] above).-.IP \[bu] 2-All balances shown are \[dq]inclusive\[dq], ie including the balances-from all subaccounts.-Note this means some repetition in the output, which requires-explanation when sharing reports with non\-plaintextaccounting\-users.-A tree mode report\[aq]s final total is the sum of the top\-level-balances shown, not of all the balances shown.-.IP \[bu] 2-Each group of sibling accounts (ie, under a common parent) is sorted-separately.-.SS Depth limiting-With a \f[CR]depth:NUM\f[R] query, or \f[CR]\-\-depth NUM\f[R] option,-or just \f[CR]\-NUM\f[R] (eg: \f[CR]\-3\f[R]) balance reports will show-accounts only to the specified depth, hiding the deeper subaccounts.-This can be useful for getting an overview without too much detail.-.PP-Account balances at the depth limit always include the balances from any-deeper subaccounts (even in list mode).-Eg, limiting to depth 1:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f examples/sample.journal balance \-1-                 $\-1  assets-                  $2  expenses-                 $\-2  income-                  $1  liabilities-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--                   0  -.EE-.SS Dropping top\-level accounts-You can also hide one or more top\-level account name parts, using-\f[CR]\-\-drop NUM\f[R].-This can be useful for hiding repetitive top\-level account names:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f examples/sample.journal bal expenses \-\-drop 1-                  $1  food-                  $1  supplies-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--                  $2  -.EE-.PP-.SS Showing declared accounts-With \f[CR]\-\-declared\f[R], accounts which have been declared with an-account directive will be included in the balance report, even if they-have no transactions.-(Since they will have a zero balance, you will also need-\f[CR]\-E/\-\-empty\f[R] to see them.)-.PP-More precisely, \f[I]leaf\f[R] declared accounts (with no subaccounts)-will be included, since those are usually the more useful in reports.-.PP-The idea of this is to be able to see a useful \[dq]complete\[dq]-balance report, even when you don\[aq]t have transactions in all of your-declared accounts yet.-.SS Sorting by amount-With \f[CR]\-S/\-\-sort\-amount\f[R], accounts with the largest (most-positive) balances are shown first.-Eg: \f[CR]hledger bal expenses \-MAS\f[R] shows your biggest averaged-monthly expenses first.-When more than one commodity is present, they will be sorted by the-alphabetically earliest commodity first, and then by subsequent-commodities (if an amount is missing a commodity, it is treated as 0).-.PP-Revenues and liability balances are typically negative, however, so-\f[CR]\-S\f[R] shows these in reverse order.-To work around this, you can add \f[CR]\-\-invert\f[R] to flip the-signs.-Or you could use one of the higher\-level balance reports-(\f[CR]bs\f[R], \f[CR]is\f[R]..), which flip the sign automatically (eg:-\f[CR]hledger is \-MAS\f[R]).-.PP-.SS Percentages-With \f[CR]\-%/\-\-percent\f[R], balance reports show each account\[aq]s-value expressed as a percentage of the (column) total.-.PP-Note it is not useful to calculate percentages if the amounts in a-column have mixed signs.-In this case, make a separate report for each sign, eg:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger bal \-% amt:\[ga]>0\[ga]-$ hledger bal \-% amt:\[ga]<0\[ga]-.EE-.PP-Similarly, if the amounts in a column have mixed commodities, convert-them to one commodity with \f[CR]\-B\f[R], \f[CR]\-V\f[R],-\f[CR]\-X\f[R] or \f[CR]\-\-value\f[R], or make a separate report for-each commodity:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger bal \-% cur:\[rs]\[rs]$-$ hledger bal \-% cur:€-.EE-.SS Multi\-period balance report-With a report interval (set by the \f[CR]\-D/\-\-daily\f[R],-\f[CR]\-W/\-\-weekly\f[R], \f[CR]\-M/\-\-monthly\f[R],-\f[CR]\-Q/\-\-quarterly\f[R], \f[CR]\-Y/\-\-yearly\f[R], or-\f[CR]\-p/\-\-period\f[R] flag), \f[CR]balance\f[R] shows a tabular-report, with columns representing successive time periods (and a title):-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f examples/sample.journal bal \-\-quarterly income expenses \-E-Balance changes in 2008:--                   ||  2008q1  2008q2  2008q3  2008q4 -===================++=================================- expenses:food     ||       0      $1       0       0 - expenses:supplies ||       0      $1       0       0 - income:gifts      ||       0     $\-1       0       0 - income:salary     ||     $\-1       0       0       0 -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--                   ||     $\-1      $1       0       0 -.EE-.PP-Notes:-.IP \[bu] 2-The report\[aq]s start/end dates will be expanded, if necessary, to-fully encompass the displayed subperiods (so that the first and last-subperiods have the same duration as the others).-.IP \[bu] 2-Leading and trailing periods (columns) containing all zeroes are not-shown, unless \f[CR]\-E/\-\-empty\f[R] is used.-.IP \[bu] 2-Accounts (rows) containing all zeroes are not shown, unless-\f[CR]\-E/\-\-empty\f[R] is used.-.IP \[bu] 2-Amounts with many commodities are shown in abbreviated form, unless-\f[CR]\-\-no\-elide\f[R] is used.-.IP \[bu] 2-Average and/or total columns can be added with the-\f[CR]\-A/\-\-average\f[R] and \f[CR]\-T/\-\-row\-total\f[R] flags.-.IP \[bu] 2-The \f[CR]\-\-transpose\f[R] flag can be used to exchange rows and-columns.-.IP \[bu] 2-The \f[CR]\-\-pivot FIELD\f[R] option causes a different transaction-field to be used as \[dq]account name\[dq].-See PIVOTING.-.IP \[bu] 2-The \f[CR]\-\-summary\-only\f[R] flag (\f[CR]\-\-summary\f[R] also-works) hides all but the Total and Average columns (those should be-enabled with \f[CR]\-\-row\-total\f[R] and \f[CR]\-A/\-\-average\f[R]).-.PP-Multi\-period reports with many periods can be too wide for easy viewing-in the terminal.-Here are some ways to handle that:-.IP \[bu] 2-Hide the totals row with \f[CR]\-N/\-\-no\-total\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-Filter to a single currency with \f[CR]cur:\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-Convert to a single currency with-\f[CR]\-V [\-\-infer\-market\-price]\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-Use a more compact layout like \f[CR]\-\-layout=bare\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-Maximize the terminal window-.IP \[bu] 2-Reduce the terminal\[aq]s font size-.IP \[bu] 2-View with a pager like less, eg:-\f[CR]hledger bal \-D \-\-color=yes | less \-RS\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-Output as CSV and use a CSV viewer like visidata-(\f[CR]hledger bal \-D \-O csv | vd \-f csv\f[R]), Emacs\[aq] csv\-mode-(\f[CR]M\-x csv\-mode, C\-c C\-a\f[R]), or a spreadsheet-(\f[CR]hledger bal \-D \-o a.csv && open a.csv\f[R])-.IP \[bu] 2-Output as HTML and view with a browser:-\f[CR]hledger bal \-D \-o a.html && open a.html\f[R]-.SS Balance change, end balance-It\[aq]s important to be clear on the meaning of the numbers shown in-balance reports.-Here is some terminology we use:-.PP-A \f[B]\f[BI]balance change\f[B]\f[R] is the net amount added to, or-removed from, an account during some period.-.PP-An \f[B]\f[BI]end balance\f[B]\f[R] is the amount accumulated in an-account as of some date (and some time, but hledger doesn\[aq]t store-that; assume end of day in your timezone).-It is the sum of previous balance changes.-.PP-We call it a \f[B]\f[BI]historical end balance\f[B]\f[R] if it includes-all balance changes since the account was created.-For a real world account, this means it will match the \[dq]historical-record\[dq], eg the balances reported in your bank statements or bank-web UI.-(If they are correct!)-.PP-In general, balance changes are what you want to see when reviewing-revenues and expenses, and historical end balances are what you want to-see when reviewing or reconciling asset, liability and equity accounts.-.PP-\f[CR]balance\f[R] shows balance changes by default.-To see accurate historical end balances:-.IP "1." 3-Initialise account starting balances with an \[dq]opening balances\[dq]-transaction (a transfer from equity to the account), unless the journal-covers the account\[aq]s full lifetime.-.IP "2." 3-Include all of of the account\[aq]s prior postings in the report, by not-specifying a report start date, or by using the-\f[CR]\-H/\-\-historical\f[R] flag.-(\f[CR]\-H\f[R] causes report start date to be ignored when summing-postings.)-.SS Balance report modes-The balance command is quite flexible; here is the full detail on how to-control what it reports.-If the following seems complicated, don\[aq]t worry \- this is for-advanced reporting, and it does take time and experimentation to get-familiar with all the report modes.-.PP-There are three important option groups:-.PP-\f[CR]hledger balance [CALCULATIONMODE] [ACCUMULATIONMODE] [VALUATIONMODE] ...\f[R]-.SS Calculation mode-The basic calculation to perform for each table cell.-It is one of:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-sum\f[R] : sum the posting amounts (\f[B]default\f[R])-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-budget\f[R] : sum the amounts, but also show the budget goal-amount (for each account/period)-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-valuechange\f[R] : show the change in period\-end historical-balance values (caused by deposits, withdrawals, and/or market price-fluctuations)-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-gain\f[R] : show the unrealised capital gain/loss, (the-current valued balance minus each amount\[aq]s original cost)-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-count\f[R] : show the count of postings-.SS Accumulation mode-How amounts should accumulate across a report\[aq]s subperiods/columns.-Another way to say it: which time period\[aq]s postings should-contribute to each cell\[aq]s calculation.-It is one of:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-change\f[R] : calculate with postings from column start to-column end, ie \[dq]just this column\[dq].-Typically used to see revenues/expenses.-(\f[B]default for balance, cashflow, incomestatement\f[R])-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-cumulative\f[R] : calculate with postings from report start to-column end, ie \[dq]previous columns plus this column\[dq].-Typically used to show changes accumulated since the report\[aq]s start-date.-Not often used.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-historical/\-H\f[R] : calculate with postings from journal-start to column end, ie \[dq]all postings from before report start date-until this column\[aq]s end\[dq].-Typically used to see historical end balances of-assets/liabilities/equity.-(\f[B]default for balancesheet, balancesheetequity\f[R])-.SS Valuation mode-Which kind of value or cost conversion should be applied, if any, before-displaying the report.-See Cost reporting and Value reporting for more about conversions.-.PP-A valuation (or cost) mode can be selected with the \-\-value option:-.IP \[bu] 2-no conversion : don\[aq]t convert to cost or value (\f[B]default\f[R])-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-value=cost[,COMM]\f[R] : convert amounts to cost (then-optionally to some other commodity)-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-value=then[,COMM]\f[R] : convert amounts to market value on-transaction dates-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-value=end[,COMM]\f[R] : convert amounts to market value on-period end date(s)-.PD 0-.P-.PD-(\f[B]default with \f[CB]\-\-valuechange\f[B], \f[CB]\-\-gain\f[B]\f[R])-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-value=now[,COMM]\f[R] : convert amounts to market value on-today\[aq]s date-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-value=YYYY\-MM\-DD[,COMM]\f[R] : convert amounts to market-value on another date-.PP-or with the legacy \-B/\-V/\-X options, which are equivalent and easier-to type:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-B\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-cost\f[R] : like \-\-value=cost-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-V\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-market\f[R] : like \-\-value=end-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-X COMM\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-exchange COMM\f[R] : like-\-\-value=end,COMM-.PP-Note that \-\-value can also convert to cost, as a convenience; but-actually \-\-cost and \-\-value are independent options, and could be-used together.-.SS Combining balance report modes-Most combinations of these modes should produce reasonable reports, but-if you find any that seem wrong or misleading, let us know.-The following restrictions are applied:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-valuechange\f[R] implies \f[CR]\-\-value=end\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-valuechange\f[R] makes \f[CR]\-\-change\f[R] the default when-used with the \f[CR]balancesheet\f[R]/\f[CR]balancesheetequity\f[R]-commands-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-cumulative\f[R] or \f[CR]\-\-historical\f[R] disables-\f[CR]\-\-row\-total/\-T\f[R]-.PP-For reference, here is what the combinations of accumulation and-valuation show:-.PP-.TS-tab(@);-lw(7.9n) lw(16.4n) lw(16.9n) lw(15.1n) lw(13.7n).-T{-Valuation:> Accumulation:v-T}@T{-no valuation-T}@T{-\f[CR]\-\-value= then\f[R]-T}@T{-\f[CR]\-\-value= end\f[R]-T}@T{-\f[CR]\-\-value= YYYY\-MM\-DD /now\f[R]-T}-_-T{-\f[CR]\-\-change\f[R]-T}@T{-change in period-T}@T{-sum of posting\-date market values in period-T}@T{-period\-end value of change in period-T}@T{-DATE\-value of change in period-T}-T{-\f[CR]\-\-cumulative\f[R]-T}@T{-change from report start to period end-T}@T{-sum of posting\-date market values from report start to period end-T}@T{-period\-end value of change from report start to period end-T}@T{-DATE\-value of change from report start to period end-T}-T{-\f[CR]\-\-historical /\-H\f[R]-T}@T{-change from journal start to period end (historical end balance)-T}@T{-sum of posting\-date market values from journal start to period end-T}@T{-period\-end value of change from journal start to period end-T}@T{-DATE\-value of change from journal start to period end-T}-.TE-.SS Budget report-The \f[CR]\-\-budget\f[R] report is like a regular balance report, but-with two main differences:-.IP \[bu] 2-Budget goals and performance percentages are also shown, in brackets-.IP \[bu] 2-Accounts which don\[aq]t have budget goals are hidden by default.-.PP-This is useful for comparing planned and actual income, expenses, time-usage, etc.-.PP-Periodic transaction rules are used to define budget goals.-For example, here\[aq]s a periodic rule defining monthly goals for bus-travel and food expenses:-.IP-.EX-;; Budget-\[ti] monthly-  (expenses:bus)              $30-  (expenses:food)            $400-.EE-.PP-After recording some actual expenses,-.IP-.EX-;; Two months worth of expenses-2017\-11\-01-  income                   $\-1950-  expenses:bus                $35-  expenses:food:groceries    $310-  expenses:food:dining        $42-  expenses:movies             $38-  assets:bank:checking--2017\-12\-01-  income                   $\-2100-  expenses:bus                $53-  expenses:food:groceries    $380-  expenses:food:dining        $32-  expenses:gifts             $100-  assets:bank:checking-.EE-.PP-we can see a budget report like this:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger bal \-M \-\-budget-Budget performance in 2017\-11\-01..2017\-12\-31:--               ||                  Nov                   Dec -===============++============================================- <unbudgeted>  || $\-425                 $\-565                - expenses      ||  $425 [ 99% of $430]   $565 [131% of $430] - expenses:bus  ||   $35 [117% of  $30]    $53 [177% of  $30] - expenses:food ||  $352 [ 88% of $400]   $412 [103% of $400] -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--               ||     0 [  0% of $430]      0 [  0% of $430] -.EE-.PP-This is \[dq]goal\-based budgeting\[dq]; you define goals for accounts-and periods, often recurring, and hledger shows performance relative to-the goals.-This contrasts with \[dq]envelope budgeting\[dq], which is more detailed-and strict \- useful when cash is tight, but also quite a bit more work.-https://plaintextaccounting.org/Budgeting has more on this topic.-.SS Using the budget report-Historically this report has been confusing and fragile.-hledger\[aq]s version should be relatively robust and intuitive, but you-may still find surprises.-Here are more notes to help with learning and troubleshooting.-.IP \[bu] 2-In the above example, \f[CR]expenses:bus\f[R] and-\f[CR]expenses:food\f[R] are shown because they have budget goals during-the report period.-.IP \[bu] 2-Their parent \f[CR]expenses\f[R] is also shown, with budget goals-aggregated from the children.-.IP \[bu] 2-The subaccounts \f[CR]expenses:food:groceries\f[R] and-\f[CR]expenses:food:dining\f[R] are not shown since they have no budget-goal of their own, but they contribute to \f[CR]expenses:food\f[R]\[aq]s-actual amount.-.IP \[bu] 2-Unbudgeted accounts \f[CR]expenses:movies\f[R] and-\f[CR]expenses:gifts\f[R] are also not shown, but they contribute to-\f[CR]expenses\f[R]\[aq]s actual amount.-.IP \[bu] 2-The other unbudgeted accounts \f[CR]income\f[R] and-\f[CR]assets:bank:checking\f[R] are grouped as \f[CR]<unbudgeted>\f[R].-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-depth\f[R] or \f[CR]depth:\f[R] can be used to limit report-depth in the usual way (but will not reveal unbudgeted subaccounts).-.IP \[bu] 2-Amounts are always inclusive of subaccounts (even in-\f[CR]\-l/\-\-list\f[R] mode).-.IP \[bu] 2-Numbers displayed in a \-\-budget report will not always agree with the-totals, because of hidden unbudgeted accounts; this is normal.-\f[CR]\-E/\-\-empty\f[R] can be used to reveal the hidden accounts.-.IP \[bu] 2-In the periodic rules used for setting budget goals, unbalanced postings-are convenient.-.IP \[bu] 2-You can filter budget reports with the usual queries, eg to focus on-particular accounts.-It\[aq]s common to restrict them to just expenses.-(The \f[CR]<unbudgeted>\f[R] account is occasionally hard to exclude;-this is because of date surprises, discussed below.)-.IP \[bu] 2-When you have multiple currencies, you may want to convert them to one-(\f[CR]\-X COMM \-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R]) and/or show just one at-a time (\f[CR]cur:COMM\f[R]).-If you do need to show multiple currencies at once,-\f[CR]\-\-layout bare\f[R] can be helpful.-.IP \[bu] 2-You can \[dq]roll over\[dq] amounts (actual and budgeted) to the next-period with \f[CR]\-\-cumulative\f[R].-.PP-See also: https://hledger.org/budgeting.html.-.SS Budget date surprises-With small data, or when starting out, some of the generated budget goal-transaction dates might fall outside the report periods.-Eg with the following journal and report, the first period appears to-have no \f[CR]expenses:food\f[R] budget.-(Also the \f[CR]<unbudgeted>\f[R] account should be excluded by the-\f[CR]expenses\f[R] query, but isn\[aq]t.):-.IP-.EX-\[ti] monthly in 2020-  (expenses:food)  $500--2020\-01\-15-  expenses:food    $400-  assets:checking-.EE-.IP-.EX-$ hledger bal \-\-budget expenses-Budget performance in 2020\-01\-15:--               ||         2020\-01\-15 -===============++====================- <unbudgeted>  || $400               - expenses:food ||    0 [ 0% of $500] -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--               || $400 [80% of $500] -.EE-.PP-In this case, the budget goal transactions are generated on first days-of of month (this can be seen with-\f[CR]hledger print \-\-forecast tag:generated expenses\f[R]).-Whereas the report period defaults to just the 15th day of january (this-can be seen from the report table\[aq]s column headings).-.PP-To fix this kind of thing, be more explicit about the report period-(and/or the periodic rules\[aq] dates).-In this case, adding \f[CR]\-b 2020\f[R] does the trick.-.SS Selecting budget goals-By default, the budget report uses all available periodic transaction-rules to generate goals.-This includes rules with a different report interval from your report.-Eg if you have daily, weekly and monthly periodic rules, all of these-will contribute to the goals in a monthly budget report.-.PP-You can select a subset of periodic rules by providing an argument to-the \f[CR]\-\-budget\f[R] flag.-\f[CR]\-\-budget=DESCPAT\f[R] will match all periodic rules whose-description contains DESCPAT, a case\-insensitive substring (not a-regular expression or query).-This means you can give your periodic rules descriptions (remember that-two spaces are needed between period expression and description), and-then select from multiple budgets defined in your journal.-.SS Budgeting vs forecasting-\f[CR]\-\-forecast\f[R] and \f[CR]\-\-budget\f[R] both use the periodic-transaction rules in the journal to generate temporary transactions for-reporting purposes.-However they are separate features \- though you can use both at the-same time if you want.-Here are some differences between them:-.PP-.TS-tab(@);-lw(38.2n) lw(31.8n).-T{-\-\-forecast-T}@T{-\-\-budget-T}-_-T{-is a general option; it enables forecasting with all reports-T}@T{-is a balance command option; it selects the balance report\[aq]s budget-mode-T}-T{-generates visible transactions which appear in reports-T}@T{-generates invisible transactions which produce goal amounts-T}-T{-generates forecast transactions from after the last regular transaction,-to the end of the report period; or with an argument-\f[CR]\-\-forecast=PERIODEXPR\f[R] generates them throughout the-specified period, both optionally restricted by periods specified in the-periodic transaction rules-T}@T{-generates budget goal transactions throughout the report period,-optionally restricted by periods specified in the periodic transaction-rules-T}-T{-uses all periodic rules-T}@T{-uses all periodic rules; or with an argument-\f[CR]\-\-budget=DESCPAT\f[R] uses just the rules matched by DESCPAT-T}-.TE-.SS Balance report layout-The \f[CR]\-\-layout\f[R] option affects how \f[CR]balance\f[R] and the-other balance\-like commands show multi\-commodity amounts and commodity-symbols.-It can improve readability, for humans and/or machines (other software).-It has four possible values:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-layout=wide[,WIDTH]\f[R]: commodities are shown on a single-line, optionally elided to WIDTH-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-layout=tall\f[R]: each commodity is shown on a separate line-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-layout=bare\f[R]: commodity symbols are in their own column,-amounts are bare numbers-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]\-\-layout=tidy\f[R]: data is normalised to easily\-consumed-\[dq]tidy\[dq] form, with one row per data value.-(This one is currently supported only by the \f[CR]balance\f[R]-command.)-.PP-Here are the \f[CR]\-\-layout\f[R] modes supported by each output format-Only CSV output supports all of them:-.PP-.TS-tab(@);-l l l l l l.-T{-\--T}@T{-txt-T}@T{-csv-T}@T{-html-T}@T{-json-T}@T{-sql-T}-_-T{-wide-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}-T{-tall-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}-T{-bare-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}-T{-tidy-T}@T{-T}@T{-Y-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}@T{-T}-.TE-.PP-Examples:-.SS Wide layout-With many commodities, reports can be very wide:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade \-3 \-T \-Y \-\-layout=wide-Balance changes in 2012\-01\-01..2014\-12\-31:--                  ||                                          2012                                                     2013                                             2014                                                      Total -==================++====================================================================================================================================================================================================================- Assets:US:ETrade || 10.00 ITOT, 337.18 USD, 12.00 VEA, 106.00 VHT  70.00 GLD, 18.00 ITOT, \-98.12 USD, 10.00 VEA, 18.00 VHT  \-11.00 ITOT, 4881.44 USD, 14.00 VEA, 170.00 VHT  70.00 GLD, 17.00 ITOT, 5120.50 USD, 36.00 VEA, 294.00 VHT -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--                  || 10.00 ITOT, 337.18 USD, 12.00 VEA, 106.00 VHT  70.00 GLD, 18.00 ITOT, \-98.12 USD, 10.00 VEA, 18.00 VHT  \-11.00 ITOT, 4881.44 USD, 14.00 VEA, 170.00 VHT  70.00 GLD, 17.00 ITOT, 5120.50 USD, 36.00 VEA, 294.00 VHT -.EE-.PP-A width limit reduces the width, but some commodities will be hidden:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade \-3 \-T \-Y \-\-layout=wide,32-Balance changes in 2012\-01\-01..2014\-12\-31:--                  ||                             2012                             2013                   2014                            Total -==================++===========================================================================================================================- Assets:US:ETrade || 10.00 ITOT, 337.18 USD, 2 more..  70.00 GLD, 18.00 ITOT, 3 more..  \-11.00 ITOT, 3 more..  70.00 GLD, 17.00 ITOT, 3 more.. -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--                  || 10.00 ITOT, 337.18 USD, 2 more..  70.00 GLD, 18.00 ITOT, 3 more..  \-11.00 ITOT, 3 more..  70.00 GLD, 17.00 ITOT, 3 more.. -.EE-.SS Tall layout-Each commodity gets a new line (may be different in each column), and-account names are repeated:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade \-3 \-T \-Y \-\-layout=tall-Balance changes in 2012\-01\-01..2014\-12\-31:--                  ||       2012        2013         2014        Total -==================++==================================================- Assets:US:ETrade || 10.00 ITOT   70.00 GLD  \-11.00 ITOT    70.00 GLD - Assets:US:ETrade || 337.18 USD  18.00 ITOT  4881.44 USD   17.00 ITOT - Assets:US:ETrade ||  12.00 VEA  \-98.12 USD    14.00 VEA  5120.50 USD - Assets:US:ETrade || 106.00 VHT   10.00 VEA   170.00 VHT    36.00 VEA - Assets:US:ETrade ||              18.00 VHT                294.00 VHT -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--                  || 10.00 ITOT   70.00 GLD  \-11.00 ITOT    70.00 GLD -                  || 337.18 USD  18.00 ITOT  4881.44 USD   17.00 ITOT -                  ||  12.00 VEA  \-98.12 USD    14.00 VEA  5120.50 USD -                  || 106.00 VHT   10.00 VEA   170.00 VHT    36.00 VEA -                  ||              18.00 VHT                294.00 VHT -.EE-.SS Bare layout-Commodity symbols are kept in one column, each commodity has its own-row, amounts are bare numbers, account names are repeated:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade \-3 \-T \-Y \-\-layout=bare-Balance changes in 2012\-01\-01..2014\-12\-31:--                  || Commodity    2012    2013     2014    Total -==================++=============================================- Assets:US:ETrade || GLD             0   70.00        0    70.00 - Assets:US:ETrade || ITOT        10.00   18.00   \-11.00    17.00 - Assets:US:ETrade || USD        337.18  \-98.12  4881.44  5120.50 - Assets:US:ETrade || VEA         12.00   10.00    14.00    36.00 - Assets:US:ETrade || VHT        106.00   18.00   170.00   294.00 -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--                  || GLD             0   70.00        0    70.00 -                  || ITOT        10.00   18.00   \-11.00    17.00 -                  || USD        337.18  \-98.12  4881.44  5120.50 -                  || VEA         12.00   10.00    14.00    36.00 -                  || VHT        106.00   18.00   170.00   294.00 -.EE-.PP-Bare layout also affects CSV output, which is useful for producing data-that is easier to consume, eg for making charts:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade \-3 \-O csv \-\-layout=bare-\[dq]account\[dq],\[dq]commodity\[dq],\[dq]balance\[dq]-\[dq]Assets:US:ETrade\[dq],\[dq]GLD\[dq],\[dq]70.00\[dq]-\[dq]Assets:US:ETrade\[dq],\[dq]ITOT\[dq],\[dq]17.00\[dq]-\[dq]Assets:US:ETrade\[dq],\[dq]USD\[dq],\[dq]5120.50\[dq]-\[dq]Assets:US:ETrade\[dq],\[dq]VEA\[dq],\[dq]36.00\[dq]-\[dq]Assets:US:ETrade\[dq],\[dq]VHT\[dq],\[dq]294.00\[dq]-\[dq]Total:\[dq],\[dq]GLD\[dq],\[dq]70.00\[dq]-\[dq]Total:\[dq],\[dq]ITOT\[dq],\[dq]17.00\[dq]-\[dq]Total:\[dq],\[dq]USD\[dq],\[dq]5120.50\[dq]-\[dq]Total:\[dq],\[dq]VEA\[dq],\[dq]36.00\[dq]-\[dq]Total:\[dq],\[dq]VHT\[dq],\[dq]294.00\[dq]-.EE-.PP-Bare layout will sometimes display an extra row for the no\-symbol-commodity, because of zero amounts (hledger treats zeroes as-commodity\-less, usually).-This can break \f[CR]hledger\-bar\f[R] confusingly (workaround: add a-\f[CR]cur:\f[R] query to exclude the no\-symbol row).-.SS Tidy layout-This produces normalised \[dq]tidy data\[dq] (see-https://cran.r\-project.org/web/packages/tidyr/vignettes/tidy\-data.html)-where every variable has its own column and each row represents a single-data point.-This is the easiest kind of data for other software to consume:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade \-3 \-Y \-O csv \-\-layout=tidy-\[dq]account\[dq],\[dq]period\[dq],\[dq]start_date\[dq],\[dq]end_date\[dq],\[dq]commodity\[dq],\[dq]value\[dq]-\[dq]Assets:US:ETrade\[dq],\[dq]2012\[dq],\[dq]2012\-01\-01\[dq],\[dq]2012\-12\-31\[dq],\[dq]GLD\[dq],\[dq]0\[dq]-\[dq]Assets:US:ETrade\[dq],\[dq]2012\[dq],\[dq]2012\-01\-01\[dq],\[dq]2012\-12\-31\[dq],\[dq]ITOT\[dq],\[dq]10.00\[dq]-\[dq]Assets:US:ETrade\[dq],\[dq]2012\[dq],\[dq]2012\-01\-01\[dq],\[dq]2012\-12\-31\[dq],\[dq]USD\[dq],\[dq]337.18\[dq]-\[dq]Assets:US:ETrade\[dq],\[dq]2012\[dq],\[dq]2012\-01\-01\[dq],\[dq]2012\-12\-31\[dq],\[dq]VEA\[dq],\[dq]12.00\[dq]-\[dq]Assets:US:ETrade\[dq],\[dq]2012\[dq],\[dq]2012\-01\-01\[dq],\[dq]2012\-12\-31\[dq],\[dq]VHT\[dq],\[dq]106.00\[dq]-\[dq]Assets:US:ETrade\[dq],\[dq]2013\[dq],\[dq]2013\-01\-01\[dq],\[dq]2013\-12\-31\[dq],\[dq]GLD\[dq],\[dq]70.00\[dq]-\[dq]Assets:US:ETrade\[dq],\[dq]2013\[dq],\[dq]2013\-01\-01\[dq],\[dq]2013\-12\-31\[dq],\[dq]ITOT\[dq],\[dq]18.00\[dq]-\[dq]Assets:US:ETrade\[dq],\[dq]2013\[dq],\[dq]2013\-01\-01\[dq],\[dq]2013\-12\-31\[dq],\[dq]USD\[dq],\[dq]\-98.12\[dq]-\[dq]Assets:US:ETrade\[dq],\[dq]2013\[dq],\[dq]2013\-01\-01\[dq],\[dq]2013\-12\-31\[dq],\[dq]VEA\[dq],\[dq]10.00\[dq]-\[dq]Assets:US:ETrade\[dq],\[dq]2013\[dq],\[dq]2013\-01\-01\[dq],\[dq]2013\-12\-31\[dq],\[dq]VHT\[dq],\[dq]18.00\[dq]-\[dq]Assets:US:ETrade\[dq],\[dq]2014\[dq],\[dq]2014\-01\-01\[dq],\[dq]2014\-12\-31\[dq],\[dq]GLD\[dq],\[dq]0\[dq]-\[dq]Assets:US:ETrade\[dq],\[dq]2014\[dq],\[dq]2014\-01\-01\[dq],\[dq]2014\-12\-31\[dq],\[dq]ITOT\[dq],\[dq]\-11.00\[dq]-\[dq]Assets:US:ETrade\[dq],\[dq]2014\[dq],\[dq]2014\-01\-01\[dq],\[dq]2014\-12\-31\[dq],\[dq]USD\[dq],\[dq]4881.44\[dq]-\[dq]Assets:US:ETrade\[dq],\[dq]2014\[dq],\[dq]2014\-01\-01\[dq],\[dq]2014\-12\-31\[dq],\[dq]VEA\[dq],\[dq]14.00\[dq]-\[dq]Assets:US:ETrade\[dq],\[dq]2014\[dq],\[dq]2014\-01\-01\[dq],\[dq]2014\-12\-31\[dq],\[dq]VHT\[dq],\[dq]170.00\[dq]-.EE-.SS Balance report output-As noted in Output format, if you choose HTML output (by using-\f[CR]\-O html\f[R] or \f[CR]\-o somefile.html\f[R]), you can create a-\f[CR]hledger.css\f[R] file in the same directory to customise the-report\[aq]s appearance.-.PP-The HTML and FODS output formats can generate hyperlinks to a-\f[CR]hledger\-web\f[R] register view for each account and period.-E.g.-if your \f[CR]hledger\-web\f[R] server is reachable at-\f[CR]http://localhost:5000\f[R] then you might run the-\f[CR]balance\f[R] command with the extra option-\f[CR]\-\-base\-url=http://localhost:5000\f[R].-You can also produce relative links, like-\f[CR]\-\-base\-url=\[dq]some/path\[dq]\f[R] or-\f[CR]\-\-base\-url=\[dq]\[dq]\f[R].)-.SS Some useful balance reports-Some frequently used \f[CR]balance\f[R] options/reports are:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]bal \-M revenues expenses\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Show revenues/expenses in each month.-Also available as the \f[CR]incomestatement\f[R] command.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]bal \-M \-H assets liabilities\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Show historical asset/liability balances at each month end.-Also available as the \f[CR]balancesheet\f[R] command.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]bal \-M \-H assets liabilities equity\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Show historical asset/liability/equity balances at each month end.-Also available as the \f[CR]balancesheetequity\f[R] command.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]bal \-M assets not:receivable\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Show changes to liquid assets in each month.-Also available as the \f[CR]cashflow\f[R] command.-.PP-Also:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]bal \-M expenses \-2 \-SA\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Show monthly expenses summarised to depth 2 and sorted by average-amount.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]bal \-M \-\-budget expenses\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Show monthly expenses and budget goals.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]bal \-M \-\-valuechange investments\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Show monthly change in market value of investment assets.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]bal investments \-\-valuechange \-D date:lastweek amt:\[aq]>1000\[aq] \-STA [\-\-invert]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Show top gainers [or losers] last week-.SS roi-Shows the time\-weighted (TWR) and money\-weighted (IRR) rate of return-on your investments.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-     \-\-cashflow                 show all amounts that were used to compute-                                returns-     \-\-investment=QUERY         query to select your investment transactions-     \-\-profit\-loss=QUERY \-\-pnl  query to select profit\-and\-loss or-                                appreciation/valuation transactions-.EE-.PP-At a minimum, you need to supply a query (which could be just an account-name) to select your investment(s) with \f[CR]\-\-inv\f[R], and another-query to identify your profit and loss transactions with-\f[CR]\-\-pnl\f[R].-.PP-If you do not record changes in the value of your investment manually,-or do not require computation of time\-weighted return (TWR),-\f[CR]\-\-pnl\f[R] could be an empty query-(\f[CR]\-\-pnl \[dq]\[dq]\f[R] or \f[CR]\-\-pnl STR\f[R] where-\f[CR]STR\f[R] does not match any of your accounts).-.PP-This command will compute and display the internalized rate of return-(IRR, also known as money\-weighted rate of return) and time\-weighted-rate of return (TWR) for your investments for the time period requested.-IRR is always annualized due to the way it is computed, but TWR is-reported both as a rate over the chosen reporting period and as an-annual rate.-.PP-Price directives will be taken into account if you supply appropriate-\f[CR]\-\-cost\f[R] or \f[CR]\-\-value\f[R] flags (see VALUATION).-.PP-Note, in some cases this report can fail, for these reasons:-.IP \[bu] 2-Error (NotBracketed): No solution for Internal Rate of Return (IRR).-Possible causes: IRR is huge (>1000000%), balance of investment becomes-negative at some point in time.-.IP \[bu] 2-Error (SearchFailed): Failed to find solution for Internal Rate of-Return (IRR).-Either search does not converge to a solution, or converges too slowly.-.PP-Examples:-.IP \[bu] 2-Using roi to compute total return of investment in stocks:-https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/blob/master/examples/investing/roi\-unrealised.ledger-.IP \[bu] 2-Cookbook > Return on Investment: https://hledger.org/roi.html-.SS Spaces and special characters in \f[CR]\-\-inv\f[R] and \f[CR]\-\-pnl\f[R]-Note that \f[CR]\-\-inv\f[R] and \f[CR]\-\-pnl\f[R]\[aq]s argument is a-query, and queries could have several space\-separated terms (see-QUERIES).-.PP-To indicate that all search terms form single command\-line argument,-you will need to put them in quotes (see Special characters):-.IP-.EX-$ hledger roi \-\-inv \[aq]term1 term2 term3 ...\[aq]-.EE-.PP-If any query terms contain spaces themselves, you will need an extra-level of nested quoting, eg:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger roi \-\-inv=\[dq]\[aq]Assets:Test 1\[aq]\[dq] \-\-pnl=\[dq]\[aq]Equity:Unrealized Profit and Loss\[aq]\[dq]-.EE-.SS Semantics of \f[CR]\-\-inv\f[R] and \f[CR]\-\-pnl\f[R]-Query supplied to \f[CR]\-\-inv\f[R] has to match all transactions that-are related to your investment.-Transactions not matching \f[CR]\-\-inv\f[R] will be ignored.-.PP-In these transactions, ROI will conside postings that match-\f[CR]\-\-inv\f[R] to be \[dq]investment postings\[dq] and other-postings (not matching \f[CR]\-\-inv\f[R]) will be sorted into two-categories: \[dq]cash flow\[dq] and \[dq]profit and loss\[dq], as ROI-needs to know which part of the investment value is your contributions-and which is due to the return on investment.-.IP \[bu] 2-\[dq]Cash flow\[dq] is depositing or withdrawing money, buying or-selling assets, or otherwise converting between your investment-commodity and any other commodity.-Example:-.RS 2-.IP-.EX-2019\-01\-01 Investing in Snake Oil-  assets:cash          \-$100-  investment:snake oil--2020\-01\-01 Selling my Snake Oil-  assets:cash           $10-  investment:snake oil  = 0-.EE-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-\[dq]Profit and loss\[dq] is change in the value of your investment:-.RS 2-.IP-.EX-2019\-06\-01 Snake Oil falls in value-  investment:snake oil  = $57-  equity:unrealized profit or loss-.EE-.RE-.PP-All non\-investment postings are assumed to be \[dq]cash flow\[dq],-unless they match \f[CR]\-\-pnl\f[R] query.-Changes in value of your investment due to \[dq]profit and loss\[dq]-postings will be considered as part of your investment return.-.PP-Example: if you use \f[CR]\-\-inv snake \-\-pnl equity:unrealized\f[R],-then postings in the example below would be classifed as:-.IP-.EX-2019\-01\-01 Snake Oil #1-  assets:cash          \-$100   ; cash flow posting-  investment:snake oil         ; investment posting--2019\-03\-01 Snake Oil #2-  equity:unrealized pnl  \-$100 ; profit and loss posting-  snake oil                    ; investment posting--2019\-07\-01 Snake Oil #3-  equity:unrealized pnl        ; profit and loss posting-  cash          \-$100          ; cash flow posting-  snake oil     $50            ; investment posting-.EE-.SS IRR and TWR explained-\[dq]ROI\[dq] stands for \[dq]return on investment\[dq].-Traditionally this was computed as a difference between current value of-investment and its initial value, expressed in percentage of the initial-value.-.PP-However, this approach is only practical in simple cases, where-investments receives no in\-flows or out\-flows of money, and where rate-of growth is fixed over time.-For more complex scenarios you need different ways to compute rate of-return, and this command implements two of them: IRR and TWR.-.PP-Internal rate of return, or \[dq]IRR\[dq] (also called-\[dq]money\-weighted rate of return\[dq]) takes into account effects of-in\-flows and out\-flows, and the time between them.-Investment at a particular fixed interest rate is going to give you more-interest than the same amount invested at the same interest rate, but-made later in time.-If you are withdrawing from your investment, your future gains would be-smaller (in absolute numbers), and will be a smaller percentage of your-initial investment, so your IRR will be smaller.-And if you are adding to your investment, you will receive bigger-absolute gains, which will be a bigger percentage of your initial-investment, so your IRR will be larger.-.PP-As mentioned before, in\-flows and out\-flows would be any cash that you-personally put in or withdraw, and for the \[dq]roi\[dq] command, these-are the postings that match the query in the\f[CR]\-\-inv\f[R] argument-and NOT match the query in the\f[CR]\-\-pnl\f[R] argument.-.PP-If you manually record changes in the value of your investment as-transactions that balance them against \[dq]profit and loss\[dq] (or-\[dq]unrealized gains\[dq]) account or use price directives, then in-order for IRR to compute the precise effect of your in\-flows and-out\-flows on the rate of return, you will need to record the value of-your investement on or close to the days when in\- or out\-flows occur.-.PP-In technical terms, IRR uses the same approach as computation of net-present value, and tries to find a discount rate that makes net present-value of all the cash flows of your investment to add up to zero.-This could be hard to wrap your head around, especially if you-haven\[aq]t done discounted cash flow analysis before.-Implementation of IRR in hledger should produce results that match the-\f[CR]=XIRR\f[R] formula in Excel.-.PP-Second way to compute rate of return that \f[CR]roi\f[R] command-implements is called \[dq]time\-weighted rate of return\[dq] or-\[dq]TWR\[dq].-Like IRR, it will account for the effect of your in\-flows and-out\-flows, but unlike IRR it will try to compute the true rate of-return of the underlying asset, compensating for the effect that-deposits and withdrawas have on the apparent rate of growth of your-investment.-.PP-TWR represents your investment as an imaginary \[dq]unit fund\[dq] where-in\-flows/ out\-flows lead to buying or selling \[dq]units\[dq] of your-investment and changes in its value change the value of \[dq]investment-unit\[dq].-Change in \[dq]unit price\[dq] over the reporting period gives you rate-of return of your investment, and make TWR less sensitive than IRR to-the effects of cash in\-flows and out\-flows.-.PP-References:-.IP \[bu] 2-Explanation of rate of return-.IP \[bu] 2-Explanation of IRR-.IP \[bu] 2-Explanation of TWR-.IP \[bu] 2-IRR vs TWR-.IP \[bu] 2-Examples of computing IRR and TWR and discussion of the limitations of-both metrics-.SH Chart commands-.SS activity-Show an ascii barchart of posting counts per interval.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-no command\-specific flags-.EE-.PP-The activity command displays an ascii histogram showing transaction-counts by day, week, month or other reporting interval (by day is the-default).-With query arguments, it counts only matched transactions.-.PP-Examples:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger activity \-\-quarterly-2008\-01\-01 **-2008\-04\-01 *******-2008\-07\-01 -2008\-10\-01 **-.EE-.SH Data generation commands-.SS close-(equity)-.PP-\f[CR]close\f[R] prints several kinds of \[dq]closing\[dq] and/or-\[dq]opening\[dq] transactions, useful in various situations: migrating-balances to a new journal file, retaining earnings into equity,-consolidating balances, viewing lot costs..-Like \f[CR]print\f[R], it prints valid journal entries.-You can copy these into your journal file(s) when you are happy with how-they look.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-     \-\-clopen[=TAGVAL]      show closing and opening balances transactions,-                            for AL accounts by default-     \-\-close[=TAGVAL]       show just a closing balances transaction-     \-\-open[=TAGVAL]        show just an opening balances transaction-     \-\-assert[=TAGVAL]      show a balance assertions transaction-     \-\-assign[=TAGVAL]      show a balance assignments transaction-     \-\-retain[=TAGVAL]      show a retain earnings transaction, for RX-                            accounts by default-  \-x \-\-explicit             show all amounts explicitly-     \-\-show\-costs           show amounts with different costs separately-     \-\-interleaved          show source and destination postings together-     \-\-assertion\-type=TYPE  =, ==, =* or ==*-     \-\-close\-desc=DESC      set closing transaction\[aq]s description-     \-\-close\-acct=ACCT      set closing transaction\[aq]s destination account-     \-\-open\-desc=DESC       set opening transaction\[aq]s description-     \-\-open\-acct=ACCT       set opening transaction\[aq]s source account-     \-\-round=TYPE           how much rounding or padding should be done when-                            displaying amounts ?-                            none \- show original decimal digits,-                                   as in journal (default)-                            soft \- just add or remove decimal zeros-                                   to match precision-                            hard \- round posting amounts to precision-                                   (can unbalance transactions)-                            all  \- also round cost amounts to precision-                                   (can unbalance transactions)-.EE-.PP-\f[CR]close\f[R] has six modes, selected by choosing one of the mode-flags: \f[CR]\-\-clopen\f[R], \f[CR]\-\-close\f[R] (default),-\f[CR]\-\-open\f[R], \f[CR]\-\-assert\f[R], \f[CR]\-\-assign\f[R], or-\f[CR]\-\-retain\f[R].-They are all doing the same kind of operation, but with different-defaults for different situations.-.PP-The journal entries generated by \f[CR]close\f[R] will have a-\f[CR]clopen:\f[R] tag, which is helpful when you want to exclude them-from reports.-If the main journal file name contains a number, the tag\[aq]s value-will be that base file name with the number incremented.-Eg if the journal file is 2025.journal, the tag will be-\f[CR]clopen:2026\f[R].-Or you can set the tag value by providing an argument to the mode flag.-Eg \f[CR]\-\-close=foo\f[R] or \f[CR]\-\-clopen=2025\-main\f[R].-.SS close \-\-clopen-This is useful if migrating balances to a new journal file at the start-of a new year.-It prints a \[dq]closing balances\[dq] transaction that zeroes out-account balances (Asset and Liability accounts, by default), and an-opposite \[dq]opening balances\[dq] transaction that restores them-again.-Typically, you would run-.IP-.EX-hledger close \-\-clopen \-e NEWYEAR >> $LEDGER_FILE-.EE-.PP-and then move the opening transaction from the old file to the new file-(and probably also update your LEDGER_FILE environment variable).-.PP-Why might you do this ?-If your reports are fast, you may not need it.-But at some point you will probably want to partition your data by time,-for performance or data integrity or regulatory reasons.-A new file or set of files per year is common.-Then, having each file/fileset \[dq]bookended\[dq] with opening and-closing balance transactions will allow you to freely pick and choose-which files to read \- just the current year, any past year, any-sequence of years, or all of them \- while showing correct account-balances in each case.-The earliest opening balances transaction sets correct starting-balances, and any later closing/opening pairs will harmlessly cancel-each other out.-.PP-The balances will be transferred to and from-\f[CR]equity:opening/closing balances\f[R] by default.-You can override this by using \f[CR]\-\-close\-acct\f[R] and/or-\f[CR]\-\-open\-acct\f[R].-.PP-You can select a different set of accounts to close/open by providing an-account query.-Eg to add Equity accounts, provide arguments like-\f[CR]assets liabilities equity\f[R] or \f[CR]type:ALE\f[R].-When migrating to a new file, you\[aq]ll usually want to bring along the-AL or ALE accounts, but not the RX accounts (Revenue, Expense).-.PP-Assertions will be added indicating and checking the new balances of the-closed/opened accounts.-.SS close \-\-close-This prints just the closing balances transaction of-\f[CR]\-\-clopen\f[R].-It is the default if you don\[aq]t specify a mode.-.PP-More customisation options are described below.-Among other things, you can use \f[CR]close \-\-close\f[R] to generate a-transaction moving the balances from any set of accounts, to a different-account.-(If you need to move just a portion of the balance, see hledger\-move.)-.SS close \-\-open-This prints just the opening balances transaction of-\f[CR]\-\-clopen\f[R].-(It is similar to Ledger\[aq]s equity command.)-.SS close \-\-assert-This prints a transaction that asserts the account balances as they are-on the end date (and adds an \f[CR]assert:\f[R] tag).-It could be useful as documention and to guard against changes.-.SS close \-\-assign-This prints a transaction that assigns the account balances as they are-on the end date (and adds an \[dq]assign:\[dq] tag).-Unlike balance assertions, assignments will post changes to balances as-needed to reach the specified amounts.-.PP-This is another way to set starting balances when migrating to a new-file, and it will set them correctly even in the presence of earlier-files which do not have a closing balances transaction.-However, it can hide errors, and disturb the accounting equation, so-\f[CR]\-\-clopen\f[R] is usually recommended.-.SS close \-\-retain-This is like \f[CR]\-\-close\f[R], but it closes Revenue and Expense-account balances by default.-They will be transferred to \f[CR]equity:retained earnings\f[R], or-another account specified with \f[CR]\-\-close\-acct\f[R].-.PP-Revenues and expenses correspond to changes in equity.-They are categorised separately for reporting purposes, but-traditionally at the end of each accounting period, businesses-consolidate them into equity, This is called \[dq]retaining-earnings\[dq], or \[dq]closing the books\[dq].-.PP-In personal accounting, there\[aq]s not much reason to do this, and most-people don\[aq]t.-(One reason to do it is to help the \f[CR]balancesheetequity\f[R] report-show a zero total, demonstrating that the accounting equation (A\-L=E)-is satisfied.)-.SS close customisation-In all modes, the following things can be overridden:-.IP \[bu] 2-the accounts to be closed/opened, with account query arguments-.IP \[bu] 2-the closing/opening dates, with \f[CR]\-e OPENDATE\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-the balancing account, with \f[CR]\-\-close\-acct=ACCT\f[R] and/or-\f[CR]\-\-open\-acct=ACCT\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-the transaction descriptions, with \f[CR]\-\-close\-desc=DESC\f[R] and-\f[CR]\-\-open\-desc=DESC\f[R]-.IP \[bu] 2-the transactions\[aq] \f[CR]clopen\f[R] tag value, with a-\f[CR]TAGVAL\f[R] argument for the mode flag (see above).-.PP-By default, the closing date is yesterday, or the journal\[aq]s end-date, whichever is later; and the opening date is always one day after-the closing date.-You can change these by specifying a report end date; the closing date-will be the last day of the report period.-Eg \f[CR]\-e 2024\f[R] means \[dq]close on 2023\-12\-31, open on-2024\-01\-01\[dq].-.PP-With \f[CR]\-\-x/\-\-explicit\f[R], the balancing amount will be shown-explicitly, and if it involves multiple commodities, a separate posting-will be generated for each of them (similar to \f[CR]print \-x\f[R]).-.PP-With \f[CR]\-\-interleaved\f[R], each individual transfer is shown with-source and destination postings next to each other (perhaps useful for-troubleshooting).-.PP-With \f[CR]\-\-show\-costs\f[R], balances\[aq] costs are also shown,-with different costs kept separate.-This may generate very large journal entries, if you have many currency-conversions or investment transactions.-\f[CR]close \-\-show\-costs\f[R] is currently the best way to view-investment lots with hledger.-(To move or dispose of lots, see the more capable-\f[CR]hledger\-move\f[R] script.)-.SS close and balance assertions-\f[CR]close\f[R] adds balance assertions verifying that the accounts-have been reset to zero in a closing transaction or restored to their-previous balances in an opening transaction.-These provide useful error checking, but you can ignore them temporarily-with \f[CR]\-I\f[R], or remove them if you prefer.-.PP-Single\-commodity, subaccount\-exclusive balance assertions-(\f[CR]=\f[R]) are generated by default.-This can be changed with \f[CR]\-\-assertion\-type=\[aq]==*\[aq]\f[R]-(eg).-.PP-When running \f[CR]close\f[R] you should probably avoid using-\f[CR]\-C\f[R], \f[CR]\-R\f[R], \f[CR]status:\f[R] (filtering by status-or realness) or \f[CR]\-\-auto\f[R] (generating postings), since the-generated balance assertions would then require these.-.PP-Transactions with multiple dates (eg posting dates) spanning the file-boundary also can disrupt the balance assertions:-.IP-.EX-2023\-12\-30 a purchase made in december, cleared in january-    expenses:food          5-    assets:bank:checking  \-5  ; date: 2023\-01\-02-.EE-.PP-To solve this you can transfer the money to and from a temporary-account, splitting the multi\-day transaction into two single\-day-transactions:-.IP-.EX-; in 2022.journal:-2022\-12\-30 a purchase made in december, cleared in january-    expenses:food          5-    equity:pending        \-5--; in 2023.journal:-2023\-01\-02 last year\[aq]s transaction cleared-    equity:pending         5 = 0-    assets:bank:checking  \-5-.EE-.SS close examples-.SS Retain earnings-Record 2022\[aq]s revenues/expenses as retained earnings on-2022\-12\-31, appending the generated transaction to the journal:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger close \-\-retain \-f 2022.journal \-p 2022 >> 2022.journal-.EE-.PP-After this, to see 2022\[aq]s revenues and expenses you must exclude the-retain earnings transaction:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f 2022.journal is not:desc:\[aq]retain earnings\[aq]-.EE-.SS Migrate balances to a new file-Close assets/liabilities on 2022\-12\-31 and re\-open them on-2023\-01\-01:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger close \-\-clopen \-f 2022.journal \-p 2022-# copy/paste the closing transaction to the end of 2022.journal-# copy/paste the opening transaction to the start of 2023.journal-.EE-.PP-After this, to see 2022\[aq]s end\-of\-year balances you must exclude-the closing balances transaction:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger \-f 2022.journal bs not:desc:\[aq]closing balances\[aq]-.EE-.PP-For more flexibility, it helps to tag closing and opening transactions-with eg \f[CR]clopen:NEWYEAR\f[R], then you can ensure correct balances-by excluding all opening/closing transactions except the first, like so:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger bs \-Y \-f 2021.j \-f 2022.j \-f 2023.j expr:\[aq]tag:clopen=2021 or not tag:clopen\[aq]-$ hledger bs \-Y \-f 2021.j \-f 2022.j           expr:\[aq]tag:clopen=2021 or not tag:clopen\[aq]-$ hledger bs \-Y \-f 2022.j \-f 2023.j           expr:\[aq]tag:clopen=2022 or not tag:clopen\[aq]-$ hledger bs \-Y \-f 2021.j                     expr:\[aq]tag:clopen=2021 or not tag:clopen\[aq]-$ hledger bs \-Y \-f 2022.j                     expr:\[aq]tag:clopen=2022 or not tag:clopen\[aq]-$ hledger bs \-Y \-f 2023.j                     # unclosed file, no query needed-.EE-.SS More detailed close examples-See examples/multi\-year.-.SS rewrite-Print all transactions, rewriting the postings of matched transactions.-For now the only rewrite available is adding new postings, like print-\-\-auto.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-     \-\-add\-posting=\[aq]ACCT  AMTEXPR\[aq]  add a posting to ACCT, which may be-                                    parenthesised. AMTEXPR is either a literal-                                    amount, or *N which means the transaction\[aq]s-                                    first matched amount multiplied by N (a-                                    decimal number). Two spaces separate ACCT-                                    and AMTEXPR.-     \-\-diff                         generate diff suitable as an input for-                                    patch tool-.EE-.PP-This is a start at a generic rewriter of transaction entries.-It reads the default journal and prints the transactions, like print,-but adds one or more specified postings to any transactions matching-QUERY.-The posting amounts can be fixed, or a multiplier of the existing-transaction\[aq]s first posting amount.-.PP-Examples:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger\-rewrite.hs \[ha]income \-\-add\-posting \[aq](liabilities:tax)  *.33  ; income tax\[aq] \-\-add\-posting \[aq](reserve:gifts)  $100\[aq]-$ hledger\-rewrite.hs expenses:gifts \-\-add\-posting \[aq](reserve:gifts)  *\-1\[dq]\[aq]-$ hledger\-rewrite.hs \-f rewrites.hledger-.EE-.PP-rewrites.hledger may consist of entries like:-.IP-.EX-= \[ha]income amt:<0 date:2017-  (liabilities:tax)  *0.33  ; tax on income-  (reserve:grocery)  *0.25  ; reserve 25% for grocery-  (reserve:)  *0.25  ; reserve 25% for grocery-.EE-.PP-Note the single quotes to protect the dollar sign from bash, and the two-spaces between account and amount.-.PP-More:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger rewrite [QUERY]        \-\-add\-posting \[dq]ACCT  AMTEXPR\[dq] ...-$ hledger rewrite \[ha]income        \-\-add\-posting \[aq](liabilities:tax)  *.33\[aq]-$ hledger rewrite expenses:gifts \-\-add\-posting \[aq](budget:gifts)  *\-1\[dq]\[aq]-$ hledger rewrite \[ha]income        \-\-add\-posting \[aq](budget:foreign currency)  *0.25 JPY; diversify\[aq]-.EE-.PP-Argument for \f[CR]\-\-add\-posting\f[R] option is a usual posting of-transaction with an exception for amount specification.-More precisely, you can use \f[CR]\[aq]*\[aq]\f[R] (star symbol) before-the amount to indicate that that this is a factor for an amount of-original matched posting.-If the amount includes a commodity name, the new posting amount will be-in the new commodity; otherwise, it will be in the matched posting-amount\[aq]s commodity.-.SS Re\-write rules in a file-During the run this tool will execute so called \[dq]Automated-Transactions\[dq] found in any journal it process.-I.e instead of specifying this operations in command line you can put-them in a journal file.-.IP-.EX-$ rewrite\-rules.journal-.EE-.PP-Make contents look like this:-.IP-.EX-= \[ha]income-    (liabilities:tax)  *.33--= expenses:gifts-    budget:gifts  *\-1-    assets:budget  *1-.EE-.PP-Note that \f[CR]\[aq]=\[aq]\f[R] (equality symbol) that is used instead-of date in transactions you usually write.-It indicates the query by which you want to match the posting to add new-ones.-.IP-.EX-$ hledger rewrite \-f input.journal \-f rewrite\-rules.journal > rewritten\-tidy\-output.journal-.EE-.PP-This is something similar to the commands pipeline:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger rewrite \-f input.journal \[aq]\[ha]income\[aq] \-\-add\-posting \[aq](liabilities:tax)  *.33\[aq] \[rs]-  | hledger rewrite \-f \- expenses:gifts      \-\-add\-posting \[aq]budget:gifts  *\-1\[aq]       \[rs]-                                                \-\-add\-posting \[aq]assets:budget  *1\[aq]       \[rs]-  > rewritten\-tidy\-output.journal-.EE-.PP-It is important to understand that relative order of such entries in-journal is important.-You can re\-use result of previously added postings.-.SS Diff output format-To use this tool for batch modification of your journal files you may-find useful output in form of unified diff.-.IP-.EX-$ hledger rewrite \-\-diff \-f examples/sample.journal \[aq]\[ha]income\[aq] \-\-add\-posting \[aq](liabilities:tax)  *.33\[aq]-.EE-.PP-Output might look like:-.IP-.EX-\-\-\- /tmp/examples/sample.journal-+++ /tmp/examples/sample.journal-\[at]\[at] \-18,3 +18,4 \[at]\[at]- 2008/01/01 income-\-    assets:bank:checking  $1-+    assets:bank:checking            $1-     income:salary-+    (liabilities:tax)                0-\[at]\[at] \-22,3 +23,4 \[at]\[at]- 2008/06/01 gift-\-    assets:bank:checking  $1-+    assets:bank:checking            $1-     income:gifts-+    (liabilities:tax)                0-.EE-.PP-If you\[aq]ll pass this through \f[CR]patch\f[R] tool you\[aq]ll get-transactions containing the posting that matches your query be updated.-Note that multiple files might be update according to list of input-files specified via \f[CR]\-\-file\f[R] options and \f[CR]include\f[R]-directives inside of these files.-.PP-Be careful.-Whole transaction being re\-formatted in a style of output from-\f[CR]hledger print\f[R].-.PP-See also:-.PP-https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/99-.SS rewrite vs. print \-\-auto-This command predates print \-\-auto, and currently does much the same-thing, but with these differences:-.IP \[bu] 2-with multiple files, rewrite lets rules in any file affect all other-files.-print \-\-auto uses standard directive scoping; rules affect only child-files.-.IP \[bu] 2-rewrite\[aq]s query limits which transactions can be rewritten; all are-printed.-print \-\-auto\[aq]s query limits which transactions are printed.-.IP \[bu] 2-rewrite applies rules specified on command line or in the journal.-print \-\-auto applies rules specified in the journal.-.SH Maintenance commands-.SS check-Check for various kinds of errors in your data.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-no command\-specific flags-.EE-.PP-hledger provides a number of built\-in correctness checks to help-validate your data and prevent errors.-Some are run automatically, some when you enable \f[CR]\-\-strict\f[R]-mode; or you can run any of them on demand by providing them as-arguments to the \f[CR]check\f[R] command.-\f[CR]check\f[R] produces no output and a zero exit code if all is well.-Eg:-.IP-.EX-hledger check                      # run basic checks-hledger check \-s                   # run basic and strict checks-hledger check ordereddates payees  # run basic checks and two others-.EE-.PP-If you are an Emacs user, you can also configure flycheck\-hledger to-run these checks, providing instant feedback as you edit the journal.-.PP-Here are the checks currently available.-They are generally checked in the order they are shown here, and only-the first failure will be reported.-.SS Basic checks-These important checks are performed by default, by almost all hledger-commands:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[B]parseable\f[R] \- data files are in a supported format, with no-syntax errors and no invalid include directives.-This ensures that all files exist and are readable.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[B]autobalanced\f[R] \- all transactions are balanced, after-automatically inferring missing amounts and conversion rates and then-converting amounts to cost.-This ensures that each transaction\[aq]s journal entry is well formed.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[B]assertions\f[R] \- all balance assertions in the journal are-passing.-Balance assertions are a strong defense against errors, catching many-problems.-This check is on by default, but if it gets in your way, you can disable-it temporarily with \f[CR]\-I\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-ignore\-assertions\f[R], or-as a default by adding that flag to your config file.-(Then use \f[CR]\-s\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-strict\f[R] or-\f[CR]hledger check assertions\f[R] when you want to enable it).-.SS Strict checks-When the \f[CR]\-s\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-strict\f[R] flag is used (AKA strict-mode), all commands will perform the following additional checks (and-\f[CR]assertions\f[R], above).-These provide extra error\-catching power to help you keep your data-clean and correct:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[B]balanced\f[R] \- like \f[CR]autobalanced\f[R], but implicit-conversions between commodities are not allowed; all conversion-transactions must use cost notation or equity postings.-This prevents wrong conversions caused by typos.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[B]commodities\f[R] \- all commodity symbols used must be declared.-This guards against mistyping or omitting commodity symbols.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[B]accounts\f[R] \- all account names used must be declared.-This prevents the use of mis\-spelled or outdated account names.-.SS Other checks-These are not wanted by everyone, but can be run using the-\f[CR]check\f[R] command:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[B]tags\f[R] \- all tags used must be declared.-This prevents mis\-spelled tag names.-Note hledger fairly often finds unintended tags in comments.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[B]payees\f[R] \- all payees used in transactions must be declared.-This will force you to declare any new payee name before using it.-Most people will probably find this a bit too strict.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[B]ordereddates\f[R] \- within each file, transactions must be ordered-by date.-This is a simple and effective error catcher.-It\[aq]s not included in strict mode, but you can add it by running-\f[CR]hledger check \-s ordereddates\f[R].-If enabled, this check is performed before balance assertions.-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[B]recentassertions\f[R] \- all accounts with balance assertions must-have one that\[aq]s within the 7 days before their latest posting.-This will encourage adding balance assertions for your active-asset/liability accounts, which in turn should encourage you to-reconcile regularly with those real world balances \- another strong-defense against errors.-(\f[CR]hledger close \-\-assert >>$LEDGER_FILE\f[R] is a convenient way-to add new balance assertions.-Later these become quite redundant, and you might choose to remove them-to reduce clutter.)-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[B]uniqueleafnames\f[R] \- no two accounts may have the same last-account name part (eg the \f[CR]checking\f[R] in-\f[CR]assets:bank:checking\f[R]).-This ensures each account can be matched by a unique short name, easier-to remember and to type.-.SS Custom checks-You can build your own custom checks with add\-on command scripts.-See also Cookbook > Scripting.-Here are some examples from hledger/bin/:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[B]hledger\-check\-tagfiles\f[R] \- all tag values containing-\f[CR]/\f[R] exist as file paths-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[B]hledger\-check\-fancyassertions\f[R] \- more complex balance-assertions are passing-.SS diff-Compares a particular account\[aq]s transactions in two input files.-It shows any transactions to this account which are in one file but not-in the other.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-no command\-specific flags-.EE-.PP-More precisely: for each posting affecting this account in either file,-this command looks for a corresponding posting in the other file which-posts the same amount to the same account (ignoring date, description,-etc).-.PP-Since it compares postings, not transactions, this also works when-multiple bank transactions have been combined into a single journal-entry.-.PP-This command is useful eg if you have downloaded an account\[aq]s-transactions from your bank (eg as CSV data): when hledger and your bank-disagree about the account balance, you can compare the bank data with-your journal to find out the cause.-.PP-Examples:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger diff \-f $LEDGER_FILE \-f bank.csv assets:bank:giro -These transactions are in the first file only:--2014/01/01 Opening Balances-    assets:bank:giro              EUR ...-    ...-    equity:opening balances       EUR \-...--These transactions are in the second file only:-.EE-.SS setup-Check the status of the hledger installation.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-no command\-specific flags-.EE-.PP-\f[CR]setup\f[R] tests your hledger installation and prints a list of-results, sometimes with helpful hints.-This is a good first command to run after installing hledger.-Also after upgrading, or when something\[aq]s not working, or just when-you want a reminder of where things are.-.PP-It makes one network request to detect the latest hledger release-version.-It\[aq]s ok if this fails or times out.-It will use ANSI color by default, unless disabled by NO_COLOR or-\-\-color=n.-It does not use a pager or a config file.-.PP-It expects that the hledger version you are running is installed in your-PATH.-If not, it will stop until you have done that (to keep things simple).-.PP-Example:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger setup-Checking your hledger setup..-Legend: good, neutral, unknown, warning--hledger-* is a released version ?                   no  hledger 1.42.99\-gbca4b39c5\-20250425, mac\-aarch64-* is up to date ?                          yes  1.42.99 installed, latest is 1.42.1-* is a native binary for this machine ?    yes  aarch64-* is installed in PATH ?                   yes  /Users/simon/.local/bin/hledger-* has a system text encoding configured ?  yes  UTF\-8, data files should use this encoding-* has a user config file ? (optional)       no  -* current directory has a local config ?   yes  /Users/simon/src/hledger/hledger.conf-* the config file is readable ?            yes  /Users/simon/src/hledger/hledger.conf--terminal-* the NO_COLOR variable is defined ?        no  -* \-\-color is configured by config file ?    no  -* hledger will use color by default ?      yes  -* the PAGER variable is defined ?          yes  less-* \-\-pager is configured by config file ?    no  -* hledger will use a pager when needed ?   yes  /opt/homebrew/bin/less-* the LESS variable is defined ?           yes  -* the HLEDGER_LESS variable is defined ?    no  -* adjusting LESS variable for color etc. ? yes  -* \-\-pretty is enabled by config file ?      no  tables will use ASCII characters-* bash shell completions are installed ?     ?  -* zsh shell completions are installed ?      ?  --journal-* the LEDGER_FILE variable is defined ?    yes  /Users/simon/finance/2025/2025.journal-* a default journal file is readable ?     yes  /Users/simon/finance/2025/2025.journal-* it includes additional files ?           yes  15-* all commodities are declared ?           yes  10-* all accounts are declared ?              yes  160-* all accounts have types ?                 no  14 untyped-* accounts of each type were detected ?    yes  ALERXCV-* commodities/accounts are checked ?        no  use \-s to check commodities/accounts-* balance assertions are checked ?         yes  use \-I to ignore assertions-.EE-.SS test-Run built\-in unit tests.-.IP-.EX-Flags:-no command\-specific flags-.EE-.PP-This command runs the unit tests built in to hledger and hledger\-lib,-printing the results on stdout.-If any test fails, the exit code will be non\-zero.-.PP-This is mainly used by hledger developers, but you can also use it to-sanity\-check the installed hledger executable on your platform.-All tests are expected to pass \- if you ever see a failure, please-report as a bug!-.PP-Any arguments before a \f[CR]\-\-\f[R] argument will be passed to the-\f[CR]tasty\f[R] test runner as test\-selecting \-p patterns, and any-arguments after \f[CR]\-\-\f[R] will be passed to tasty unchanged.-.PP-Examples:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger test               # run all unit tests-$ hledger test balance       # run tests with \[dq]balance\[dq] in their name-$ hledger test \-\- \-h         # show tasty\[aq]s options-.EE-.PP-.SH PART 5: COMMON TASKS-Here are some quick examples of how to do some basic tasks with hledger.-.SS Getting help-Here\[aq]s how to list commands and view options and command docs:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger                # show available commands-$ hledger \-\-help         # show common options-$ hledger CMD \-\-help     # show CMD\[aq]s options, common options and CMD\[aq]s documentation-.EE-.PP-You can also view your hledger version\[aq]s manual in several formats-by using the help command.-Eg:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger help           # show the hledger manual with info, man or $PAGER (best available)-$ hledger help journal   # show the journal topic in the hledger manual-$ hledger help \-\-help    # find out more about the help command-.EE-.PP-To view manuals and introductory docs on the web, visit-https://hledger.org.-Chat and mail list support and discussion archives can be found at-https://hledger.org/support.-.SS Constructing command lines-hledger has a flexible command line interface.-We strive to keep it simple and ergonomic, but if you run into one of-the sharp edges described in OPTIONS, here are some tips that might-help:-.IP \[bu] 2-command\-specific options must go after the command (it\[aq]s fine to-put common options there too: \f[CR]hledger CMD OPTS ARGS\f[R])-.IP \[bu] 2-you can run addon commands via hledger (\f[CR]hledger ui [ARGS]\f[R]) or-directly (\f[CR]hledger\-ui [ARGS]\f[R])-.IP \[bu] 2-enclose \[dq]problematic\[dq] arguments in single quotes-.IP \[bu] 2-if needed, also add a backslash to hide regular expression-metacharacters from the shell-.IP \[bu] 2-to see how a misbehaving command line is being parsed, add-\f[CR]\-\-debug=2\f[R].-.SS Starting a journal file-hledger looks for your accounting data in a journal file,-\f[CR]$HOME/.hledger.journal\f[R] by default:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger stats-The hledger journal file \[dq]/Users/simon/.hledger.journal\[dq] was not found.-Please create it first, eg with \[dq]hledger add\[dq] or a text editor.-Or, specify an existing journal file with \-f or LEDGER_FILE.-.EE-.PP-You can override this by setting the \f[CR]LEDGER_FILE\f[R] environment-variable (see below).-It\[aq]s a good practice to keep this important file under version-control, and to start a new file each year.-So you could do something like this:-.IP-.EX-$ mkdir \[ti]/finance-$ cd \[ti]/finance-$ git init-Initialized empty Git repository in /Users/simon/finance/.git/-$ touch 2023.journal-$ echo \[dq]export LEDGER_FILE=$HOME/finance/2023.journal\[dq] >> \[ti]/.profile-$ source \[ti]/.profile-$ hledger stats-Main file                : /Users/simon/finance/2023.journal-Included files           : -Transactions span        :  to  (0 days)-Last transaction         : none-Transactions             : 0 (0.0 per day)-Transactions last 30 days: 0 (0.0 per day)-Transactions last 7 days : 0 (0.0 per day)-Payees/descriptions      : 0-Accounts                 : 0 (depth 0)-Commodities              : 0 ()-Market prices            : 0 ()-.EE-.SS Setting LEDGER_FILE-.SS Set LEDGER_FILE on unix-It depends on your shell, but running these commands in the terminal-will work for many people; adapt if needed:-.IP-.EX-$ echo \[aq]export LEDGER_FILE=\[ti]/finance/my.journal\[aq] >> \[ti]/.profile-$ source \[ti]/.profile-.EE-.PP-When correctly configured:-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]env | grep LEDGER_FILE\f[R] will show your new setting-.IP \[bu] 2-and so should \f[CR]hledger setup\f[R] and \f[CR]hledger files\f[R].-.SS Set LEDGER_FILE on mac-In a terminal window, follow the unix procedure above.-.PP-Also, this optional step may be helpful for GUI applications:-.IP "1." 3-Add an entry to \f[CR]\[ti]/.MacOSX/environment.plist\f[R] like-.RS 4-.IP-.EX-{-  \[dq]LEDGER_FILE\[dq] : \[dq]\[ti]/finance/my.journal\[dq]-}-.EE-.RE-.IP "2." 3-Run \f[CR]killall Dock\f[R] in a terminal window (or restart the-machine), to complete the change.-.PP-When correctly configured for GUI applications:-.IP \[bu] 2-apps started from the dock or a spotlight search, such as a GUI Emacs,-will be aware of the new LEDGER_FILE setting.-.SS Set LEDGER_FILE on Windows-Using the gui is easiest:-.IP "1." 3-In task bar, search for \f[CR]environment variables\f[R], and choose-\[dq]Edit environment variables for your account\[dq].-.IP "2." 3-Create or change a \f[CR]LEDGER_FILE\f[R] setting in the User variables-pane.-A typical value would be-\f[CR]C:\[rs]Users\[rs]USERNAME\[rs]finance\[rs]my.journal\f[R].-.IP "3." 3-Click OK to complete the change.-.IP "4." 3-And open a new powershell window.-(Existing windows won\[aq]t see the change.)-.PP-Or at the command line, you can do it this way:-.IP "1." 3-In a powershell window, run-\f[CR][Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable(\[dq]LEDGER_FILE\[dq], \[dq]C:\[rs]User\[rs]USERNAME\[rs]finance\[rs]my.journal\[dq], [System.EnvironmentVariableTarget]::User)\f[R]-.IP "2." 3-And open a new powershell window.-(Existing windows won\[aq]t see the change.)-.PP-Warning, doing this from the Windows command line can be tricky; other-methods you may find online:-.IP \[bu] 2-may not affect the current window-.IP \[bu] 2-may not be persistent-.IP \[bu] 2-may not work unless you are an administrator-.IP \[bu] 2-may limit values to 1024 characters-.IP \[bu] 2-may break dynamic references to other variables-.IP \[bu] 2-may require a new\-enough version of powershell-.IP \[bu] 2-or may be intended for the older command window.-.IP \[bu] 2-If you still have trouble, see eg Setting Windows PowerShell environment-variables or Adding path permanently to windows using powershell-doesn\[aq]t appear to work.-.PP-When correctly configured:-.IP \[bu] 2-in a new powershell window, \f[CR]$env:LEDGER_FILE\f[R] will show your-new setting-.IP \[bu] 2-and so should \f[CR]hledger setup\f[R] and (once the file exists)-\f[CR]hledger files\f[R].-.SS Setting opening balances-Pick a starting date for which you can look up the balances of some-real\-world assets (bank accounts, wallet..)-and liabilities (credit cards..).-.PP-To avoid a lot of data entry, you may want to start with just one or two-accounts, like your checking account or cash wallet; and pick a recent-starting date, like today or the start of the week.-You can always come back later and add more accounts and older-transactions, eg going back to january 1st.-.PP-Add an opening balances transaction to the journal, declaring the-balances on this date.-Here are two ways to do it:-.IP \[bu] 2-The first way: open the journal in any text editor and save an entry-like this:-.RS 2-.IP-.EX-2023\-01\-01 * opening balances-    assets:bank:checking                $1000   = $1000-    assets:bank:savings                 $2000   = $2000-    assets:cash                          $100   = $100-    liabilities:creditcard               $\-50   = $\-50-    equity:opening/closing balances-.EE-.PP-These are start\-of\-day balances, ie whatever was in the account at the-end of the previous day.-.PP-The * after the date is an optional status flag.-Here it means \[dq]cleared & confirmed\[dq].-.PP-The currency symbols are optional, but usually a good idea as you\[aq]ll-be dealing with multiple currencies sooner or later.-.PP-The = amounts are optional balance assertions, providing extra error-checking.-.RE-.IP \[bu] 2-The second way: run \f[CR]hledger add\f[R] and follow the prompts to-record a similar transaction:-.RS 2-.IP-.EX-$ hledger add-Adding transactions to journal file /Users/simon/finance/2023.journal-Any command line arguments will be used as defaults.-Use tab key to complete, readline keys to edit, enter to accept defaults.-An optional (CODE) may follow transaction dates.-An optional ; COMMENT may follow descriptions or amounts.-If you make a mistake, enter < at any prompt to go one step backward.-To end a transaction, enter . when prompted.-To quit, enter . at a date prompt or press control\-d or control\-c.-Date [2023\-02\-07]: 2023\-01\-01-Description: * opening balances-Account 1: assets:bank:checking-Amount  1: $1000-Account 2: assets:bank:savings-Amount  2 [$\-1000]: $2000-Account 3: assets:cash-Amount  3 [$\-3000]: $100-Account 4: liabilities:creditcard-Amount  4 [$\-3100]: $\-50-Account 5: equity:opening/closing balances-Amount  5 [$\-3050]: -Account 6 (or . or enter to finish this transaction): .-2023\-01\-01 * opening balances-    assets:bank:checking                      $1000-    assets:bank:savings                       $2000-    assets:cash                                $100-    liabilities:creditcard                     $\-50-    equity:opening/closing balances          $\-3050--Save this transaction to the journal ? [y]: -Saved.-Starting the next transaction (. or ctrl\-D/ctrl\-C to quit)-Date [2023\-01\-01]: .-.EE-.RE-.PP-If you\[aq]re using version control, this could be a good time to commit-the journal.-Eg:-.IP-.EX-$ git commit \-m \[aq]initial balances\[aq] 2023.journal-.EE-.SS Recording transactions-As you spend or receive money, you can record these transactions using-one of the methods above (text editor, hledger add) or by using the-hledger\-iadd or hledger\-web add\-ons, or by using the import command-to convert CSV data downloaded from your bank.-.PP-Here are some simple transactions, see the hledger_journal(5) manual and-hledger.org for more ideas:-.IP-.EX-2023/1/10 * gift received-  assets:cash   $20-  income:gifts--2023.1.12 * farmers market-  expenses:food    $13-  assets:cash--2023\-01\-15 paycheck-  income:salary-  assets:bank:checking    $1000-.EE-.SS Reconciling-Periodically you should reconcile \- compare your hledger\-reported-balances against external sources of truth, like bank statements or your-bank\[aq]s website \- to be sure that your ledger accurately represents-the real\-world balances (and, that the real\-world institutions have-not made a mistake!).-This gets easy and fast with (1) practice and (2) frequency.-If you do it daily, it can take 2\-10 minutes.-If you let it pile up, expect it to take longer as you hunt down errors-and discrepancies.-.PP-A typical workflow:-.IP "1." 3-Reconcile cash.-Count what\[aq]s in your wallet.-Compare with what hledger reports (\f[CR]hledger bal cash\f[R]).-If they are different, try to remember the missing transaction, or look-for the error in the already\-recorded transactions.-A register report can be helpful (\f[CR]hledger reg cash\f[R]).-If you can\[aq]t find the error, add an adjustment transaction.-Eg if you have $105 after the above, and can\[aq]t explain the missing-$2, it could be:-.RS 4-.IP-.EX-2023\-01\-16 * adjust cash-    assets:cash    $\-2 = $105-    expenses:misc-.EE-.RE-.IP "2." 3-Reconcile checking.-Log in to your bank\[aq]s website.-Compare today\[aq]s (cleared) balance with hledger\[aq]s cleared balance-(\f[CR]hledger bal checking \-C\f[R]).-If they are different, track down the error or record the missing-transaction(s) or add an adjustment transaction, similar to the above.-Unlike the cash case, you can usually compare the transaction history-and running balance from your bank with the one reported by-\f[CR]hledger reg checking \-C\f[R].-This will be easier if you generally record transaction dates quite-similar to your bank\[aq]s clearing dates.-.IP "3." 3-Repeat for other asset/liability accounts.-.PP-Tip: instead of the register command, use hledger\-ui to see a-live\-updating register while you edit the journal:-\f[CR]hledger\-ui \-\-watch \-\-register checking \-C\f[R]-.PP-After reconciling, it could be a good time to mark the reconciled-transactions\[aq] status as \[dq]cleared and confirmed\[dq], if you want-to track that, by adding the \f[CR]*\f[R] marker.-Eg in the paycheck transaction above, insert \f[CR]*\f[R] between-\f[CR]2023\-01\-15\f[R] and \f[CR]paycheck\f[R]-.PP-If you\[aq]re using version control, this can be another good time to-commit:-.IP-.EX-$ git commit \-m \[aq]txns\[aq] 2023.journal-.EE-.SS Reporting-Here are some basic reports.-.PP-Show all transactions:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger print-2023\-01\-01 * opening balances-    assets:bank:checking                      $1000-    assets:bank:savings                       $2000-    assets:cash                                $100-    liabilities:creditcard                     $\-50-    equity:opening/closing balances          $\-3050--2023\-01\-10 * gift received-    assets:cash              $20-    income:gifts--2023\-01\-12 * farmers market-    expenses:food             $13-    assets:cash--2023\-01\-15 * paycheck-    income:salary-    assets:bank:checking           $1000--2023\-01\-16 * adjust cash-    assets:cash               $\-2 = $105-    expenses:misc-.EE-.PP-Show account names, and their hierarchy:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger accounts \-\-tree-assets-  bank-    checking-    savings-  cash-equity-  opening/closing balances-expenses-  food-  misc-income-  gifts-  salary-liabilities-  creditcard-.EE-.PP-Show all account totals:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger balance-               $4105  assets-               $4000    bank-               $2000      checking-               $2000      savings-                $105    cash-              $\-3050  equity:opening/closing balances-                 $15  expenses-                 $13    food-                  $2    misc-              $\-1020  income-                $\-20    gifts-              $\-1000    salary-                $\-50  liabilities:creditcard-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--                   0-.EE-.PP-Show only asset and liability balances, as a flat list, limited to depth-2:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger bal assets liabilities \-2-               $4000  assets:bank-                $105  assets:cash-                $\-50  liabilities:creditcard-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--               $4055-.EE-.PP-Show the same thing without negative numbers, formatted as a simple-balance sheet:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger bs \-2-Balance Sheet 2023\-01\-16--                        || 2023\-01\-16 -========================++============- Assets                 ||            -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-- assets:bank            ||      $4000 - assets:cash            ||       $105 -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--                        ||      $4105 -========================++============- Liabilities            ||            -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-- liabilities:creditcard ||        $50 -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--                        ||        $50 -========================++============- Net:                   ||      $4055 -.EE-.PP-The final total is your \[dq]net worth\[dq] on the end date.-(Or use \f[CR]bse\f[R] for a full balance sheet with equity.)-.PP-Show income and expense totals, formatted as an income statement:-.IP-.EX-hledger is -Income Statement 2023\-01\-01\-2023\-01\-16--               || 2023\-01\-01\-2023\-01\-16 -===============++=======================- Revenues      ||                       -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-- income:gifts  ||                   $20 - income:salary ||                 $1000 -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--               ||                 $1020 -===============++=======================- Expenses      ||                       -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-- expenses:food ||                   $13 - expenses:misc ||                    $2 -\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--               ||                   $15 -===============++=======================- Net:          ||                 $1005 -.EE-.PP-The final total is your net income during this period.-.PP-Show transactions affecting your wallet, with running total:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger register cash-2023\-01\-01 opening balances     assets:cash                   $100          $100-2023\-01\-10 gift received        assets:cash                    $20          $120-2023\-01\-12 farmers market       assets:cash                   $\-13          $107-2023\-01\-16 adjust cash          assets:cash                    $\-2          $105-.EE-.PP-Show weekly posting counts as a bar chart:-.IP-.EX-$ hledger activity \-W-2019\-12\-30 *****-2023\-01\-06 ****-2023\-01\-13 ****-.EE-.SS Migrating to a new file-At the end of the year, you may want to continue your journal in a new-file, so that old transactions don\[aq]t slow down or clutter your-reports, and to help ensure the integrity of your accounting history.-See the close command.-.PP-If using version control, don\[aq]t forget to \f[CR]git add\f[R] the new-file.-.SH BUGS-We welcome bug reports in the hledger issue tracker-(https://bugs.hledger.org), or on the hledger chat or mail list-(https://hledger.org/support).-.PP-Some known issues and limitations:-.PP-hledger uses the system\[aq]s text encoding when reading non\-ascii-text.-If no system encoding is configured, or if the data\[aq]s encoding is-different, hledger will give an error.-(See Text encoding, Troubleshooting.)-.PP-On Microsoft Windows, depending what kind of terminal window you use,-non\-ascii characters, ANSI text formatting, and/or the add-command\[aq]s TAB key, may not be fully supported.-(For best results, try a powershell window.)-.PP-When processing large data files, hledger uses more memory than Ledger.-.SS Troubleshooting-Here are some common issues you might encounter when you run hledger,-and how to resolve them (and remember also you can usually get quick-Support):-.PP-\f[B]PATH issues: I get an error like \[dq]No command \[aq]hledger\[aq]-found\[dq]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Depending how you installed hledger, the executables may not be in your-shell\[aq]s PATH.-Eg on unix systems, stack installs hledger in-\f[CR]\[ti]/.local/bin\f[R] and cabal installs it in-\f[CR]\[ti]/.cabal/bin\f[R].-You may need to add one of these directories to your shell\[aq]s PATH,-and/or open a new terminal window.-.PP-\f[B]LEDGER_FILE issues: I configured LEDGER_FILE but hledger is not-using it\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-.IP \[bu] 2-\f[CR]LEDGER_FILE\f[R] should be a real environment variable, not just a-shell variable.-Eg on unix, the command \f[CR]env | grep LEDGER_FILE\f[R] should show-it.-You may need to use \f[CR]export\f[R] (see-https://stackoverflow.com/a/7411509).-On Windows, \f[CR]$env:LEDGER_FILE\f[R] should show it.-.IP \[bu] 2-You may need to force your shell to see the new configuration.-A simple way is to close your terminal window and open a new one.-.PP-\f[B]Text decoding issues: I get errors like \[dq]Illegal byte-sequence\[dq] or \[dq]Invalid or incomplete multibyte or wide-character\[dq] or \[dq]commitAndReleaseBuffer: invalid argument (invalid-character)\[dq]\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-hledger usually needs its input to be decodable with the system-locale\[aq]s text encoding.-See Text encoding and Install: Text encoding.-.PP-\f[B]COMPATIBILITY ISSUES: hledger gives an error with my Ledger-file\f[R]-.PD 0-.P-.PD-Not all of Ledger\[aq]s journal file syntax or feature set is supported.+.TH "HLEDGER" "1" "March 2026" "hledger-1.52 " "hledger User Manuals"++++.SH NAME+hledger \- a robust, friendly plain text accounting app (command line+version).+.SH SYNOPSIS+\f[CR]hledger\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+or+.PD 0+.P+.PD+\f[CR]hledger COMMAND [OPTS] [ARGS]\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+.SH DESCRIPTION+hledger is a robust, user\-friendly, cross\-platform set of programs for+tracking money, time, or any other commodity, using double\-entry+accounting and a simple, editable file format.+hledger is inspired by and largely compatible with ledger(1), and+largely interconvertible with beancount(1).+.PP+This manual is for hledger\(aqs command line interface, version 1.52.+It also describes the common options, file formats and concepts used by+all hledger programs.+It might accidentally teach you some bookkeeping/accounting as well!+You don\(aqt need to know everything in here to use hledger+productively, but when you have a question about functionality, this doc+should answer it.+It is detailed, so do skip ahead or skim when needed.+You can read it on hledger.org, or as an info manual or man page on your+system.+You can also open a built\-in copy, at a point of interest, by running+.PD 0+.P+.PD+\f[CR]hledger \-\-man [CMD]\f[R], \f[CR]hledger \-\-info [CMD]\f[R] or+\f[CR]hledger help [TOPIC]\f[R].+.PP+(And for shorter help, try \f[CR]hledger \-\-tldr [CMD]\f[R].)+.PP+The main function of the hledger CLI is to read plain text files+describing financial transactions, crunch the numbers, and print a+useful report on the terminal (or save it as HTML, CSV, JSON or SQL).+Many reports are available, as subcommands.+hledger will also detect other \f[CR]hledger\-*\f[R] executables as+extra subcommands.+.PP+hledger usually reads from (and appends to) a journal file specified by+the \f[CR]LEDGER_FILE\f[R] environment variable (defaulting to+\f[CR]$HOME/.hledger.journal\f[R]); or you can specify files with+\f[CR]\-f\f[R] options.+It can also read timeclock files, timedot files, or any CSV/SSV/TSV file+with a date field.+.PP+Here is a small journal file describing one transaction:+.IP+.EX+2015\-10\-16 bought food+  expenses:food          $10+  assets:cash+.EE+.PP+Transactions are dated movements of money (etc.)+between two or more \f[I]accounts\f[R]: bank accounts, your wallet,+revenue/expense categories, people, etc.+You can choose any account names you wish, using \f[CR]:\f[R] to+indicate subaccounts.+There must be at least two spaces between account name and amount.+Positive amounts are inflow to that account (\f[I]debit\f[R]), negatives+are outflow from it (\f[I]credit\f[R]).+(Some reports show revenue, liability and equity account balances as+negative numbers as a result; this is normal.)+.PP+hledger\(cqs add command can help you add transactions, or you can+install other data entry UIs like hledger\-web or hledger\-iadd.+For more extensive/efficient changes, use a text editor: Emacs ++ledger\-mode, VIM + vim\-ledger, or VS Code + hledger\-vscode are some+good choices (see https://hledger.org/editors.html).+.PP+To get started, run \f[CR]hledger add\f[R] and follow the prompts, or+save some entries like the above in \f[CR]$HOME/.hledger.journal\f[R],+then try commands like:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger print \-x+$ hledger aregister assets+$ hledger balance+$ hledger balancesheet+$ hledger incomestatement+.EE+.PP+Run \f[CR]hledger\f[R] to list the commands.+See also the \(dqStarting a journal file\(dq and \(dqSetting opening+balances\(dq sections in PART 5: COMMON TASKS.+.SH PART 1: USER INTERFACE+.SH Input+hledger reads one or more data files, each time you run it.+You can specify a file with \f[CR]\-f\f[R], like so+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f FILE [\-f FILE2 ...] print+.EE+.PP+Files are most often in hledger\(aqs journal format, with the+\f[CR].journal\f[R] file extension (\f[CR].hledger\f[R] or \f[CR].j\f[R]+also work); these files describe transactions, like an accounting+general journal.+.PP+When no file is specified, hledger looks for \f[CR].hledger.journal\f[R]+in your home directory.+.PP+But most people prefer to keep financial files in a dedicated folder,+perhaps with version control.+Also, starting a new journal file each year is common (it\(aqs not+required, but helps keep things fast and organised).+So we usually configure a different journal file, by setting the+\f[CR]LEDGER_FILE\f[R] environment variable, to something like+\f[CR]\(ti/finance/2023.journal\f[R].+For more about how to do that on your system, see Common tasks > Setting+LEDGER_FILE.+.SS Text encoding+hledger expects non\-ascii input to be decodable with the system+locale\(aqs text encoding.+(For CSV/SSV/TSV files, this can be overridden by the+\f[CR]encoding\f[R] CSV rule.)+.PP+So, trying to read non\-ascii files which have the wrong text encoding,+or when no system locale is configured, will fail.+To fix this, configure your system locale appropriately, and/or convert+the files to your system\(aqs text encoding (using \f[CR]iconv\f[R] on+unix, or powershell or notepad on Windows).+See Install: Text encoding for more tips.+.PP+hledger\(aqs output will use the system locale\(aqs encoding.+.PP+hledger\(aqs docs and example files mostly use UTF\-8 encoding.+.SS Data formats+Usually the data file is in hledger\(aqs journal format, but it can be+in any of the supported file formats, which currently are:+.PP+.TS+tab(@);+lw(13.5n) lw(33.0n) lw(23.5n).+T{+Reader:+T}@T{+Reads:+T}@T{+Automatically used for files with extensions:+T}+_+T{+\f[CR]journal\f[R]+T}@T{+hledger journal files and some Ledger journals, for transactions+T}@T{+\f[CR].journal\f[R] \f[CR].j\f[R] \f[CR].hledger\f[R] \f[CR].ledger\f[R]+T}+T{+\f[CR]timeclock\f[R]+T}@T{+timeclock files, for precise time logging+T}@T{+\f[CR].timeclock\f[R]+T}+T{+\f[CR]timedot\f[R]+T}@T{+timedot files, for approximate time logging+T}@T{+\f[CR].timedot\f[R]+T}+T{+\f[CR]csv\f[R]+T}@T{+Comma\- or other delimiter\-separated values, for data import+T}@T{+\f[CR].csv\f[R]+T}+T{+\f[CR]ssv\f[R]+T}@T{+Semicolon separated values+T}@T{+\f[CR].ssv\f[R]+T}+T{+\f[CR]tsv\f[R]+T}@T{+Tab separated values+T}@T{+\f[CR].tsv\f[R]+T}+T{+\f[CR]rules\f[R]+T}@T{+CSV/SSV/TSV/other separated values, alternate way+T}@T{+\f[CR].rules\f[R]+T}+.TE+.PP+These formats are described in more detail below.+.PP+hledger detects the format automatically based on the file extensions+shown above.+If it can\(aqt recognise the file extension, it assumes+\f[CR]journal\f[R] format.+So for non\-journal files, it\(aqs important to use a recognised file+extension, so as to either read successfully or to show relevant error+messages.+.PP+You can also force a specific reader/format by prefixing the file path+with the format and a colon.+Eg, to read a .dat file containing tab separated values:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f tsv:/some/file.dat stats+.EE+.SS Standard input+The file name \f[CR]\-\f[R] means standard input:+.IP+.EX+$ cat FILE | hledger \-f\- print+.EE+.PP+If reading non\-journal data in this way, you\(aqll need to write the+format as a prefix, like \f[CR]timeclock:\f[R] here:+.IP+.EX+$ echo \(aqi 2009/13/1 08:00:00\(aq | hledger print \-f timeclock:\-+.EE+.SS Multiple files+You can specify multiple \f[CR]\-f\f[R] options, to read multiple files+as one big journal.+When doing this, note that certain features (described below) will be+affected:+.IP \(bu 2+Balance assertions will not see the effect of transactions in previous+files.+(Usually this doesn\(aqt matter as each file will set the corresponding+opening balances.)+.IP \(bu 2+Some directives will not affect previous or subsequent files.+.PP+If needed, you can work around these by using a single parent file which+includes the others, or concatenating the files into one, eg:+\f[CR]cat a.journal b.journal | hledger \-f\- CMD\f[R].+.SS Strict mode+hledger checks input files for valid data.+By default, the most important errors are detected, while still+accepting easy journal files without a lot of declarations:+.IP \(bu 2+Are the input files parseable, with valid syntax ?+.IP \(bu 2+Are all transactions balanced ?+.IP \(bu 2+Do all balance assertions pass ?+.PP+With the \f[CR]\-s\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-strict\f[R] flag, additional checks+are performed:+.IP \(bu 2+Are all accounts posted to, declared with an \f[CR]account\f[R]+directive ?+(Account error checking)+.IP \(bu 2+Are all commodities declared with a \f[CR]commodity\f[R] directive ?+(Commodity error checking)+.IP \(bu 2+Are all commodity conversions declared explicitly ?+.PP+You can use the check command to run individual checks \- the ones+listed above and some more.+.SH Commands+hledger provides various subcommands for getting things done.+Most of these commands do not change the journal file; they just read it+and output a report.+A few commands assist with adding data and file management.+Some often\-used commands are \f[CR]add\f[R], \f[CR]print\f[R],+\f[CR]register\f[R], \f[CR]balancesheet\f[R] and+\f[CR]incomestatement\f[R].+.PP+To show a summary of commands, run \f[CR]hledger\f[R] with no arguments.+You can see the same commands summary at the start of PART 4: COMMANDS+below.+.PP+To use a particular command, run+\f[CR]hledger CMD [CMDOPTS] [CMDARGS]\f[R],+.IP \(bu 2+CMD is the full command name, or its standard abbreviation shown in the+commands list, or any unambiguous prefix of the name.+.IP \(bu 2+CMDOPTS are command\-specific options, if any.+Command\-specific options must be written after the command name.+Eg: \f[CR]hledger print \-x\f[R].+.IP \(bu 2+CMDARGS are additional arguments to the command, if any.+Most hledger commands accept arguments representing a query, to limit+the data in some way.+Eg: \f[CR]hledger reg assets:checking\f[R].+.PP+To list a command\(aqs options, arguments, and documentation in the+terminal, run \f[CR]hledger CMD \-h\f[R].+Eg: \f[CR]hledger bal \-h\f[R].+.SS Add\-on commands+In addition to the built\-in commands, you can install \f[I]add\-on+commands\f[R], which will also appear in hledger\(aqs commands list.+Some of these can be installed as separate packages; others can be found+in hledger\(aqs bin/ directory, documented at+https://hledger.org/scripts.html.+.PP+Add\-on commands are programs or scripts in your shell\(aqs PATH, whose+name starts with \(dqhledger\-\(dq and ends with no extension or a+recognised extension (\(dq.bat\(dq, \(dq.com\(dq, \(dq.exe\(dq,+\(dq.hs\(dq, \(dq.js\(dq, \(dq.lhs\(dq, \(dq.lua\(dq, \(dq.php\(dq,+\(dq.pl\(dq, \(dq.py\(dq, \(dq.rb\(dq, \(dq.rkt\(dq, or \(dq.sh\(dq),+and (on unix and mac) which has executable permission for the current+user.+.PP+You can run add\-on commands directly: \f[CR]hledger\-ui \-\-watch\f[R].+.PP+Or you can run them with hledger, like built\-in commands:+\f[CR]hledger ui \-\-watch\f[R].+In this case hledger\(aqs config file will be used, so you can set+custom options for the addon there.+(Before hledger 1.50, an \f[CR]\-\-\f[R] argument was needed before+addon options, but not any more.)+.SH Options+Run \f[CR]hledger \-h\f[R] to see general command line help.+Options can be written either before or after the command name.+These options are specific to the \f[CR]hledger\f[R] CLI:+.IP+.EX+Flags:+     \-\-conf=CONFFILE        Use extra options defined in this config file. If+                            not specified, searches upward and in XDG config+                            dir for hledger.conf (or .hledger.conf in $HOME).+  \-n \-\-no\-conf              ignore any config file+.EE+.PP+And the following general options are common to most hledger commands:+.IP+.EX+General input/data transformation flags:+  \-f \-\-file=[FMT:]FILE      Read data from FILE, or from stdin if FILE is \-,+                            inferring format from extension or a FMT: prefix.+                            Can be specified more than once. If not specified,+                            reads from $LEDGER_FILE or $HOME/.hledger.journal.+     \-\-rules=RULESFILE      Use rules defined in this rules file for+                            converting subsequent CSV/SSV/TSV files. If not+                            specified, uses FILE.csv.rules for each FILE.csv.+     \-\-alias=A=B|/RGX/=RPL  transform account names from A to B, or by+                            replacing regular expression matches+     \-\-auto                 generate extra postings by applying auto posting+                            rules (\(dq=\(dq) to all transactions+     \-\-forecast[=PERIOD]    Generate extra transactions from periodic rules+                            (\(dq\(ti\(dq), from after the latest ordinary transaction+                            until 6 months from now. Or, during the specified+                            PERIOD (the equals is required). Auto posting rules+                            will also be applied to these transactions. In+                            hledger\-ui, also make future\-dated transactions+                            visible at startup.+  \-I \-\-ignore\-assertions    don\(aqt check balance assertions by default+     \-\-txn\-balancing=...    how to check that transactions are balanced:+                            \(aqold\(aq:   use global display precision+                            \(aqexact\(aq: use transaction precision (default)+     \-\-infer\-costs          infer conversion equity postings from costs+     \-\-infer\-equity         infer costs from conversion equity postings+     \-\-infer\-market\-prices  infer market prices from costs+     \-\-pivot=TAGNAME        use a different field or tag as account names+  \-s \-\-strict               do extra error checks (and override \-I)+     \-\-verbose\-tags         add tags indicating generated/modified data++General output/reporting flags (supported by some commands):+  \-b \-\-begin=DATE           include postings/transactions on/after this date+  \-e \-\-end=DATE             include postings/transactions before this date+                            (with a report interval, will be adjusted to+                            following subperiod end)+  \-D \-\-daily                multiperiod report with 1 day interval+  \-W \-\-weekly               multiperiod report with 1 week interval+  \-M \-\-monthly              multiperiod report with 1 month interval+  \-Q \-\-quarterly            multiperiod report with 1 quarter interval+  \-Y \-\-yearly               multiperiod report with 1 year interval+  \-p \-\-period=PERIODEXP     set begin date, end date, and/or report interval,+                            with more flexibility+     \-\-today=DATE           override today\(aqs date (affects relative dates)+     \-\-date2                match/use secondary dates instead (deprecated)+  \-U \-\-unmarked             include only unmarked postings/transactions+  \-P \-\-pending              include only pending postings/transactions+  \-C \-\-cleared              include only cleared postings/transactions+                            (\-U/\-P/\-C can be combined)+  \-R \-\-real                 include only non\-virtual postings+  \-E \-\-empty                Show zero items, which are normally hidden.+                            In hledger\-ui & hledger\-web, do the opposite.+     \-\-depth=DEPTHEXP       if a number (or \-NUM): show only top NUM levels+                            of accounts. If REGEXP=NUM, only apply limiting to+                            accounts matching the regular expression.+  \-B \-\-cost                 show amounts converted to their cost/sale amount+  \-V \-\-market               Show amounts converted to their value at period+                            end(s) in their default valuation commodity.+                            Equivalent to \-\-value=end.+  \-X \-\-exchange=COMM        Show amounts converted to their value at period+                            end(s) in the specified commodity.+                            Equivalent to \-\-value=end,COMM.+     \-\-value=WHEN[,COMM]    show amounts converted to their value on the+                            specified date(s) in their default valuation+                            commodity or a specified commodity. WHEN can be:+                            \(aqthen\(aq:     value on transaction dates+                            \(aqend\(aq:      value at period end(s)+                            \(aqnow\(aq:      value today+                            YYYY\-MM\-DD: value on given date+  \-c \-\-commodity\-style=S    Override a commodity\(aqs display style.+                            Eg: \-c \(aq.\(aq or \-c \(aq1.000,00 EUR\(aq+     \-\-pretty[=YN]          Use box\-drawing characters in text output? Can be+                            \(aqy\(aq/\(aqyes\(aq or \(aqn\(aq/\(aqno\(aq.+                            If YN is specified, the equals is required.++General help flags:+  \-h \-\-help                 show command line help+     \-\-tldr                 show command examples with tldr+     \-\-info                 show the manual with info+     \-\-man                  show the manual with man+     \-\-version              show version information+     \-\-debug=[1\-9]          show this much debug output (default: 1)+     \-\-pager=YN             use a pager when needed ? y/yes (default) or n/no+     \-\-color=YNA \-\-colour   use ANSI color ? y/yes, n/no, or auto (default)+.EE+.PP+Usually hledger accepts any unambiguous flag prefix, eg you can write+\f[CR]\-\-tl\f[R] instead of \f[CR]\-\-tldr\f[R] or \f[CR]\-\-dry\f[R]+instead of \f[CR]\-\-dry\-run\f[R].+.PP+You can combine short flags which don\(aqt take arguments, eg you can+write \f[CR]\-MAST\f[R] instead of \f[CR]\-M \-A \-S \-T\f[R].+Flags requiring an argument can\(aqt be combined in this way+(\f[CR]\-If FILE\f[R] won\(aqt work).+.PP+If the same option appears more than once in a command line, usually the+last (right\-most) wins.+Similarly, if mutually exclusive flags are used together, the+right\-most wins.+(When flags are mutually exclusive, they\(aqll usually have a group+prefix in \-\-help.)+.PP+With most commands, arguments are interpreted as a hledger query which+filter the data.+Some queries can be expressed either with options or with arguments.+.PP+Below are more tips for using the command line interface \- feel free to+skip these until you need them.+.SS Special characters+In commands you type at the command line, certain characters have+special meaning and sometimes need to be \(dqescaped\(dq or+\(dqquoted\(dq, by prefixing backslashes or enclosing in quotes.+.PP+If you are able to minimise the use of special characters in your data,+you won\(aqt have to deal with this as much.+For example, you could use hyphen \f[CR]\-\f[R] or underscore+\f[CR]_\f[R] instead of spaces in account names, and you could use the+\f[CR]USD\f[R] currency code instead of the \f[CR]$\f[R] currency symbol+in amounts.+.PP+But if you prefer to use spaced account names and \f[CR]$\f[R], it\(aqs+fine.+Just be aware of this topic so you can check this doc when needed.+(These examples are mostly tested on unix; some details might need to be+adapted if you\(aqre on Windows.)+.SS Escaping shell special characters+These are some characters which may have special meaning to your shell+(the program which interprets command lines):+.IP \(bu 2+SPACE, \f[CR]<\f[R], \f[CR]>\f[R], \f[CR](\f[R], \f[CR])\f[R],+\f[CR]|\f[R], \f[CR]\(rs\f[R], \f[CR]%\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]$\f[R] if followed by a word character+.PP+So for example, to match an account name containing spaces, like+\(dqcredit card\(dq, don\(aqt write:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger register credit card+.EE+.PP+Instead, enclose the name in single quotes:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger register \(aqcredit card\(aq+.EE+.PP+On unix or in Windows powershell, if you use double quotes your shell+will silently treat \f[CR]$\f[R] as variable interpolation.+So you should probably avoid double quotes, unless you want that+behaviour, eg in a script:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger register \(dqassets:$SOMEACCT\(dq+.EE+.PP+But in an older Windows CMD.EXE window, you must use double quotes:+.IP+.EX+C:\(rsUsers\(rsMe> hledger register \(dqcredit card\(dq+.EE+.PP+On unix or in Windows powershell, as an alternative to quotes you can+write a backslash before each special character:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger register credit\(rs card+.EE+.PP+Finally, since hledger\(aqs query arguments are regular expressions+(described below), you could also fill that gap with \f[CR].\f[R] which+matches any character:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger register credit.card+.EE+.SS Escaping regular expression special characters+Some characters also have special meaning in regular expressions, which+hledger\(aqs arguments often are.+Those include:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR].\f[R], \f[CR]\(ha\f[R], \f[CR]$\f[R], \f[CR][\f[R], \f[CR]]\f[R],+\f[CR](\f[R], \f[CR])\f[R], \f[CR]|\f[R], \f[CR]\(rs\f[R]+.PP+To escape one of these, write \f[CR]\(rs\f[R] before it.+But note this is in addition to the shell escaping above.+So for characters which are special to both shell and regular+expressions, like \f[CR]\(rs\f[R] and \f[CR]$\f[R], you will sometimes+need two levels of escaping.+.PP+For example, a balance report that uses a \f[CR]cur:\f[R] query+restricting it to just the $ currency, should be written like this:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger balance cur:\(rs\(rs$+.EE+.PP+Explanation:+.IP "1." 3+Add a backslash \f[CR]\(rs\f[R] before the dollar sign \f[CR]$\f[R] to+protect it from regular expressions (so it will be matched literally+with no special meaning).+.IP "2." 3+Add another backslash before that backslash, to protect it from the+shell (so the shell won\(aqt consume it).+.IP "3." 3+\f[CR]$\f[R] doesn\(aqt need to be protected from the shell in this+case, because it\(aqs not followed by a word character; but it would be+harmless to do so.+.PP+But here\(aqs another way to write that, which tends to be easier: add+backslashes to escape from regular expressions, then enclose with quotes+to escape from the shell:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger balance cur:\(aq\(rs$\(aq+.EE+.SS Escaping in other situations+hledger options and arguments are sometimes used in places other than+the command line, where the escaping/quoting rules are different.+For example, backslash\-quoting may not be available.+Here\(aqs a quick reference:+.PP+.TS+tab(@);+lw(17.5n) lw(52.5n).+T{+In unix shell+T}@T{+Use single quotes and/or backslash (or double quotes for variable+interpolation)+T}+T{+In Windows \f[CR]powershell\f[R]+T}@T{+Use single quotes (or double quotes for variable interpolation)+T}+T{+In Windows \f[CR]cmd\f[R]+T}@T{+Use double quotes+T}+T{+In hledger\-ui\(aqs filter prompt+T}@T{+Use single or double quotes+T}+T{+In hledger\-web\(aqs search form+T}@T{+Use single or double quotes+T}+T{+In an argument file+T}@T{+Don\(aqt use spaces, don\(aqt shell\-escape, do regex\-escape, write one+argument/option per line+T}+T{+In a config file+T}@T{+Use single or double quotes, and enclose the whole argument+(\f[CR]\(aqdesc:a b\(aq\f[R] not \f[CR]desc:\(aqa b\(aq\f[R])+T}+T{+In \f[CR]ghci\f[R] (the Haskell REPL)+T}@T{+Use double quotes, and enclose the whole argument+T}+.TE+.SS Unicode characters+hledger is expected to handle non\-ascii characters correctly:+.IP \(bu 2+they should be parsed correctly in input files and on the command line,+by all hledger tools (add, iadd, hledger\-web\(aqs search/add/edit+forms, etc.)+.IP \(bu 2+they should be displayed correctly by all hledger tools, and on\-screen+alignment should be preserved.+.PP+This requires a well\-configured environment.+Here are some tips:+.IP \(bu 2+A system locale must be configured, which can decode the characters+being used.+This is essential \- see Text encoding and Install: Text encoding.+.IP \(bu 2+Your terminal software (eg Terminal.app, iTerm, CMD.exe, xterm..)+must support unicode.+On Windows, you may need to use Windows Terminal.+.IP \(bu 2+The terminal must be using a font which includes the required unicode+glyphs.+.IP \(bu 2+The terminal should be configured to display wide characters as double+width (for report alignment).+.IP \(bu 2+On Windows, for best results you should run hledger in the same kind of+environment in which it was built.+Eg hledger built in the standard CMD.EXE environment (like the binaries+on our download page) might show display problems when run in a cygwin+or msys terminal, and vice versa.+(See eg #961).+.SS Regular expressions+A regular expression (regexp) is a small piece of text where certain+characters (like \f[CR].\f[R], \f[CR]\(ha\f[R], \f[CR]$\f[R],+\f[CR]+\f[R], \f[CR]*\f[R], \f[CR]()\f[R], \f[CR]|\f[R], \f[CR][]\f[R],+\f[CR]\(rs\f[R]) have special meanings, forming a tiny language for+matching text precisely \- very useful in hledger and elsewhere.+To learn all about them, visit regular\-expressions.info.+.PP+hledger supports regexps whenever you are entering a pattern to match+something, eg in query arguments, account aliases, CSV if rules,+hledger\-web\(aqs search form, hledger\-ui\(aqs \f[CR]/\f[R] search,+etc.+You may need to wrap them in quotes, especially at the command line (see+Special characters above).+Here are some examples:+.PP+Account name queries (quoted for command line use):+.IP+.EX+Regular expression:  Matches:+\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-  \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+bank                 assets:bank, assets:bank:savings, expenses:art:banksy, ...+:bank                assets:bank:savings, expenses:art:banksy+:bank:               assets:bank:savings+\(aq\(habank\(aq              none of those ( \(ha matches beginning of text )+\(aqbank$\(aq              assets:bank   ( $ matches end of text )+\(aqbig \(rs$ bank\(aq        big $ bank    ( \(rs disables following character\(aqs special meaning )+\(aq\(rsbbank\(rsb\(aq           assets:bank, assets:bank:savings  ( \(rsb matches word boundaries )+\(aq(sav|check)ing\(aq     saving or checking  ( (|) matches either alternative )+\(aqsaving|checking\(aq    saving or checking  ( outer parentheses are not needed )+\(aqsavings?\(aq           saving or savings   ( ? matches 0 or 1 of the preceding thing )+\(aqmy +bank\(aq           my bank, my  bank, ... ( + matches 1 or more of the preceding thing )+\(aqmy *bank\(aq           mybank, my bank, my  bank, ... ( * matches 0 or more of the preceding thing )+\(aqb.nk\(aq               bank, bonk, b nk, ... ( . matches any character )+.EE+.PP+Some other queries:+.IP+.EX+desc:\(aqamazon|amzn|audible\(aq  Amazon transactions+cur:EUR              amounts with commodity symbol containing EUR+cur:\(aq\(rs$\(aq             amounts with commodity symbol containing $+cur:\(aq\(ha\(rs$$\(aq           only $ amounts, not eg AU$ or CA$+cur:....?            amounts with 4\-or\-more\-character symbols+tag:.=202[1\-3]       things with any tag whose value contains 2021, 2022 or 2023+.EE+.PP+Account name aliases: accept \f[CR].\f[R] instead of \f[CR]:\f[R] as+account separator:+.IP+.EX+alias /\(rs./=:         replaces all periods in account names with colons+.EE+.PP+Show multiple top\-level accounts combined as one:+.IP+.EX+\-\-alias=\(aq/\(ha[\(ha:]+/=combined\(aq  ( [\(ha:] matches any character other than : )+.EE+.PP+Show accounts with the second\-level part removed:+.IP+.EX+\-\-alias \(aq/\(ha([\(ha:]+):[\(ha:]+/ = \(rs1\(aq+                     match a top\-level account and a second\-level account+                     and replace those with just the top\-level account+                     ( \(rs1 in the replacement text means \(dqwhatever was matched+                     by the first parenthesised part of the regexp\(dq+.EE+.PP+CSV rules: match CSV records containing dining\-related MCC codes:+.IP+.EX+if \(rs?MCC581[124]+.EE+.PP+Match CSV records with a specific amount around the end/start of month:+.IP+.EX+if %amount \(rsb3\(rs.99+&  %date   (29|30|31|01|02|03)$+.EE+.SS hledger\(aqs regular expressions+hledger\(aqs regular expressions come from the regex\-tdfa library.+If they\(aqre not doing what you expect, it\(aqs important to know+exactly what they support:+.IP "1." 3+they are case insensitive+.IP "2." 3+they are infix matching (they do not need to match the entire thing+being matched)+.IP "3." 3+they are POSIX ERE (extended regular expressions)+.IP "4." 3+they also support GNU word boundaries (\f[CR]\(rsb\f[R],+\f[CR]\(rsB\f[R], \f[CR]\(rs<\f[R], \f[CR]\(rs>\f[R])+.IP "5." 3+backreferences are supported when doing text replacement in account+aliases or CSV rules, where backreferences can be used in the+replacement string to reference capturing groups in the search regexp.+Otherwise, if you write \f[CR]\(rs1\f[R], it will match the digit+\f[CR]1\f[R].+.IP "6." 3+they do not support lazy quantifiers (\f[CR]*?\f[R]), mode modifiers+(\f[CR](?s)\f[R]), character classes (\f[CR]\(rsw\f[R],+\f[CR]\(rsd\f[R]), or anything else not mentioned above.+.IP "7." 3+they may not (I\(aqm guessing not) properly support right\-to\-left or+bidirectional text.+.PP+Some things to note:+.IP \(bu 2+In the \f[CR]alias\f[R] directive and \f[CR]\-\-alias\f[R] option,+regular expressions must be enclosed in forward slashes+(\f[CR]/REGEX/\f[R]).+Elsewhere in hledger, these are not required.+.IP \(bu 2+In queries, to match a regular expression metacharacter like+\f[CR]$\f[R] as a literal character, prepend a backslash.+Eg to search for amounts with the dollar sign in hledger\-web, write+\f[CR]cur:\(rs$\f[R].+.IP \(bu 2+On the command line, some metacharacters like \f[CR]$\f[R] have a+special meaning to the shell and so must be escaped at least once more.+See Special characters.+.SS Argument files+You can save a set of command line options and arguments in a file, and+then use them by writing \f[CR]\(atFILE.args\f[R] as a hledger command+argument.+The \f[CR].args\f[R] file extension is conventional, but not required.+In an argument file,+.IP \(bu 2+Each line can contain one argument, flag, or option.+.IP \(bu 2+Blank lines or lines beginning with \f[CR]#\f[R] are ignored.+.IP \(bu 2+An option\(aqs flag and value should be joined by \f[CR]=\f[R].+.IP \(bu 2+An option value or an argument may contain spaces.+Don\(aqt use single or double quotes.+.IP \(bu 2+And generally, use one less level of quoting/escaping than at the+command line.+Eg \f[CR]cur:\(rs$\f[R], not \f[CR]cur:\(rs\(rs$\f[R] as on the command+line.+.PP+For example:+.IP+.EX+# cash.args++assets:cash+assets:charles schwab:sweep+cur:\(rs$+\-c=$1.+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger bal \(atcash.args+.EE+.SS Config files+With hledger 1.40+, you can save extra command line options and+arguments in a more featureful hledger config file.+Here\(aqs a small example:+.IP+.EX+\f[I]# General options are listed first, and used with hledger commands that support them.\f[R]+\-\-pretty++\f[I]# Options following a \(ga[COMMAND]\(ga heading are used with that hledger command only.\f[R]+\f[B][print]\f[R]+\-\-explicit \-\-infer\-costs+.EE+.PP+To use a config file, specify it with the \f[CR]\-\-conf\f[R] option.+Its options will be inserted near the start of your command line, so you+can override them with command line options if needed.+.PP+Or, you can set up an automatic config file that is used whenever you+run hledger, by creating \f[CR]hledger.conf\f[R] in the current+directory or above, or \f[CR].hledger.conf\f[R] in your home directory+(\f[CR]\(ti/.hledger.conf\f[R]), or \f[CR]hledger.conf\f[R] in your XDG+config directory (\f[CR]\(ti/.config/hledger/hledger.conf\f[R]).+.PP+Here is another example config you could start with:+https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/blob/master/hledger.conf.sample+.PP+You can put not only options, but also arguments in a config file.+If the first word in a config file\(aqs top (general) section does not+begin with a dash (eg: \f[CR]print\f[R]), it is treated as the command+argument (overriding any argument on the command line).+.PP+On unix machines, you can add a shebang line at the top of a config+file, set executable permission on the file, and use it like a script.+Eg (the \f[CR]\-S\f[R] is needed on some operating systems):+.IP+.EX+#!/usr/bin/env \-S hledger \-\-conf+.EE+.PP+You can ignore config files by adding the+\f[CR]\-n\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-no\-conf\f[R] flag to the command line.+This is useful when using hledger in scripts, or when troubleshooting.+When both \f[CR]\-\-conf\f[R] and \f[CR]\-\-no\-conf\f[R] options are+used, the right\-most wins.+.PP+To inspect the processing of config files, use \f[CR]\-\-debug\f[R] or+\f[CR]\-\-debug=8\f[R].+Or, run the \f[CR]setup\f[R] command, which will display any active+config files.+(\f[CR]setup\f[R] is not affected by config files itself, unlike other+commands.)+.PP+\f[B]Warning!\f[R]+.PP+There aren\(aqt many hledger features that need a warning, but this is+one!+.PP+Automatic config files, while convenient, also make hledger less+predictable and dependable.+It\(aqs easy to make a config file that changes a report\(aqs behaviour,+or breaks your hledger\-using scripts/applications, in ways that will+surprise you later.+.PP+If you don\(aqt want this,+.IP "1." 3+Just don\(aqt create a hledger.conf file on your machine.+.IP "2." 3+Also be alert to downloaded directories which may contain a hledger.conf+file.+.IP "3." 3+Also if you are sharing scripts or examples or support, consider that+others may have a hledger.conf file.+.PP+Conversely, once you decide to use this feature, try to remember:+.IP "1." 3+Whenever a hledger command does not work as expected, try it again with+\f[CR]\-n\f[R] (\f[CR]\-\-no\-conf\f[R]) to see if a config file was to+blame.+.IP "2." 3+Whenever you call hledger from a script, consider whether that call+should use \f[CR]\-n\f[R] or not.+.IP "3." 3+Be conservative about what you put in your config file; try to consider+the effect on all your reports.+.IP "4." 3+To troubleshoot the effect of config files, run with+\f[CR]\-\-debug\f[R] or \f[CR]\-\-debug 8\f[R].+.PP+The config file feature was added in hledger 1.40.+.SS Shell completions+If you use the bash or zsh shells, you can optionally set up+context\-sensitive autocompletion for hledger command lines.+Try pressing \f[CR]hledger<SPACE><TAB><TAB>\f[R] (should list all+hledger commands) or \f[CR]hledger reg acct:<TAB><TAB>\f[R] (should list+your top\-level account names).+If completions aren\(aqt working, or for more details, see Install >+Shell completions.+.SH Output+.SS Output destination+hledger commands send their output to the terminal by default.+You can of course redirect this, eg into a file, using standard shell+syntax:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger print > foo.txt+.EE+.PP+Some commands (print, register, stats, the balance commands) also+provide the \f[CR]\-o\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-output\-file\f[R] option, which+does the same thing without needing the shell.+Eg:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger print \-o foo.txt+$ hledger print \-o \-        # write to stdout (the default)+.EE+.SS Output format+Some commands offer other kinds of output, not just text on the+terminal.+Here are those commands and the formats currently supported:+.PP+.TS+tab(@);+lw(20.6n) lw(5.1n) lw(6.2n) lw(9.3n) lw(6.2n) lw(11.3n) lw(5.1n) lw(6.2n).+T{+command+T}@T{+txt+T}@T{+html+T}@T{+csv/tsv+T}@T{+fods+T}@T{+beancount+T}@T{+sql+T}@T{+json+T}+_+T{+aregister+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+Y+T}+T{+balance+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+Y+T}+T{+balancesheet+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+Y+T}+T{+balancesheetequity+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+Y+T}+T{+cashflow+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+Y+T}+T{+incomestatement+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+Y+T}+T{+print+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}+T{+register+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+Y+T}+.TE+.PP+You can also see which output formats a command supports by running+\f[CR]hledger CMD \-h\f[R] and looking for the+\f[CR]\-O\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-output\-format=FMT\f[R] option,+.PP+You can select the output format by using that option:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger print \-O csv    # print CSV to standard output+.EE+.PP+or by choosing a suitable filename extension with the+\f[CR]\-o\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-output\-file=FILE.FMT\f[R] option:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger balancesheet \-o foo.csv    # write CSV to foo.csv+.EE+.PP+The \f[CR]\-O\f[R] option can be combined with \f[CR]\-o\f[R] to+override the file extension if needed:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger balancesheet \-o foo.txt \-O csv    # write CSV to foo.txt+.EE+.PP+Here are some notes about the various output formats.+.SS Text output+This is the default: human readable, plain text report output, suitable+for viewing with a monospace font in a terminal.+If your data contains unicode or wide characters, you\(aqll need a+terminal and font that render those correctly.+(This can be challenging on MS Windows.)+.PP+Some reports (\f[CR]register\f[R], \f[CR]aregister\f[R]) will normally+use the full window width.+If this isn\(aqt working or you want to override it, you can use the+\f[CR]\-w\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-width\f[R] option.+.PP+Balance reports (\f[CR]balance\f[R], \f[CR]balancesheet\f[R],+\f[CR]incomestatement\f[R]...)+use whatever width they need.+Multi\-period multi\-currency reports can often be wider than the+window.+Besides using a pager, helpful techniques for this situation include+\f[CR]\-\-layout=bare\f[R], \f[CR]\-X COMM\f[R], \f[CR]cur:\f[R],+\f[CR]\-\-transpose\f[R], \f[CR]\-\-tree\f[R], \f[CR]\-\-depth\f[R],+\f[CR]\-\-drop\f[R], switching to html output, etc.+.SS Box\-drawing characters+hledger draws simple table borders by default, to minimise the risk of+display problems caused by a terminal/font not supporting box\-drawing+characters.+.PP+But your terminal and font probably do support them, so we recommend+using the \f[CR]\-\-pretty\f[R] flag to show prettier tables in the+terminal.+This is a good flag to add to your hledger config file.+.SS Colour+hledger tries to automatically detect ANSI colour and text styling+support and use it when appropriate.+(Currently, it is used rather minimally: some reports show negative+numbers in red, and help output uses bold text for emphasis.)+.PP+You can override this by setting the \f[CR]NO_COLOR\f[R] environment+variable to disable it, or by using the \f[CR]\-\-color/\-\-colour\f[R]+option, perhaps in your config file, with a \f[CR]y\f[R]/\f[CR]yes\f[R]+or \f[CR]n\f[R]/\f[CR]no\f[R] value to force it on or off.+.SS Paging+In unix\-like environments, when displaying large output (in any output+format) in the terminal, hledger tries to use a pager when appropriate.+(You can disable this with the \f[CR]\-\-pager=no\f[R] option, perhaps+in your config file.)+.PP+The pager shows one page of text at a time, and lets you scroll around+to see more.+While it is active, usually \f[CR]SPACE\f[R] shows the next page,+\f[CR]h\f[R] shows help, and \f[CR]q\f[R] quits.+The home/end/page up/page down/cursor keys, and mouse scrolling, may+also work.+.PP+hledger will use the pager specified by the \f[CR]PAGER\f[R] environment+variable, otherwise \f[CR]less\f[R] if available, otherwise+\f[CR]more\f[R] if available.+(With one exception: \f[CR]hledger help \-p TOPIC\f[R] will always use+\f[CR]less\f[R], so that it can scroll to the topic.)+.PP+The pager is expected to display hledger\(aqs ANSI colour and text+styling.+If you see junk characters, you might need to configure your pager to+handle ANSI codes.+Or you could disable colour as described above.+.PP+If you are using the \f[CR]less\f[R] pager, hledger tries to provide a+consistently pleasant experience by running it with some extra options+added to your \f[CR]LESS\f[R] environment variable:+.PP+\-\-chop\-long\-lines \-\-hilite\-unread \-\-ignore\-case \-\-no\-init+\-\-quit\-if\-one\-screen \-\-shift=8 \-\-squeeze\-blank\-lines+\-\-use\-backslash+.PP+and when colour output is enabled:+.PP+\-\-RAW\-CONTROL\-CHARS+.PP+You can prevent this by setting your preferred options in the+\f[CR]HLEDGER_LESS\f[R] variable, which will be used instead of+\f[CR]LESS\f[R].+.SS HTML output+HTML output can be styled by an optional \f[CR]hledger.css\f[R] file in+the same directory.+.PP+HTML output will be a HTML fragment, not a complete HTML document.+Like other hledger output, for non\-ascii characters it will use the+system locale\(aqs text encoding (see Text encoding).+.SS CSV / TSV output+In CSV or TSV output, digit group marks (such as thousands separators)+are disabled automatically.+.SS FODS output+FODS is the OpenDocument Spreadsheet format as plain XML, as accepted by+LibreOffice and OpenOffice.+If you use their spreadsheet applications, this is better than CSV+because it works across locales (decimal point vs.+decimal comma, character encoding stored in XML header, thus no problems+with umlauts), it supports fixed header rows and columns, cell types+(string vs.+number vs.+date), separation of number and currency (currency is displayed but the+cell type is still a number accessible for computation), styles (bold),+borders.+Btw.+you can still extract CSV from FODS/ODS using various utilities like+\f[CR]libreoffice \-\-headless\f[R] or ods2csv.+.SS Beancount output+This is Beancount\(aqs journal format.+You can use this to export your hledger data to Beancount, eg to use the+Fava web app.+.PP+hledger will try to adjust your data to suit Beancount, automatically.+Be cautious and check the conversion until you are confident it is good.+If you plan to export to Beancount often, you may want to follow its+conventions, for a cleaner conversion:+.IP \(bu 2+use Beancount\-friendly account names+.IP \(bu 2+use currency codes instead of currency symbols+.IP \(bu 2+use cost notation instead of equity conversion postings+.IP \(bu 2+avoid virtual postings, balance assignments, and secondary dates.+.PP+There is one big adjustment you must handle yourself: for Beancount, the+top level account names must be \f[CR]Assets\f[R],+\f[CR]Liabilities\f[R], \f[CR]Equity\f[R], \f[CR]Income\f[R], and/or+\f[CR]Expenses\f[R].+You can use account aliases to rewrite your account names temporarily,+if needed, as in this hledger2beancount.conf config file.+.PP+2024\-12\-20: Some more things not yet handled for you:+.IP \(bu 2+P directives are not converted automatically \- convert those yourself.+.IP \(bu 2+Balance assignments are not converted (Beancount doesn\(aqt support+them) \- replace those with explicit amounts.+.SS Beancount account names+Aside from the top\-level names, hledger will adjust your account names+to make valid Beancount account names, by capitalising each part,+replacing spaces with \f[CR]\-\f[R], replacing other unsupported+characters with \f[CR]C<HEXBYTES>\f[R], prepending \f[CR]A\f[R] to+account name parts which don\(aqt begin with a letter or digit, and+appending \f[CR]:A\f[R] to account names which have only one part.+.SS Beancount commodity names+hledger will adjust your commodity names to make valid Beancount+commodity/currency names, which must be 2\-24 uppercase letters, digits,+or \f[CR]\(aq\f[R], \f[CR].\f[R], \f[CR]_\f[R], \f[CR]\-\f[R], beginning+with a letter and ending with a letter or digit.+hledger will convert known currency symbols to ISO 4217 currency codes,+capitalise letters, replace spaces with \f[CR]\-\f[R], replace other+unsupported characters with \f[CR]C<HEXBYTES>\f[R], and prepend or+append \f[CR]C\f[R] if needed.+.SS Beancount virtual postings+Beancount doesn\(aqt allow virtual postings; if you have any, they will+be omitted from beancount output.+.SS Beancount metadata+hledger tags will be converted to Beancount metadata (except for tags+whose name begins with \f[CR]_\f[R]).+Metadata names will be adjusted to be Beancount\-compatible: beginning+with a lowercase letter, at least two characters long, and with+unsupported characters encoded.+Metadata values will use Beancount\(aqs string type.+.PP+In hledger, objects can have the same tag repeated with multiple values.+Eg an \f[CR]assets:cash\f[R] account might have both+\f[CR]type:Asset\f[R] and \f[CR]type:Cash\f[R] tags.+For Beancount these will be combined into one, with the values combined,+comma separated.+Eg: \f[CR]type: \(dqAsset, Cash\(dq\f[R].+.SS Beancount costs+Beancount doesn\(aqt allow redundant costs and conversion postings as+hledger does.+If you have any of these, the conversion postings will be omitted.+Currently we support at most one cost + conversion postings group per+transaction.+.SS Beancount operating currency+Declaring an operating currency (or several) improves Beancount and Fava+reports.+Currently hledger will declare each currency used in cost amounts as an+operating currency.+If needed, replace these with your own declaration, like+.IP+.EX+option \(dqoperating_currency\(dq \(dqUSD\(dq+.EE+.SS SQL output+SQL output is expected to work at least with SQLite, MySQL and Postgres.+.PP+The SQL statements are expected to be executed in the empty database.+If you already have tables created via SQL output of hledger, you would+probably want to either clear data from these (via \f[CR]delete\f[R] or+\f[CR]truncate\f[R] SQL statements) or \f[CR]drop\f[R] the tables+completely before import; otherwise your postings would be duplicated.+.PP+For SQLite, it is more useful if you modify the generated \f[CR]id\f[R]+field to be a PRIMARY KEY.+Eg:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger print \-O sql | sed \(aqs/id serial/id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT NOT NULL/g\(aq | ...+.EE+.PP+This is not yet much used; feedback is welcome.+.SS JSON output+Our JSON is rather large and verbose, since it is a faithful+representation of hledger\(aqs internal data types.+To understand its structure, read the Haskell type definitions, which+are mostly in+https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/blob/master/hledger\-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs.+hledger\-web\(aqs OpenAPI specification may also be relevant.+.PP+hledger stores numbers with sometimes up to 255 significant digits.+This is too many digits for most JSON consumers, so in JSON output we+round numbers to at most 10 decimal places.+(We don\(aqt limit the number of integer digits.)+If you find this causing problems, please let us know.+Related: #1195+.PP+This is not yet much used; feedback is welcome.+.SS Commodity styles+When displaying amounts, hledger infers a standard display style for+each commodity/currency, as described below in Commodity display style.+.PP+If needed, this can be overridden by a+\f[CR]\-c/\-\-commodity\-style\f[R] option (except for cost amounts and+amounts displayed by the \f[CR]print\f[R] command, which are always+displayed with all decimal digits).+For example, the following will force dollar amounts to be displayed as+shown:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger print \-c \(aq$1.000,0\(aq+.EE+.PP+This option can be repeated to set the display style for multiple+commodities/currencies.+Its argument is as described in the commodity directive.+Note that omitting the commodity symbol will set the display style for+just the no\-symbol commodity, not all commodities.+.PP+In some cases hledger will adjust number formatting to improve their+parseability (such as adding trailing decimal marks when needed).+.SS Debug output+We intend hledger to be relatively easy to troubleshoot, introspect and+develop.+You can add \f[CR]\-\-debug[=N]\f[R] to any hledger command line to see+additional debug output.+N ranges from 1 (least output, the default) to 9 (maximum output).+Typically you would start with 1 and increase until you are seeing+enough.+Debug output goes to stderr, and is not affected by+\f[CR]\-o/\-\-output\-file\f[R] (unless you redirect stderr to stdout,+eg: \f[CR]2>&1\f[R]).+It will be interleaved with normal output, which can help reveal when+parts of the code are evaluated.+To capture debug output in a log file instead, you can usually redirect+stderr, eg:+.IP+.EX+hledger bal \-\-debug=3 2>hledger.log+.EE+.PP+(This option doesn\(aqt work in a config file yet.)+.SH Environment+These environment variables affect hledger:+.PP+\f[B]HLEDGER_LESS\f[R] If \f[CR]less\f[R] is your pager, this variable+specifies the \f[CR]less\f[R] options hledger should use.+(Otherwise, \f[CR]LESS\f[R] + custom options are used.)+.PP+\f[B]LEDGER_FILE\f[R] The default journal file, to be used when no+\f[CR]\-f/\-\-file\f[R] option is provided.+For example, it could be \f[CR]\(ti/finance/main.journal\f[R].+This can also be a glob pattern, eg \f[CR]./2???.journal\f[R].+(If the glob matches multiple files, only the alphanumerically first one+is used.)+If LEDGER_FILE points to a non\-existent file, an error will be raised.+If the value is the empty string, it is ignored.+.PP+If LEDGER_FILE is not set and \f[CR]\-f\f[R] is not provided, the+default journal file is \f[CR]$HOME/.hledger.journal\f[R] (or if a home+directory can\(aqt be detected, \f[CR]./.hledger.journal\f[R]).+.PP+See also Common tasks > Setting LEDGER_FILE.+.PP+\f[B]NO_COLOR\f[R] If this environment variable exists (with any value,+including empty), hledger will not use ANSI color codes in terminal+output, unless overridden by an explicit \f[CR]\-\-color=y\f[R] or+\f[CR]\-\-colour=y\f[R] option.+.SH PART 2: DATA FORMATS+.SH Journal+hledger\(aqs usual data source is a plain text file containing journal+entries in hledger \f[CR]journal\f[R] format.+If you\(aqre looking for a quick reference, jump ahead to the journal+cheatsheet (or use the table of contents at+https://hledger.org/hledger.html).+.PP+This file represents an accounting General Journal.+The \f[CR].journal\f[R] file extension is most often used, though not+strictly required.+The journal file contains a number of transaction entries, each+describing a transfer of money (or any commodity) between two or more+named accounts, in a simple format readable by both hledger and humans.+.PP+hledger\(aqs journal format is compatible with most of Ledger\(aqs+journal format, but not all of it.+The differences and interoperation tips are described at hledger and+Ledger.+With some care, and by avoiding incompatible features, you can keep your+hledger journal readable by Ledger and vice versa.+This can useful eg for comparing the behaviour of one app against the+other.+.PP+You can use hledger without learning any more about this file; just use+the add or web or import commands to create and update it.+.PP+Many users, though, edit the journal file with a text editor, and track+changes with a version control system such as git.+Editor add\-ons such as ledger\-mode or hledger\-mode for Emacs,+vim\-ledger for Vim, and hledger\-vscode for Visual Studio Code, make+this easier, adding colour, formatting, tab completion, and useful+commands.+See Editors at hledger.org for the full list.+.PP+A hledger journal file can contain three kinds of thing: comment lines,+transactions, and/or directives (including periodic transaction rules+and auto posting rules).+Understanding the journal file format will also give you a good+understanding of hledger\(aqs data model.+Here\(aqs a quick cheatsheet/overview, followed by detailed descriptions+of each part.+.SS Journal cheatsheet+.IP+.EX+# Here is the main syntax of hledger\(aqs journal format+# (omitting extra Ledger compatibility syntax).++###############################################################################++# 1. These are comment lines, for notes or temporarily disabling things.+; They begin with # or ;++comment+Or, lines can be enclosed within \(dqcomment\(dq / \(dqend comment\(dq.+This is a block of +commented lines.+end comment++# Some journal entries can have semicolon comments at end of line  ; like this+# Some of them require 2 or more spaces before the semicolon.++###############################################################################++# 2. Directives customise processing or output in some way.+# You don\(aqt need any directives to get started.+# But they can add more error checking, or change how things are displayed.+# They begin with a word, letter, or symbol. +# They are most often placed at the top, before transactions.++account assets             ; Declare valid account names and display order.+account assets:savings     ; A subaccount. This one represents a bank account.+account assets:checking    ; Another. Note, 2+ spaces after the account name.+account assets:receivable  ; Accounting type is inferred from english names,+account passifs            ; or declared with a \(dqtype\(dq tag, type:L+account expenses           ; type:X+                           ; A follow\-on comment line, indented.+account expenses:rent      ; Expense and revenue categories are also accounts.+                           ; Subaccounts inherit their parent\(aqs type.++commodity $0.00         ; Declare valid commodities and their display styles.+commodity 1.000,00 EUR++decimal\-mark .          ; The decimal mark used in this file (if ambiguous).++payee Whole Foods       ; Declare a valid payee name.++tag trip                ; Declare a valid tag name.++P 2024\-03\-01 AAPL $179  ; Declare a market price for AAPL in $ on this date.++include other.journal   ; Include another journal file here.++# Declare a recurring \(dqperiodic transaction\(dq, for budget/forecast reports+\(ti monthly  set budget goals  ; <\- Note, 2+ spaces before the description.+    (expenses:rent)      $1000+    (expenses:food)       $500++# Declare an auto posting rule, to modify existing transactions in reports+= revenues:consulting+    liabilities:tax:2024:us          *0.25  ; Add a tax liability & expense+    expenses:tax:2024:us            *\-0.25  ; for 25% of the revenue.++###############################################################################++# 3. Transactions are what it\(aqs all about.+# They are dated events, usually movements of money between 2 or more accounts.+# They begin with a numeric date.+# Here is their basic shape:+#+# DATE DESCRIPTION    ; The transaction\(aqs date and optional description.+#   ACCOUNT1  AMOUNT  ; A posting of an amount to/from this account, indented.+#   ACCOUNT2  AMOUNT  ; A second posting, balancing the first.+#   ...               ; More if needed. Amounts must sum to zero.+#                     ; Note, 2+ spaces between account names and amounts.++2024\-01\-01 opening balances         ; At the start, declare pre\-existing balances this way.+    assets:savings          $10000  ; Account names can be anything. lower case is easy to type.+    assets:checking          $1000  ; assets, liabilities, equity, revenues, expenses are common.+    liabilities:credit card  $\-500  ; liabilities, equity, revenues balances are usually negative.+    equity:start                    ; One amount can be left blank. $\-10500 is inferred here.+                                    ; Some of these accounts we didn\(aqt declare above,+                                    ; so \-s/\-\-strict would complain.++2024\-01\-03 ! (12345) pay rent+    ; Additional transaction comment lines, indented.+    ; There can be a ! or * after the date meaning \(dqpending\(dq or \(dqcleared\(dq.+    ; There can be a parenthesised (code) after the date/status.+                                    ; Amounts\(aq sign shows direction of flow.+    assets:checking          $\-500  ; Minus means removed from this account (credit).+    expenses:rent             $500  ; Plus means added to this account (debit).++; Keeping transactions in date order is optional (but helps error checking).++2024\-01\-02 Gringott\(aqs Bank | withdrawal  ; Description can be PAYEE | NOTE+    assets:bank:gold       \-10 gold+    assets:pouch            10 gold++2024\-01\-02 shopping+    expenses:clothing        1 gold+    expenses:wands           5 gold+    assets:pouch            \-6 gold++2024\-01\-02 receive gift+    revenues:gifts          \-3 \(dqChocolate Frogs\(dq  ; Complex commodity symbols+    assets:pouch             3 \(dqChocolate Frogs\(dq  ; must be in double quotes.++2024\-01\-15 buy some shares, in two lots                 ; Cost can be noted.+    assets:investments:2024\-01\-15     2.0 AAAA \(at $1.50  ; \(at  means per\-unit cost+    assets:investments:2024\-01\-15\-02  3.0 AAAA \(at\(at $4    ; \(at\(at means total cost+                      ; \(ha Per\-lot subaccounts are sometimes useful.+    assets:checking                 $\-7++2024\-01\-15 assert some account balances on this date+    ; Balances can be asserted in any transaction, with =, for extra error checking.+    ; Assertion txns like this one can be made with hledger close \-\-assert \-\-show\-costs+    ;+    assets:savings                    $0                   = $10000+    assets:checking                   $0                   =   $493+    assets:bank:gold                   0 gold              =    \-10 gold+    assets:pouch                       0 gold              =      4 gold+    assets:pouch                       0 \(dqChocolate Frogs\(dq =      3 \(dqChocolate Frogs\(dq+    assets:investments:2024\-01\-15      0.0 AAAA            =      2.0 AAAA \(at  $1.50+    assets:investments:2024\-01\-15\-02   0.0 AAAA            =      3.0 AAAA \(at\(at $4+    liabilities:credit card           $0                   =  $\-500++2024\-02\-01 note some event, or a transaction not yet fully entered, on this date+    ; Postings are not required.++# Consistent YYYY\-MM\-DD date format is recommended,+# but you can use . or / and omit leading zeros if you prefer.+2024.01.01+2024/1/1+.EE+.SS Comments+Lines in the journal will be ignored if they begin with a hash+(\f[CR]#\f[R]) or a semicolon (\f[CR];\f[R]).+(See also Other syntax.)+hledger will also ignore regions beginning with a \f[CR]comment\f[R]+line and ending with an \f[CR]end comment\f[R] line (or file end).+Here\(aqs a suggestion for choosing between them:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]#\f[R] for top\-level notes+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR];\f[R] for commenting out things temporarily+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]comment\f[R] for quickly commenting large regions (remember+it\(aqs there, or you might get confused)+.PP+Eg:+.IP+.EX+# a comment line+; another commentline+comment+A multi\-line comment block,+continuing until \(dqend comment\(dq directive+or the end of the current file.+end comment+.EE+.PP+Some hledger entries can have same\-line comments attached to them, from+; (semicolon) to end of line.+See Transaction comments, Posting comments, and Account comments below.+.SS Transactions+Transactions are the main unit of information in a journal file.+They represent events, typically a movement of some quantity of+commodities between two or more named accounts.+.PP+Each transaction is recorded as a journal entry, beginning with a simple+date in column 0.+This can be followed by any of the following optional fields, separated+by spaces:+.IP \(bu 2+a status character (empty, \f[CR]!\f[R], or \f[CR]*\f[R])+.IP \(bu 2+a code (any short number or text, enclosed in parentheses)+.IP \(bu 2+a description (any remaining text until end of line or a semicolon)+.IP \(bu 2+a comment (any remaining text following a semicolon until end of line,+and any following indented lines beginning with a semicolon)+.IP \(bu 2+0 or more indented \f[I]posting\f[R] lines, describing what was+transferred and the accounts involved (indented comment lines are also+allowed, but not blank lines or non\-indented lines).+.PP+Here\(aqs a simple journal file containing one transaction:+.IP+.EX+2008/01/01 income+  assets:bank:checking   $1+  income:salary         $\-1+.EE+.SS Dates+.SS Simple dates+Dates in the journal file use \f[I]simple dates\f[R] format:+\f[CR]YYYY\-MM\-DD\f[R] or \f[CR]YYYY/MM/DD\f[R] or+\f[CR]YYYY.MM.DD\f[R], with leading zeros optional.+The year may be omitted, in which case it will be inferred from the+context: the current transaction, the default year set with a+\f[CR]Y\f[R] directive, or the current date when the command is run.+Some examples: \f[CR]2010\-01\-31\f[R], \f[CR]2010/01/31\f[R],+\f[CR]2010.1.31\f[R], \f[CR]1/31\f[R].+.PP+(The UI also accepts simple dates, as well as the more flexible smart+dates documented in the hledger manual.)+.SS Posting dates+You can give individual postings a different date from their parent+transaction, by adding a posting comment containing a tag (see below)+like \f[CR]; date:DATE\f[R].+(There\(aqs also a Ledger\-compatible syntax, \f[CR]; [DATE]\f[R], which+can be convenient.)+.PP+This is probably the best way to control posting dates precisely.+Eg in this example the expense should appear in May reports, and the+deduction from checking should be reported on 6/1 for easy bank+reconciliation:+.IP+.EX+2015/5/30+    expenses:food     $10  ; food purchased on saturday 5/30+    assets:checking        ; bank cleared it on monday, date:6/1+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f t.j register food+2015\-05\-30                      expenses:food                  $10           $10+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f t.j register checking+2015\-06\-01                      assets:checking               $\-10          $\-10+.EE+.PP+DATE should be a simple date; if the year is not specified it will use+the year of the transaction\(aqs date.+.PD 0+.P+.PD+The \f[CR]date:\f[R] tag must have a valid simple date value if it is+present, eg a \f[CR]date:\f[R] tag with no value is not allowed.+.SS Status+Transactions (or individual postings within a transaction) can have a+status mark, which is a single character before the transaction+description (or posting account name), separated from it by a space,+indicating one of three statuses:+.PP+.TS+tab(@);+l l.+T{+mark \ +T}@T{+status+T}+_+T{+\ +T}@T{+unmarked+T}+T{+\f[CR]!\f[R]+T}@T{+pending+T}+T{+\f[CR]*\f[R]+T}@T{+cleared+T}+.TE+.PP+When reporting, you can filter by status with the+\f[CR]\-U/\-\-unmarked\f[R], \f[CR]\-P/\-\-pending\f[R], and+\f[CR]\-C/\-\-cleared\f[R] flags (and you can combine these, eg+\f[CR]\-UP\f[R] to match all except cleared things).+Or you can use the \f[CR]status:\f[R], \f[CR]status:!\f[R], and+\f[CR]status:*\f[R] queries, or the U, P, C keys in hledger\-ui.+.PP+(Note: in Ledger the \(dqunmarked\(dq state is called \(dquncleared\(dq;+in hledger we renamed it to \(dqunmarked\(dq for semantic clarity.)+.PP+Status marks are optional, but can be helpful eg for reconciling with+real\-world accounts.+Some editor modes provide highlighting and shortcuts for working with+status.+Eg in Emacs ledger\-mode, you can toggle transaction status with C\-c+C\-e, or posting status with C\-c C\-c.+.PP+What \(dquncleared\(dq, \(dqpending\(dq, and \(dqcleared\(dq actually+mean is up to you.+Here\(aqs one suggestion:+.PP+.TS+tab(@);+lw(9.7n) lw(60.3n).+T{+status+T}@T{+meaning+T}+_+T{+uncleared+T}@T{+recorded but not yet reconciled; needs review+T}+T{+pending+T}@T{+tentatively reconciled (if needed, eg during a big reconciliation)+T}+T{+cleared+T}@T{+complete, reconciled as far as possible, and considered correct+T}+.TE+.PP+With this scheme, you would use \f[CR]\-PC\f[R] to see the current+balance at your bank, \f[CR]\-U\f[R] to see things which will probably+hit your bank soon (like uncashed checks), and no flags to see the most+up\-to\-date state of your finances.+.SS Code+After the status mark, but before the description, you can optionally+write a transaction \(dqcode\(dq, such as a check number or transaction+id, enclosed in parentheses,+.PP+This has a few limitations: The code must not contain a closing+parenthesis (or it will be truncated).+Codes tend to disrupt alignment of the register report, making it harder+to scan visually.+And you can\(aqt store more than one value there per transaction.+For these reasons you might want to avoid the code field and use+tags(#tags] instead.+.SS Description+After the date, status mark and/or code fields, the rest of the line (or+until a comment is begun with \f[CR];\f[R]) is the transaction\(aqs+description.+Here you can describe the transaction (called the \(dqnarration\(dq in+traditional bookkeeping), or you can record a payee/payer name, or you+can leave it empty.+.PP+Transaction descriptions show up in print output and in register+reports, and can be listed with the descriptions command.+.PP+You can query by description with \f[CR]desc:DESCREGEX\f[R], or pivot on+description with \f[CR]\-\-pivot desc\f[R].+.SS Payee and note+Sometimes people want a dedicated payee/payer field that can be queried+and checked more strictly.+If you want that, you can write a \f[CR]|\f[R] (pipe) character in the+description.+This divides it into a \(dqpayee\(dq field on the left, and a+\(dqnote\(dq field on the right.+(Either can be empty.)+.PP+You can query these with \f[CR]payee:PAYEEREGEX\f[R] and+\f[CR]note:NOTEREGEX\f[R], list their values with the payees and notes+commands, or pivot on \f[CR]payee\f[R] or \f[CR]note\f[R].+.PP+Note: in transactions with no \f[CR]|\f[R] character, description,+payee, and note all have the same value.+Once a \f[CR]|\f[R] is added, they become distinct.+(If you\(aqd like to change this behaviour, please propose it on the+mail list.)+.PP+If you want more strict error checking, you can declare the valid payee+names with payee directives, and then enforce these with hledger check+payees.+(Note: because of the above, for this you\(aqll need to ensure every+transaction description contains a \f[CR]|\f[R] and therefore a+checkable payee name, even if it\(aqs empty.)+.SS Transaction comments+Text following \f[CR];\f[R], after a transaction description, and/or on+indented lines immediately below it, form comments for that transaction.+They are reproduced by \f[CR]print\f[R] but otherwise ignored, except+they may contain tags, which are not ignored.+.IP+.EX+2012\-01\-01 something  ; a transaction comment+    ; a second line of transaction comment+    expenses   1+    assets+.EE+.SS Postings+A posting is an addition of some amount to, or removal of some amount+from, an account.+Each posting line begins with at least one space or tab (2 or 4 spaces+is common), followed by:+.IP \(bu 2+(optional) a status character (empty, \f[CR]!\f[R], or \f[CR]*\f[R]),+followed by a space+.IP \(bu 2+(required) an account name (any text, optionally including single+spaces.+If anything follows the account name on the same line, the account name+must be ended by \f[B]two or more spaces\f[R].)+.IP \(bu 2+(optional) an amount+.IP \(bu 2+(optional) a same\-line posting comment, beginning with a semicolon+(\f[CR];\f[R]).+.PP+If the amount is positive, it is being added to the account; if+negative, it is being removed from the account.+.PP+The posting amounts in a transaction must sum up to zero, indicating+that the inflows and outflows are equal.+We call this a balanced transaction.+(You can read more about the details of transaction balancing below.)+.PP+If no amount is written, it will be calculated automatically from the+other postings in the transaction, so as to balance the transaction.+In other words, in any transaction you can leave one posting amountless+to save typing.+.SS Debits and credits+The traditional accounting concepts of debit and credit of course exist+in hledger, but we represent them with numeric sign.+Positive and negative posting amounts represent debits and credits+respectively.+.PP+You don\(aqt need to remember that, but if you would like to \- eg for+helping newcomers or for talking with your accountant \- here\(aqs a+handy mnemonic:+.PP+\f[I]\f[CI]debit  / plus  / left  / short  words\f[I]\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+\f[I]\f[CI]credit / minus / right / longer words\f[I]\f[R]+.SS Account names+Accounts are the main way of categorising things in hledger.+As in Double Entry Bookkeeping, they can represent real world accounts+(such as a bank account), or more abstract categories such as \(dqmoney+spent on food\(dq or \(dqmoney borrowed from Frank\(dq.+.PP+Account names are flexible.+They may be capitalised or not; they may contain letters, numbers,+punctuation, symbols, or single spaces; they may be in any language.+.PP+Typically we use the five traditional accounting categories as the+starting point for account names.+In english they are:+.PP+\f[CR]assets\f[R], \f[CR]liabilities\f[R], \f[CR]equity\f[R],+\f[CR]revenues\f[R], \f[CR]expenses\f[R]+.PP+These will be discussed more in Account types below.+In hledger docs you may see them referred to as A, L, E, R, X for short.+.SS Two space delimiter+Note the \f[B]two or more spaces\f[R] delimiter that\(aqs sometimes+required after account names.+\ hledger\(aqs account names, inherited from Ledger, are very+permissive; they may contain pretty much any kind of text, including+single spaces and semicolons.+Because of this, they must be terminated by \f[B]two or more spaces\f[R]+if there is anything following them on the same line.+For example, if an amount, balance assignment, or same\-line comment+follows an account name, they must be preceded by two or more spaces,+else they would be considered part of the account name:+.IP+.EX+bad:     assets:accounts receivable $10        ; <\- too close!+good:    assets:accounts receivable  $10+.EE+.IP+.EX+bad:     assets:accounts receivable =$1000     ; <\- too close!+good:    assets:accounts receivable  =$1000+.EE+.IP+.EX+bad:     assets:accounts receivable ; comment.   <\- too close!+good:    assets:accounts receivable  ; comment+.EE+.PP+This two\-space delimiter appears in a few places in hledger, such as+after account names in postings or account directives; also after the+period expression in periodic transaction rules.+When you are starting out, expect it to catch you out at least once.+It\(aqs annoying sometimes, but it lets us use expressive account names+while still keeping the syntax light.+.SS Account hierarchy+For more precise reporting, we usually divide accounts into more+detailed subaccounts, subsubaccounts, and so on, by writing a full colon+between account name parts.+For example, instead of writing \f[CR]assets\f[R] and+\f[CR]expenses\f[R], we might write \f[CR]assets:bank:checking\f[R] and+\f[CR]expenses:food\f[R].+From these names hledger will infer this hierarchy of five accounts:+.IP+.EX+assets+assets:bank+assets:bank:checking+expenses+expenses:food+.EE+.PP+Or as an outline:+.IP+.EX+assets+ bank+  checking+expenses+ food+.EE+.PP+hledger reports can summarise the account tree to any depth, so you can+make your subcategories as detailed as you like.+But don\(aqt go overboard, especially when getting started; simpler+categories can be less work.+.SS Other account name features+Enclosing the account name in parentheses or brackets, like+\f[CR](expenses:food)\f[R], enables a non\-standard bookkeeping feature:+virtual postings.+.PP+Account names can be rewritten and restructured, temporarily or+permanently, by account aliases.+.SS Amounts+After the account name, there is usually an amount.+(Remember: between account name and amount, there must be two or more+spaces.)+.PP+hledger\(aqs amount format is flexible, supporting several international+formats.+Here are some examples.+Amounts have a number (the \(dqquantity\(dq):+.IP+.EX+1+.EE+.PP+\&..and usually a currency symbol or commodity name (more on this+below), to the left or right of the quantity, with or without a+separating space:+.IP+.EX+$1+4000 AAPL+3 \(dqgreen apples\(dq+.EE+.PP+Amounts can be preceded by a minus sign (or a plus sign, though plus is+the default), The sign can be written before or after a left\-side+commodity symbol:+.IP+.EX+\-$1+$\-1+.EE+.PP+One or more spaces between the sign and the number are acceptable when+parsing (but they won\(aqt be displayed in output):+.IP+.EX++ $1+$\-      1+.EE+.PP+Scientific E notation is allowed:+.IP+.EX+1E\-6+EUR 1E3+.EE+.PP+.SS Decimal marks+A \f[I]decimal mark\f[R] can be written as a period or a comma:+.IP+.EX+1.23+1,23+.EE+.PP+Both of these are common in international number formats, so hledger is+not biased towards one or the other.+Because hledger also supports digit group marks (eg thousands+separators), this means that a number like \f[CR]1,000\f[R] or+\f[CR]1.000\f[R] containing just one period or comma is ambiguous.+In such cases, hledger by default assumes it is a decimal mark, and will+parse both of those as 1.+.PP+To help hledger parse such ambiguous numbers more accurately, if you use+digit group marks, we recommend declaring the decimal mark explicitly.+The best way is to add a \f[CR]decimal\-mark\f[R] directive at the top+of each data file, like this:+.IP+.EX+decimal\-mark .+.EE+.PP+Or you can declare it per commodity with \f[CR]commodity\f[R]+directives, described below.+.PP+hledger also accepts numbers like \f[CR]10.\f[R] with no digits after+the decimal mark (and will sometimes display numbers that way to+disambiguate them \- see Trailing decimal marks).+.SS Digit group marks+In the integer part of the amount quantity (left of the decimal mark),+groups of digits can optionally be separated by a \f[I]digit group+mark\f[R] \- a comma or period (whichever is not used as decimal mark),+or a space (several Unicode space variants, like no\-break space, are+also accepted).+\ So these are all valid amounts in a journal file:+.IP+.EX+     $1,000,000.00+  EUR 2.000.000,00+INR 9,99,99,999.00+      1 000 000.00   ; <\- ordinary space  +      1\ 000\ 000.00   ; <\- no\-break space+.EE+.SS Commodity+Amounts in hledger have both a \(dqquantity\(dq, which is a signed+decimal number, and a \(dqcommodity\(dq, which is a currency symbol,+stock ticker, or any word or phrase describing something you are+tracking.+.PP+If the commodity name contains non\-letters (spaces, numbers, or+punctuation), you must always write it inside double quotes+(\f[CR]\(dqgreen apples\(dq\f[R], \f[CR]\(dqABC123\(dq\f[R]).+.PP+If you write just a bare number, that too will have a commodity, with+name \f[CR]\(dq\(dq\f[R]; we call that the \(dqno\-symbol commodity\(dq.+.PP+Actually, hledger combines these single\-commodity amounts into more+powerful multi\-commodity amounts, which are what it works with most of+the time.+A multi\-commodity amount could be, eg:+\f[CR]1 USD, 2 EUR, 3.456 TSLA\f[R].+In practice, you will only see multi\-commodity amounts in hledger\(aqs+output; you can\(aqt write them directly in the journal file.+\+.PP+By default, the format of amounts in the journal influences how hledger+displays them in output.+This is explained in Commodity display style below.+.PP+.SS Costs+In traditional double entry bookkeeping, to record a transaction where+one commodity is exchanged for another, you add extra equity postings to+balance the two commodities.+Eg:+.IP+.EX+2026\-01\-01 buy euros+  assets:dollars     $\-123+  equity:conversion   $123+  equity:conversion  €\-100+  assets:euros        €100+.EE+.PP+hledger offers a more convenient \(at/\(at\(at \(dqcost notation\(dq as+an alternative: instead of equity postings, you can write the+\(dqconversion rate\(dq or \(dqtransacted price\(dq after a posting+amount.+hledger docs generically call this \(dqcost\(dq, whether buying or+selling.+It can be written as either \f[CR]\(at UNITPRICE\f[R] or+\f[CR]\(at\(at TOTALPRICE\f[R].+Eg you could write the above as:+.IP+.EX+2026\-01\-01 buy euros+  assets:dollars     $\-123+  assets:euros        €100 \(at $1.23    ; unit cost (exchange rate)+.EE+.PP+or:+.IP+.EX+2026\-01\-01 buy euros+  assets:dollars     $\-123+  assets:euros        €100 \(at\(at $123    ; total cost+.EE+.PP+The cost should normally be a positive amount.+Negative costs are supported, but can be confusing, as discussed at+\-\-infer\-market\-prices: market prices from transactions.+.PP+Costs participate in transaction balancing.+Amounts are converted to their cost before checking if the transaction+is balanced.+You could also write the above less redundantly, like so:+.IP+.EX+2026\-01\-01 buy euros+  assets:dollars                      ; $\-123 is inferred+  assets:euros        €100 \(at $1.23+.EE+.PP+or:+.IP+.EX+2026\-01\-01 buy euros+  assets:dollars                      ; $\-123 is inferred+  assets:euros        €100 \(at\(at $123+.EE+.PP+or even:+.IP+.EX+2026\-01\-01 buy euros+  assets:euros        €100            ;  \(at\(at $123 is inferred+  assets:dollars     $\-123+.EE+.PP+This last form works for transactions involving exactly two commodities,+with neither cost notation nor equity postings.+Note, the order of postings is significant: the cost will be attached to+the first (top) posting.+So we had to switch the order of postings, to get the same meaning as+above.+Also, this form is the easiest to make undetected errors with; so it is+rejected by \f[CR]hledger check balanced\f[R], and by strict mode.+.PP+Advantages of cost notation:+.IP "1." 3+it\(aqs more compact and easier to read and write+.IP "2." 3+hledger reports can show such amounts converted to their cost, when you+add the \f[CR]\-B/\-\-cost\f[R] flag (see Cost reporting).+.PP+Advantages of equity postings+.IP "1." 3+they help to keep the accounting equation balanced (if you care about+that)+.IP "2." 3+they translate easily to any other double entry accounting system.+.PP+Most hledger users use cost notation and don\(aqt use equity postings.+.PP+But you can always convert cost notation to equity postings by adding+\f[CR]\-\-infer\-equity\f[R].+Eg try \f[CR]hledger print \-x \-\-infer\-equity\f[R].+.PP+And you can usually convert equity postings to cost notation by adding+\f[CR]\-\-infer\-costs\f[R] (see Requirements for detecting equity+conversion postings).+Eg try \f[CR]hledger print \-x \-\-infer\-costs\f[R].+.PP+Finally: using both equity postings and cost notation at the same time+is allowed, as long as the journal entry is well formed such that the+equity postings / cost equivalences can be detected.+(Otherwise you\(aqll get an error message saying that the transaction is+unbalanced.):+.IP+.EX+2026\-01\-01 buy euros+  assets:dollars     $\-123+  equity:conversion   $123+  equity:conversion  €\-100+  assets:euros        €100 \(at $1.23+.EE+.PP+So in principle you could enable both \f[CR]\-\-infer\-equity\f[R] and+\f[CR]\-\-infer\-costs\f[R] in your config file, and your reports would+have the advantages of both.+.SS Cost basis / lot syntax+If you are buying some commodity to hold as an investment, it may be+important to keep track of+.IP "1." 3+its original acquisition cost+.IP "2." 3+its original acquisition date+.IP "3." 3+and a sequence number or label, if needed, to disambiguate multiple+acquisitions on the same day, or to serve as a mnemonic for easy+reference.+.PP+In hledger we call these three the \(dqcost basis\(dq; and if an amount+being acquired has a cost basis, we call it a \(dqlot\(dq.+Tax authorities often require that lots are tracked carefully and+disposed of (sold) in a certain order.+.PP+Note, though \(dqcost basis\(dq sounds similar to the \(dqcost\(dq+(transacted price) discussed above, they are distinct concepts.+In some transactions the transacted price and basis cost are the same,+but in others they are not.+.PP+So cost basis has its own syntax, also called \(dqlot syntax\(dq.+hledger\(aqs lot syntax is like Ledger\(aqs: one or more of the+following annotations, following the main amount:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]{LOTUNITCOST}\f[R] or \f[CR]{{LOTTOTALCOST}}\f[R] (see lot price)+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR][LOTDATE]\f[R] (see lot date)+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR](LOTLABEL)\f[R] (see lot note)+.PP+hledger does not yet do anything with this lot syntax, except to+preserve it and show it in \f[CR]print\f[R]\(aqs \f[CR]txt\f[R],+\f[CR]beancount\f[R], and \f[CR]json\f[R] output.+This means you can use this syntax in your hledger journals (plus an+amountless extra posting to help transactions balance, if needed), then+use the \f[CR]print\f[R] command to export to Ledger or Beancount or+rustledger, to use their lots/gains reports (see Export Lots workflow).+.SS Balance assertions+hledger supports Ledger\-style balance assertions in journal files.+These look like, for example, \f[CR]= EXPECTEDBALANCE\f[R] following a+posting\(aqs amount.+Eg here we assert the expected dollar balance in accounts a and b after+each posting:+.IP+.EX+2013/1/1+  a   $1 =  $1+  b      = $\-1++2013/1/2+  a   $1 =  $2+  b  $\-1 = $\-2+.EE+.PP+After reading a journal file, hledger will check all balance assertions+and report an error if any of them fail.+Balance assertions can protect you from, eg, inadvertently disrupting+reconciled balances while cleaning up old entries.+You can disable them temporarily with the+\f[CR]\-I/\-\-ignore\-assertions\f[R] flag, which can be useful for+troubleshooting or for reading Ledger files.+(Note: this flag currently does not disable balance assignments,+described below).+.SS Assertions and ordering+hledger calculates and checks an account\(aqs balance assertions in date+order (and when there are multiple assertions on the same day, in parse+order).+Note this is different from Ledger, which checks assertions always in+parse order, ignoring dates.+.PP+This means in hledger you can freely reorder transactions, postings, or+files, and balance assertions will usually keep working.+The exception is when you reorder multiple postings on the same day, to+the same account, which have balance assertions; those will likely need+updating.+.SS Assertions and multiple files+If an account has transactions appearing in multiple files, balance+assertions can still work \- but \f[I]only if those files are part of a+hierarchy made by include directives\f[R].+.PP+If the same files are specified with two \f[CR]\-f\f[R] options on the+command line, the assertions in the second will not see the balances+from the first.+.PP+To work around this, arrange your files in a hierarchy with+\f[CR]include\f[R].+Or, you could concatenate the files temporarily, and process them like+one big file.+.PP+Why does it work this way ?+It might be related to hledger\(aqs goal of stable predictable reports.+File hierarchy is considered \(dqpermanent\(dq, part of your data, while+the order of command line options/arguments is not.+We don\(aqt want transient changes to be able to change the meaning of+the data.+Eg it would be frustrating if tomorrow all your balance assertions broke+because you wrote command line arguments in a different order.+(Discussion welcome.)+.SS Assertions and costs+Balance assertions ignore costs, and should normally be written without+one:+.IP+.EX+2019/1/1+  (a)     $1 \(at €1 = $1+.EE+.PP+We do allow costs to be written in balance assertion amounts, however,+and print shows them, but they don\(aqt affect whether the assertion+passes or fails.+This is for backward compatibility (hledger\(aqs close command used to+generate balance assertions with costs), and because balance+\f[I]assignments\f[R] do use costs (see below).+.SS Assertions and commodities+The balance assertions described so far are \(dq\f[B]single commodity+balance assertions\f[R]\(dq: they assert and check the balance in one+commodity, ignoring any others that may be present.+This is how balance assertions work in Ledger also.+.PP+If an account contains multiple commodities, you can assert their+balances by writing multiple postings with balance assertions, one for+each commodity:+.IP+.EX+2013/1/1+  usd   $\-1+  eur   €\-1+  both++2013/1/2+  both    0 = $1+  both    0 = €1+.EE+.PP+In hledger you can make a stronger \(dq\f[B]sole commodity balance+assertion\f[R]\(dq by writing two equals signs+(\f[CR]== EXPECTEDBALANCE\f[R]).+This also asserts that there are no other commodities in the account+besides the asserted one (or at least, that their current balance is+zero):+.IP+.EX+2013/1/1+  usd   $\-1  == $\-1  ; these sole commodity assertions succeed+  eur   €\-1  == €\-1+  both      ;==  $1  ; this one would fail because \(aqboth\(aq contains $ and €+.EE+.PP+It\(aqs less easy to make a \(dq\f[B]sole commodities balance+assertion\f[R]\(dq (note the plural) \- ie, asserting that an account+contains two or more specified commodities and no others.+It can be done by+.IP "1." 3+isolating each commodity in a subaccount, and asserting those+.IP "2." 3+and also asserting there are no commodities in the parent account+itself:+.IP+.EX+2013/1/1+  usd       $\-1+  eur       €\-1+  both        0 == 0   ; nothing up my sleeve+  both:usd   $1 == $1  ; a dollar here+  both:eur   €1 == €1  ; a euro there+.EE+.SS Assertions and subaccounts+All of the balance assertions above (both \f[CR]=\f[R] and+\f[CR]==\f[R]) are \(dq\f[B]subaccount\-exclusive balance+assertions\f[R]\(dq; they ignore any balances that exist in deeper+subaccounts.+.PP+In hledger you can make \(dq\f[B]subaccount\-inclusive balance+assertions\f[R]\(dq by adding a star after the equals (\f[CR]=*\f[R] or+\f[CR]==*\f[R]):+.IP+.EX+2019/1/1+  equity:start+  assets:checking  $10+  assets:savings   $10+  assets            $0 ==* $20  ; assets + subaccounts contains $20 and nothing else+.EE+.SS Assertions and status+Balance assertions always consider postings of all statuses (unmarked,+pending, or cleared); they are not affected by the+\f[CR]\-U\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-unmarked\f[R] /+\f[CR]\-P\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-pending\f[R] /+\f[CR]\-C\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-cleared\f[R] flags or the \f[CR]status:\f[R]+query.+.SS Assertions and virtual postings+Balance assertions always consider both real and virtual postings; they+are not affected by the \f[CR]\-\-real/\-R\f[R] flag or \f[CR]real:\f[R]+query.+.SS Assertions and auto postings+Balance assertions \f[I]are\f[R] affected by the \f[CR]\-\-auto\f[R]+flag, which generates auto postings, which can alter account balances.+Because auto postings are optional in hledger, accounts affected by them+effectively have two balances.+But balance assertions can only test one or the other of these.+So to avoid making fragile assertions, either:+.IP \(bu 2+assert the balance calculated with \f[CR]\-\-auto\f[R], and always use+\f[CR]\-\-auto\f[R] with that file+.IP \(bu 2+or assert the balance calculated without \f[CR]\-\-auto\f[R], and never+use \f[CR]\-\-auto\f[R] with that file+.IP \(bu 2+or avoid balance assertions on accounts affected by auto postings (or+avoid auto postings entirely).+.SS Assertions and precision+Balance assertions compare the exactly calculated amounts, which are not+always what is shown by reports.+Eg a commodity directive may limit the display precision, but this will+not affect balance assertions.+Balance assertion failure messages show exact amounts.+.SS Assertions and hledger add+Balance assertions can be included in the amounts given in+\f[CR]add\f[R].+All types of assertions are supported, and assertions can be used as in+a normal journal file.+.PP+All transactions, not just those that have an explicit assertion, are+validated against the existing assertions in the journal.+This means it is possible for an added transaction to fail even if its+assertions are correct as of the transaction date.+.PP+If this assertion checking is not desired, then it can be disabled with+\f[CR]\-I\f[R].+.PP+However, balance assignments are currently not supported.+.SS Posting comments+Text following \f[CR];\f[R], at the end of a posting line, and/or on+indented lines immediately below it, form comments for that posting.+They are reproduced by \f[CR]print\f[R] but otherwise ignored, except+they may contain tags, which are not ignored.+.IP+.EX+2012\-01\-01+    expenses   1  ; a comment for posting 1+    assets+    ; a comment for posting 2+    ; a second comment line for posting 2+.EE+.SS Transaction balancing+How exactly does hledger decide when a transaction is balanced ?+Especially when it involves costs, which often are not exact, because of+repeating decimals, or imperfect data from financial institutions ?+In each commodity, hledger sums the transaction\(aqs posting amounts,+after converting any with costs; then it checks if that sum is zero,+when rounded to a suitable number of decimal digits \- which we call the+\f[I]balancing precision\f[R].+.PP+Since version 1.50, hledger infers balancing precision in each+transaction from the amounts in that transaction\(aqs journal entry+(like Ledger).+Ie, when checking the balance of commodity A, it uses the highest+decimal precision seen for A in the journal entry (excluding cost+amounts).+This makes transaction balancing robust; any imbalances must be visibly+accounted for in the journal entry, display precision can be freely+increased with \f[CR]\-c\f[R], and compatibility with Ledger and+Beancount journals is good.+.PP+Note that hledger versions before 1.50 worked differently: they allowed+display precision to override the balancing precision.+This masked small imbalances and caused fragility (see issue #2402).+As a result, some journal entries (or CSV rules) that worked with+hledger <1.50, are now rejected with an \(dqunbalanced transaction\(dq+error.+If you hit this problem, it\(aqs easy to fix:+.IP \(bu 2+You can restore the old behaviour, by adding+\f[CR]\-\-txn\-balancing=old\f[R] to the command or to your+\f[CR]\(ti/.hledger.conf\f[R] file.+This lets you keep using old journals unchanged, though without the+above benefits.+.IP \(bu 2+Or you can fix the problem entries (recommended).+There are three ways, use whichever seems best:+.RS 2+.IP "1." 3+make cost amounts more precise (add more/better decimal digits)+.IP "2." 3+or make non\-cost amounts less precise (remove unnecessary decimal+digits that are raising the precision)+.IP "3." 3+or add a posting to absorb the imbalance (eg \(dqexpenses:rounding\(dq.+Remember that one posting may omit the amount; that\(aqs convenient+here.)+.RE+.SS Tags+Tags are a way to add extra labels or data fields to transactions,+postings, or accounts, which you can match with a \f[CR]tag:\f[R] query+in reports.+(See queries below.)+.PP+Tags are a single word or hyphenated word, immediately followed by a+full colon, written within a comment.+(Yes, storing data in comments is slightly weird.)+Here\(aqs a transaction with a tag:+.IP+.EX+2025\-01\-01 groceries        ; some\-tag:+    assets:checking+    expenses:food       $1+.EE+.PP+A tag can have a value, a single line of text written after the colon.+Tag values can\(aqt contain newlines.:+.IP+.EX+2025\-01\-01 groceries        ; tag1: this is tag1\(aqs value+.EE+.PP+Multiple tags can be separated by comma.+Tag values can\(aqt contain commas.:+.IP+.EX+2025\-01\-01 groceries        ; tag1:value 1, tag2:value 2, comment text+.EE+.PP+A tag can have multiple values:+.IP+.EX+2025\-01\-01 groceries        ; tag1:value 1, tag1:value 2+.EE+.PP+You can write each tag on its own line of you prefer (but they still+can\(aqt contain commas):+.IP+.EX+2025\-01\-01 groceries+    ; tag1: value 1+    ; tag2: value 2+.EE+.PP+Tags can be attached to individual postings, rather than the overall+transaction:+.IP+.EX+2025\-01\-01 rent+    assets:checking+    expenses:rent       $1000  ; postingtag:+.EE+.PP+Tags can be attached to accounts, in their account directive:+.IP+.EX+account assets:checking    ; acct\-number: 123\-45\-6789+.EE+.SS Tag propagation+In addition to what they are attached to, tags also affect related data+in a few ways, allowing more powerful queries:+.IP "1." 3+Accounts \-> postings.+Postings inherit tags from their account.+.IP "2." 3+Transactions \-> postings.+Postings inherit tags from their transaction.+.IP "3." 3+Postings \-> transactions.+Transactions also acquire the tags of their postings.+\ +.PP+So when you use a \f[CR]tag:\f[R] query to match whole transactions,+individual postings, or accounts, it\(aqs good to understand how tags+behave.+Here\(aqs an example showing all three kinds of propagation:+.IP+.EX+account assets:checking+account expenses:food           ; atag:++2025\-01\-01 groceries            ; ttag:+    assets:checking             ; p1tag:+    expenses:food           $1  ; p2tag:+.EE+.PP+.TS+tab(@);+lw(13.3n) lw(13.8n) lw(43.0n).+T{+data part+T}@T{+has tags+T}@T{+explanation+T}+_+T{+assets:checking\ account+T}@T{+T}@T{+no tags attached+T}+T{+expenses:food account+T}@T{+atag+T}@T{+atag: in comment+T}+T{+assets:checking posting+T}@T{+p1tag, ttag+T}@T{+p1tag: in comment, ttag acquired from transaction+T}+T{+expenses:food posting+T}@T{+p2tag, atag, ttag+T}@T{+p2tag: in comment, atag from account, ttag from transaction+T}+T{+groceries transaction+T}@T{+ttag, p1tag, p2tag, atag+T}@T{+ttag: in comment, p1tag from first posting, p2tag and atag from second+posting+T}+.TE+.SS Displaying tags+You can use the \f[CR]tags\f[R] command to list tag names or values.+.PP+The \f[CR]print\f[R] command also shows tags.+.PP+You can use \-\-pivot to display tag values in other reports, in various+ways (eg appended to account names, like pseudo subaccounts).+.SS When to use tags ?+Tags provide more dimensions of categorisation, complementing accounts+and transaction descriptions.+When to use each of these is somewhat a matter of taste.+Accounts have the most built\-in support, and regex queries on+descriptions are also quite powerful.+So you may not need tags at all.+But if you want to track multiple cross\-cutting categories, they can be+a good fit.+For example, you could tag trip\-related transactions with+\f[CR]trip: YEAR:PLACE\f[R], without disturbing your usual account+categories.+.SS Tag names+What is allowed in a tag name ?+Most non\-whitespace characters.+Eg \f[CR]😀:\f[R] is a valid tag.+.PP+For extra error checking, you can declare valid tag names with the+\f[CR]tag\f[R] directive, and then enforce these with the+\f[CR]check\f[R] command.+But note that tags are detected quite loosely at present, sometimes+where you didn\(aqt intend them.+Eg a comment like \f[CR]; see https://foo.com\f[R] adds a+\f[CR]https\f[R] tag.+.PP+There are several tag names which have special significance to hledger.+They are explained elsewhere, but here\(aqs a quick reference:+.IP+.EX+ type                   \-\- declares an account\(aqs type+ date                   \-\- overrides a posting\(aqs date+ date2                  \-\- overrides a posting\(aqs secondary date+ assert                 \-\- appears on txns generated by close \-\-assert+ retain                 \-\- appears on txns generated by close \-\-retain+ start                  \-\- appears on txns generated by close \-\-migrate/\-\-close/\-\-open/\-\-assign+ t                      \-\- appears on postings generated from timedot letters++ generated\-transaction  \-\- appears on txns generated by a periodic rule+ modified\-transaction   \-\- appears on txns which have had auto postings added+ generated\-posting      \-\- appears on generated postings+ cost\-posting           \-\- appears on postings which have (or could have) a cost,+                           and which have equivalent conversion postings in the transaction+ conversion\-posting     \-\- appears on postings which are to a V/Conversion account+                           and which have an equivalent cost posting in the transaction+.EE+.PP+The second group above (generated\-transaction, etc.)+are normally hidden, with a \f[CR]_\f[R] prefix added.+This means \f[CR]print\f[R] doesn\(aqt show them by default; but you can+still use them in queries.+You can add the \f[CR]\-\-verbose\-tags\f[R] flag to make them visible+in \f[CR]print\f[R] output, which can be useful for troubleshooting.+.SS Directives+Besides transactions, there is something else you can put in a+\f[CR]journal\f[R] file: directives.+These are declarations, beginning with a keyword, that modify+hledger\(aqs behaviour.+Some directives can have more specific subdirectives, indented below+them.+hledger\(aqs directives are similar to Ledger\(aqs in many cases, but+there are also many differences.+Directives are not required, but can be useful.+Here are the main directives:+.PP+.TS+tab(@);+lw(39.7n) lw(30.3n).+T{+purpose+T}@T{+directive+T}+_+T{+\f[B]READING DATA:\f[R]+T}@T{+T}+T{+Rewrite account names+T}@T{+\f[CR]alias\f[R]+T}+T{+Comment out sections of the file+T}@T{+\f[CR]comment\f[R]+T}+T{+Declare file\(aqs decimal mark, to help parse amounts accurately+T}@T{+\f[CR]decimal\-mark\f[R]+T}+T{+Include other data files+T}@T{+\f[CR]include\f[R]+T}+T{+\f[B]GENERATING DATA:\f[R]+T}@T{+T}+T{+Generate recurring transactions or budget goals+T}@T{+\f[CR]\(ti\f[R]+T}+T{+Generate extra postings on existing transactions+T}@T{+\f[CR]=\f[R]+T}+T{+\f[B]CHECKING FOR ERRORS:\f[R]+T}@T{+T}+T{+Define valid entities to provide more error checking+T}@T{+\f[CR]account\f[R], \f[CR]commodity\f[R], \f[CR]payee\f[R],+\f[CR]tag\f[R]+T}+T{+\f[B]REPORTING:\f[R]+T}@T{+T}+T{+Declare accounts\(aq type and display order+T}@T{+\f[CR]account\f[R]+T}+T{+Declare commodity display styles+T}@T{+\f[CR]commodity\f[R]+T}+T{+Declare market prices+T}@T{+\f[CR]P\f[R]+T}+.TE+.SS Directives and multiple files+Directives vary in their scope, ie which journal entries and which input+files they affect.+Most often, a directive will affect the following entries and included+files if any, until the end of the current file \- and no further.+You might find this inconvenient!+For example, \f[CR]alias\f[R] directives do not affect parent or sibling+files.+But there are usually workarounds; for example, put \f[CR]alias\f[R]+directives in your top\-most file, before including other files.+.PP+The restriction, though it may be annoying at first, is in a good cause;+it allows reports to be stable and deterministic, independent of the+order of input.+Without it, reports could show different numbers depending on the order+of \-f options, or the positions of include directives in your files.+.SS Directive effects+Here are all hledger\(aqs directives, with their effects and scope+summarised \- nine main directives, plus four others which we consider+non\-essential:+.PP+.TS+tab(@);+lw(3.5n) lw(64.1n) lw(2.4n).+T{+directive+T}@T{+what it does+T}@T{+ends at file end?+T}+_+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]account\f[B]\f[R]+T}@T{+Declares an account, for checking all entries in all files; and its+display order and type.+Subdirectives: any text, ignored.+T}@T{+N+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]alias\f[B]\f[R]+T}@T{+Rewrites account names, in following entries until end of current file+or \f[CR]end aliases\f[R].+Command line equivalent: \f[CR]\-\-alias\f[R]+T}@T{+Y+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]comment\f[B]\f[R]+T}@T{+Ignores part of the journal file, until end of current file or+\f[CR]end comment\f[R].+T}@T{+Y+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]commodity\f[B]\f[R]+T}@T{+Declares up to four things: 1.+a commodity symbol, for checking all amounts in all files 2.+the display style for all amounts of this commodity 3.+the decimal mark for parsing amounts of this commodity, in the rest of+this file and its children, if there is no \f[CR]decimal\-mark\f[R]+directive 4.+the precision to use for balanced\-transaction checking in this+commodity, in this file and its children.+\ Takes precedence over \f[CR]D\f[R].+Subdirectives: \f[CR]format\f[R] (ignored).+Command line equivalent: \f[CR]\-c/\-\-commodity\-style\f[R]+T}@T{+N,N,Y,Y+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]decimal\-mark\f[B]\f[R]+T}@T{+Declares the decimal mark, for parsing amounts of all commodities in+following entries until next \f[CR]decimal\-mark\f[R] or end of current+file.+Included files can override.+Takes precedence over \f[CR]commodity\f[R] and \f[CR]D\f[R].+T}@T{+Y+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]include\f[B]\f[R]+T}@T{+Includes entries and directives from another file, as if they were+written inline.+Command line alternative: multiple \f[CR]\-f/\-\-file\f[R]+T}@T{+N+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]payee\f[B]\f[R]+T}@T{+Declares a payee name, for checking all entries in all files.+T}@T{+N+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]P\f[B]\f[R]+T}@T{+Declares the market price of a commodity on some date, for value+reports.+T}@T{+N+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]\(ti\f[B]\f[R] (tilde)+T}@T{+Declares a periodic transaction rule that generates future transactions+with \f[CR]\-\-forecast\f[R] and budget goals with+\f[CR]balance \-\-budget\f[R].+T}@T{+N+T}+T{+Other syntax:+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]apply account\f[B]\f[R]+T}@T{+Prepends a common parent account to all account names, in following+entries until end of current file or \f[CR]end apply account\f[R].+T}@T{+Y+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]D\f[B]\f[R]+T}@T{+Sets a default commodity to use for no\-symbol amounts;and, if there is+no \f[CR]commodity\f[R] directive for this commodity: its decimal mark,+balancing precision, and display style, as above.+T}@T{+Y,Y,N,N+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]Y\f[B]\f[R]+T}@T{+Sets a default year to use for any yearless dates, in following entries+until end of current file.+T}@T{+Y+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]=\f[B]\f[R] (equals)+T}@T{+Declares an auto posting rule that generates extra postings on matched+transactions with \f[CR]\-\-auto\f[R], in current, parent, and child+files (but not sibling files, see #1212).+T}@T{+partly+T}+T{+\f[B]Other Ledger directives\f[R]+T}@T{+Other directives from Ledger\(aqs file format are accepted but ignored.+T}@T{+T}+.TE+.SS \f[CR]account\f[R] directive+\f[CR]account\f[R] directives can be used to declare accounts (ie, the+places that amounts are transferred from and to).+Though not required, these declarations can provide several benefits:+.IP \(bu 2+They can document your intended chart of accounts, providing a+reference.+.IP \(bu 2+They can store additional account information as comments, or as tags+which can be used to filter or pivot reports.+.IP \(bu 2+They can restrict which accounts may be posted to by transactions, eg in+strict mode, which helps prevent errors.+.IP \(bu 2+They influence account display order in reports, allowing+non\-alphabetic sorting (eg Revenues to appear above Expenses).+.IP \(bu 2+They can help hledger know your accounts\(aq types (asset, liability,+equity, revenue, expense), enabling reports like balancesheet and+incomestatement.+.IP \(bu 2+They help with account name completion (in hledger add, hledger\-web,+hledger\-iadd, ledger\-mode, etc.)+.PP+They are written as the word \f[CR]account\f[R] followed by a+hledger\-style account name.+Eg:+.IP+.EX+account assets:bank:checking+.EE+.PP+Ledger\-style indented subdirectives are also accepted, but ignored:+.IP+.EX+account assets:bank:checking+  format subdirective  ; currently ignored+.EE+.SS Account comments+Text following \f[B]two or more spaces\f[R] and \f[CR];\f[R] at the end+of an account directive line, and/or following \f[CR];\f[R] on indented+lines immediately below it, form comments for that account.+.PP+Same\-line account comments require two+ spaces before \f[CR];\f[R]+because that character can appear in account names.+.IP+.EX+account assets:bank:checking    ; same\-line comment, at least 2 spaces before the semicolon+  ; next\-line comment+  ; some tags \- type:A, acctnum:12345+.EE+.SS Account tags+An account directive\(aqs comment may contain tags.+These will be propagated to all postings using that account, as hidden+but queryable posting tags, except where the posting already a tag of+the same name.+(Posting tags override account tags.)+.SS Account error checking+By default, accounts need not be declared; they come into existence when+a posting references them.+This is convenient, but it means hledger can\(aqt warn you when you+mis\-spell an account name in the journal.+Usually you\(aqll find that error later, as an extra account in balance+reports, or an incorrect balance when reconciling.+.PP+In strict mode, enabled with the \f[CR]\-s\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-strict\f[R]+flag, or when you run \f[CR]hledger check accounts\f[R], hledger will+report an error if any transaction uses an account name that has not+been declared by an account directive.+Some notes:+.IP \(bu 2+The declaration is case\-sensitive; transactions must use the correct+account name capitalisation.+.IP \(bu 2+The account directive\(aqs scope is \(dqwhole file and below\(dq (see+directives).+This means it affects all of the current file, and any files it+includes, but not parent or sibling files.+The position of account directives within the file does not matter,+though it\(aqs usual to put them at the top.+.IP \(bu 2+Accounts can only be declared in \f[CR]journal\f[R] files, but will+affect included files of all types.+.IP \(bu 2+It\(aqs currently not possible to declare \(dqall possible+subaccounts\(dq with a wildcard; every account posted to must be+declared.+.IP \(bu 2+If you use the \-\-infer\-equity flag, you will also need declarations+for the account names it generates.+.SS Account display order+Account directives also cause hledger to display accounts in a+particular order, not just alphabetically.+Eg, here is a conventional ordering for the top\-level accounts:+.IP+.EX+account assets+account liabilities+account equity+account revenues+account expenses+.EE+.PP+Now hledger displays them in that order:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger accounts+assets+liabilities+equity+revenues+expenses+.EE+.PP+If there are undeclared accounts, those will be displayed last, in+alphabetical order.+.PP+Sorting is done within each group of sibling accounts, at each level of+the account tree.+Eg, a declaration like \f[CR]account parent:child\f[R] influences+\f[CR]child\f[R]\(aqs position among its siblings.+.PP+Note, it does not affect \f[CR]parent\f[R]\(aqs position; for that, you+need an \f[CR]account parent\f[R] declaration.+.PP+Sibling accounts are always displayed together; hledger won\(aqt display+\f[CR]x:y\f[R] in between \f[CR]a:b\f[R] and \f[CR]a:c\f[R].+.PP+An account directive both declares an account as a valid posting target,+and declares its display order; you can\(aqt easily do one without the+other.+.SS Account types+hledger knows that in accounting there are three main account types:+.PP+.TS+tab(@);+l l l.+T{+\f[CR]Asset\f[R]+T}@T{+\f[CR]A\f[R]+T}@T{+things you own+T}+T{+\f[CR]Liability\f[R]+T}@T{+\f[CR]L\f[R]+T}@T{+things you owe+T}+T{+\f[CR]Equity\f[R]+T}@T{+\f[CR]E\f[R]+T}@T{+owner\(aqs investment, balances the two above+T}+.TE+.PP+and two more representing changes in these:+.PP+.TS+tab(@);+l l l.+T{+\f[CR]Revenue\f[R]+T}@T{+\f[CR]R\f[R]+T}@T{+inflows (also known as \f[CR]Income\f[R])+T}+T{+\f[CR]Expense\f[R]+T}@T{+\f[CR]X\f[R]+T}@T{+outflows+T}+.TE+.PP+hledger also uses a few subtypes:+.PP+.TS+tab(@);+lw(23.3n) lw(23.3n) lw(23.3n).+T{+\f[CR]Cash\f[R]+T}@T{+\f[CR]C\f[R]+T}@T{+liquid assets (subtype of Asset)+T}+T{+\f[CR]Conversion\f[R]+T}@T{+\f[CR]V\f[R]+T}@T{+commodity conversions equity (subtype of Equity)+T}+T{+\f[CR]Gain\f[R]+T}@T{+\f[CR]G\f[R]+T}@T{+capital gains/losses (subtype of Revenue)+T}+.TE+.PP+As a convenience, hledger will detect most of these types automatically+from english account names.+But it\(aqs better to declare them explicitly by adding a+\f[CR]type:\f[R] tag in the account directives.+The tag\(aqs value can be any of the types or one\-letter abbreviations+above.+.PP+Here is a typical set of account type declarations.+Subaccounts will inherit their parent\(aqs type, or can override it:+.IP+.EX+account assets             ; type: A+account liabilities        ; type: L+account equity             ; type: E+account revenues           ; type: R+account expenses           ; type: X++account assets:bank        ; type: C+account assets:cash        ; type: C++account equity:conversion  ; type: V++account revenues:capital   ; type: G+.EE+.PP+This enables the easy balancesheet, balancesheetequity, cashflow and+incomestatement reports, and querying by type:.+.PP+Tips:+.IP \(bu 2+You can list accounts and their types, for troubleshooting:+.RS 2+.IP+.EX+$ hledger accounts \-\-types [ACCTPAT] [type:TYPECODES] [\-DEPTH] [\-\-locations]+.EE+.RE+.IP \(bu 2+It\(aqs a good idea to declare at least one account for each account+type.+Having some types declared and some inferred can disrupt certain+reports.+.IP \(bu 2+The rules for inferring types from account names are as follows (using+Regular expressions).+.PD 0+.P+.PD+If they don\(aqt work for you, just ignore them and declare your types+with \f[CR]type:\f[R] tags.+.RS 2+.IP+.EX+If account\(aqs name contains this case insensitive regular expression | its type is+\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-|\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+\(haassets?(:.+)?:(cash|bank|che(ck|que?)(ing)?|savings?|current)(:|$) | Cash+\(haassets?(:|$)                                                       | Asset+\(ha(debts?|liabilit(y|ies))(:|$)                                      | Liability+\(haequity:(trad(e|ing)|conversion)s?(:|$)                             | Conversion+\(haequity(:|$)                                                        | Equity+\(ha(income|revenue)s?(:|$)                                            | Revenue+\(haexpenses?(:|$)                                                     | Expense+.EE+.RE+.IP \(bu 2+As mentioned above, subaccounts will inherit a type from their parent+account.+To be precise, an account\(aqs type is decided by the first of these+that exists:+.RS 2+.IP "1." 3+A \f[CR]type:\f[R] declaration for this account.+.IP "2." 3+A \f[CR]type:\f[R] declaration in the parent accounts above it,+preferring the nearest.+.IP "3." 3+An account type inferred from this account\(aqs name.+.IP "4." 3+An account type inferred from a parent account\(aqs name, preferring the+nearest parent.+.IP "5." 3+Otherwise, it will have no type.+.RE+.IP \(bu 2+Account aliases can disrupt account types.+.SS \f[CR]alias\f[R] directive+You can define account alias rules which rewrite your account names, or+parts of them, before generating reports.+This can be useful for:+.IP \(bu 2+expanding shorthand account names to their full form, allowing easier+data entry and a less verbose journal+.IP \(bu 2+adapting old journals to your current chart of accounts+.IP \(bu 2+experimenting with new account organisations, like a new hierarchy+.IP \(bu 2+combining two accounts into one, eg to see their sum or difference on+one line+.IP \(bu 2+customising reports+.PP+Account aliases also rewrite account names in account directives.+They do not affect account names being entered via hledger add or+hledger\-web.+.PP+Account aliases are very powerful.+They are generally easy to use correctly, but you can also generate+invalid account names with them; more on this below.+.PP+See also Rewrite account names.+.SS Basic aliases+To set an account alias, use the \f[CR]alias\f[R] directive in your+journal file.+This affects all subsequent journal entries in the current file or its+included files (but note: not sibling or parent files).+The spaces around the = are optional:+.IP+.EX+alias OLD = NEW+.EE+.PP+Or, you can use the \f[CR]\-\-alias \(aqOLD=NEW\(aq\f[R] option on the+command line.+This affects all entries.+It\(aqs useful for trying out aliases interactively.+.PP+OLD and NEW are case sensitive full account names.+hledger will replace any occurrence of the old account name with the new+one.+Subaccounts are also affected.+Eg:+.IP+.EX+alias checking = assets:bank:wells fargo:checking+; rewrites \(dqchecking\(dq to \(dqassets:bank:wells fargo:checking\(dq, or \(dqchecking:a\(dq to \(dqassets:bank:wells fargo:checking:a\(dq+.EE+.SS Regex aliases+There is also a more powerful variant that uses a regular expression,+indicated by wrapping the pattern in forward slashes.+(This is the only place where hledger requires forward slashes around a+regular expression.)+.PP+Eg:+.IP+.EX+alias /REGEX/ = REPLACEMENT+.EE+.PP+or:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-\-alias \(aq/REGEX/=REPLACEMENT\(aq ...+.EE+.PP+Any part of an account name matched by REGEX will be replaced by+REPLACEMENT.+REGEX is case\-insensitive as usual.+.PP+If you need to match a forward slash, escape it with a backslash, eg+\f[CR]/\(rs/=:\f[R].+.PP+If REGEX contains parenthesised match groups, these can be referenced by+the usual backslash and number in REPLACEMENT:+.IP+.EX+alias /\(ha(.+):bank:([\(ha:]+):(.*)/ = \(rs1:\(rs2 \(rs3+; rewrites \(dqassets:bank:wells fargo:checking\(dq to  \(dqassets:wells fargo checking\(dq+.EE+.PP+REPLACEMENT continues to the end of line (or on command line, to end of+option argument), so it can contain trailing whitespace.+.SS Combining aliases+You can define as many aliases as you like, using journal directives+and/or command line options.+.PP+Recursive aliases \- where an account name is rewritten by one alias,+then by another alias, and so on \- are allowed.+Each alias sees the effect of previously applied aliases.+.PP+In such cases it can be important to understand which aliases will be+applied and in which order.+For (each account name in) each journal entry, we apply:+.IP "1." 3+\f[CR]alias\f[R] directives preceding the journal entry, most recently+parsed first (ie, reading upward from the journal entry, bottom to top)+.IP "2." 3+\f[CR]\-\-alias\f[R] options, in the order they appeared on the command+line (left to right).+.PP+In other words, for (an account name in) a given journal entry:+.IP \(bu 2+the nearest alias declaration before/above the entry is applied first+.IP \(bu 2+the next alias before/above that will be be applied next, and so on+.IP \(bu 2+aliases defined after/below the entry do not affect it.+.PP+This gives nearby aliases precedence over distant ones, and helps+provide semantic stability \- aliases will keep working the same way+independent of which files are being read and in which order.+.PP+In case of trouble, adding \f[CR]\-\-debug=6\f[R] to the command line+will show which aliases are being applied when.+.SS Aliases and multiple files+As explained at Directives and multiple files, \f[CR]alias\f[R]+directives do not affect parent or sibling files.+Eg in this command,+.IP+.EX+hledger \-f a.aliases \-f b.journal+.EE+.PP+account aliases defined in a.aliases will not affect b.journal.+Including the aliases doesn\(aqt work either:+.IP+.EX+include a.aliases++2023\-01\-01  ; not affected by a.aliases+  foo  1+  bar+.EE+.PP+This means that account aliases should usually be declared at the start+of your top\-most file, like this:+.IP+.EX+alias foo=Foo+alias bar=Bar++2023\-01\-01  ; affected by aliases above+  foo  1+  bar++include c.journal  ; also affected+.EE+.SS \f[CR]end aliases\f[R] directive+You can clear (forget) all currently defined aliases (seen in the+journal so far, or defined on the command line) with this directive:+.IP+.EX+end aliases+.EE+.SS Aliases can generate bad account names+Be aware that account aliases can produce malformed account names, which+could cause confusing reports or invalid \f[CR]print\f[R] output.+For example, you could erase all account names:+.IP+.EX+2021\-01\-01+  a:aa     1+  b+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger print \-\-alias \(aq/.*/=\(aq+2021\-01\-01+                   1+.EE+.PP+The above \f[CR]print\f[R] output is not a valid journal.+Or you could insert an illegal double space, causing \f[CR]print\f[R]+output that would give a different journal when reparsed:+.IP+.EX+2021\-01\-01+  old    1+  other+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger print \-\-alias old=\(dqnew  USD\(dq | hledger \-f\- print+2021\-01\-01+    new             USD 1+    other+.EE+.SS Aliases and account types+If an account with a type declaration (see Declaring accounts > Account+types) is renamed by an alias, normally the account type remains in+effect.+.PP+However, renaming in a way that reshapes the account tree (eg renaming+parent accounts but not their children, or vice versa) could prevent+child accounts from inheriting the account type of their parents.+.PP+Secondly, if an account\(aqs type is being inferred from its name,+renaming it by an alias could prevent or alter that.+.PP+If you are using account aliases and the \f[CR]type:\f[R] query is not+matching accounts as you expect, try troubleshooting with the accounts+command, eg something like:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger accounts \-\-types \-1 \-\-alias assets=bassetts+.EE+.SS \f[CR]commodity\f[R] directive+The \f[CR]commodity\f[R] directive performs several functions:+.IP "1." 3+It declares which commodity symbols may be used in the journal, enabling+useful error checking with strict mode or the check command.+See Commodity error checking below.+.IP "2." 3+It declares how all amounts in this commodity should be displayed, eg+how many decimals to show.+See Commodity display style above.+.IP "3." 3+(If no \f[CR]decimal\-mark\f[R] directive is in effect:) It sets the+decimal mark to expect (period or comma) when parsing amounts in this+commodity, in this file and files it includes, from the directive until+end of current file.+See Decimal marks above.+.IP "4." 3+It declares the precision with which this commodity\(aqs amounts should+be compared when checking for balanced transactions, anywhere in this+file and files it includes, until end of current file.+.PP+Declaring commodities solves several common parsing/display problems, so+we recommend it.+.PP+Note that effects 3 and 4 above end at the end of the directive\(aqs+file, and will not affect sibling or parent files.+So if you are relying on them (especially 4) and using multiple files,+placing your commodity directives in a top\-level parent file might be+important.+Or, keep your decimal marks unambiguous and your entries well balanced+and precise.+.PP+Omitting the commodity symbol will set the display style for just the+no\-symbol commodity, not all commodities.+.PP+Commodity styles can be overridden by the+\f[CR]\-c/\-\-commodity\-style\f[R] command line option.+.PP+(Related: #793)+.SS Commodity directive syntax+A commodity directive is normally the word \f[CR]commodity\f[R] followed+by a sample amount, and optionally a comment.+Only the amount\(aqs symbol and the number\(aqs format is significant.+Eg:+.IP+.EX+commodity $1000.00+commodity 1.000,00 EUR+commodity 1 000 000.0000   ; the no\-symbol commodity+.EE+.PP+A commodity directive\(aqs sample amount must always include a period or+comma decimal mark (this rule helps disambiguate decimal marks and digit+group marks).+If you don\(aqt want to show any decimal digits, write the decimal mark+at the end:+.IP+.EX+commodity 1000. AAAA       ; show AAAA with no decimals+.EE+.PP+Commodity symbols containing spaces, numbers, or punctuation must be+enclosed in double quotes, as usual:+.IP+.EX+commodity 1.0000 \(dqAAAA 2023\(dq+.EE+.PP+Commodity directives normally include a sample amount, but can declare+only a symbol (ie, just function 1 above):+.IP+.EX+commodity $+commodity INR+commodity \(dqAAAA 2023\(dq+commodity \(dq\(dq               ; the no\-symbol commodity+.EE+.PP+Commodity directives may also be written with an indented+\f[CR]format\f[R] subdirective, as in Ledger.+The symbol is repeated and must be the same in both places.+Other subdirectives are currently ignored:+.IP+.EX+; display indian rupees with currency name on the left,+; thousands, lakhs and crores comma\-separated,+; period as decimal point, and two decimal places.+commodity INR+  format INR 1,00,00,000.00+  an unsupported subdirective  ; ignored by hledger+.EE+.SS Commodity tags+A commodity directive\(aqs comment may contain tags.+These will be propagated to all postings using that commodity in their+main amount, as hidden but queryable posting tags, except where the+posting already a tag of the same name.+(Posting tags override account tags override commodity tags.)+.SS Commodity error checking+In strict mode (\f[CR]\-s\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-strict\f[R]) (or when you run+\f[CR]hledger check commodities\f[R]), hledger will report an error if+an undeclared commodity symbol is used.+(With one exception: zero amounts are always allowed to have no+commodity symbol.)+It works like account error checking (described above).+.SS \f[CR]decimal\-mark\f[R] directive+You can use a \f[CR]decimal\-mark\f[R] directive \- usually one per+file, at the top of the file \- to declare which character represents a+decimal mark when parsing amounts in this file.+It can look like+.IP+.EX+decimal\-mark .+.EE+.PP+or+.IP+.EX+decimal\-mark ,+.EE+.PP+This prevents any ambiguity when parsing numbers in the file, so we+recommend it, especially if the file contains digit group marks (eg+thousands separators).+.SS \f[CR]include\f[R] directive+You can pull in the content of additional files by writing an include+directive, like this:+.IP+.EX+include SOMEFILE+.EE+.PP+This has the same effect as if SOMEFILE\(aqs content was inlined at this+point.+(With any include directives in SOMEFILE processed similarly,+recursively.)+.PP+Only journal files can include other files.+They can include journal, timeclock or timedot files, but not CSV files.+.PP+If the file path begins with a tilde, that means your home directory:+\f[CR]include \(ti/main.journal\f[R].+.PP+If it begins with a slash, it is an absolute path:+\f[CR]include /home/user/main.journal\f[R].+Otherwise it is relative to the including file\(aqs folder:+\f[CR]include ../finances/main.journal\f[R].+.PP+Also, the path may have a file type prefix to force a specific file+format, overriding the file extension(s) (as described in Data formats):+\f[CR]include timedot:notes/2023.md\f[R].+.PP+The path may contain glob patterns to match multiple files.+hledger\(aqs globs are similar to zsh\(aqs: \f[CR]?\f[R] to match any+character; \f[CR][a\-z]\f[R] to match any character in a range;+\f[CR]*\f[R] to match zero or more characters that aren\(aqt a path+separator (like \f[CR]/\f[R]); \f[CR]**\f[R] to match zero or more+subdirectories and/or zero or more characters at the start of a file+name; etc.+For convenience, \f[CR]include\f[R] always excludes the current file.+So, you can do+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]include *.journal\f[R] to include all other journal files in the+current directory (excluding dot files)+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]include **.journal\f[R] to include all other journal files in this+directory and below (excluding dot files and top\-level dot directories)+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]include timelogs/2???.timedot\f[R] to include all timedot files+named like a year number.+.PP+Note \f[CR]*\f[R] and \f[CR]**\f[R] usually won\(aqt match dot files or+dot directories, with one exception: \f[CR]**\f[R] does search+non\-top\-level dot directories.+If this causes problems, make your glob pattern more specific (eg+\f[CR]**.journal\f[R] instead of \f[CR]**\f[R]).+.PP+If you are using many, or deeply nested, include files, and have an+error that\(aqs hard to pinpoint: a good troubleshooting command is+\f[CR]hledger files \-\-debug=6\f[R] (or 7).+.SS \f[CR]P\f[R] directive+The \f[CR]P\f[R] directive declares a market price, which is a+conversion rate between two commodities on a certain date.+This allows value reports to convert amounts of one commodity to their+value in another, on or after that date.+These prices are often obtained from a stock exchange, cryptocurrency+exchange, or the foreign exchange market.+.PP+The format is:+.IP+.EX+P DATE COMMODITY1SYMBOL COMMODITY2AMOUNT+.EE+.PP+DATE is a simple date, COMMODITY1SYMBOL is the symbol of the commodity+being priced, and COMMODITY2AMOUNT is the amount (symbol and quantity)+of commodity 2 that one unit of commodity 1 is worth on this date.+Examples:+.IP+.EX+# one euro was worth $1.35 from 2009\-01\-01 onward:+P 2009\-01\-01 € $1.35++# and $1.40 from 2010\-01\-01 onward:+P 2010\-01\-01 € $1.40+.EE+.PP+The \f[CR]\-V\f[R], \f[CR]\-X\f[R] and \f[CR]\-\-value\f[R] flags use+these market prices to show amount values in another commodity.+See Value reporting.+.PP+.SS \f[CR]payee\f[R] directive+\f[CR]payee PAYEE NAME\f[R]+.PP+This directive can be used to declare a limited set of payees which may+appear in transaction descriptions.+The \(dqpayees\(dq check will report an error if any transaction refers+to a payee that has not been declared.+Eg:+.IP+.EX+payee Whole Foods    ; a comment+.EE+.PP+Payees do not have tags (tags in the comment will be ignored).+.PP+To declare the empty payee name, use \f[CR]\(dq\(dq\f[R].+.IP+.EX+payee \(dq\(dq+.EE+.PP+Ledger\-style indented subdirectives, if any, are currently ignored.+.SS \f[CR]tag\f[R] directive+\f[CR]tag TAGNAME\f[R]+.PP+This directive can be used to declare a limited set of tag names allowed+in tags.+TAGNAME should be a valid tag name (no spaces).+Eg:+.IP+.EX+tag  item\-id+.EE+.PP+Any indented subdirectives are currently ignored.+.PP+The \(dqtags\(dq check will report an error if any undeclared tag name+is used.+It is quite easy to accidentally create a tag through normal use of+colons in comments; if you want to prevent this, you can declare and+check your tags .+.SS Periodic transactions+The \f[CR]\(ti\f[R] directive declares a \(dqperiodic rule\(dq which+generates temporary extra transactions, usually recurring at some+interval, when hledger is run with the \f[CR]\-\-forecast\f[R] flag.+These \(dqforecast transactions\(dq are useful for forecasting future+activity.+They exist only for the duration of the report, and only when+\f[CR]\-\-forecast\f[R] is used; they are not saved in the journal file+by hledger.+.PP+Periodic rules also have a second use: with the \f[CR]\-\-budget\f[R]+flag they set budget goals for budgeting.+.PP+Periodic rules can be a little tricky, so before you use them, read this+whole section, or at least the following tips:+.IP "1." 3+Two spaces accidentally added or omitted will cause you trouble \- read+about this below.+.IP "2." 3+For troubleshooting, show the generated transactions with+\f[CR]hledger print \-\-forecast tag:generated\f[R] or+\f[CR]hledger register \-\-forecast tag:generated\f[R].+.IP "3." 3+Forecasted transactions will begin only after the last non\-forecasted+transaction\(aqs date.+.IP "4." 3+Forecasted transactions will end 6 months from today, by default.+See below for the exact start/end rules.+.IP "5." 3+period expressions can be tricky.+Their documentation needs improvement, but is worth studying.+.IP "6." 3+Some period expressions with a repeating interval must begin on a+natural boundary of that interval.+Eg in \f[CR]weekly from DATE\f[R], DATE must be a monday.+\f[CR]\(ti weekly from 2019/10/1\f[R] (a tuesday) will give an error.+.IP "7." 3+Other period expressions with an interval are automatically expanded to+cover a whole number of that interval.+(This is done to improve reports, but it also affects periodic+transactions.+Yes, it\(aqs a bit inconsistent with the above.)+Eg:  \f[CR]\(ti every 10th day of month from 2023/01\f[R], which is+equivalent to  \f[CR]\(ti every 10th day of month from 2023/01/01\f[R],+will be adjusted to start on 2019/12/10.+.SS Periodic rule syntax+A periodic transaction rule looks like a normal journal entry, with the+date replaced by a tilde (\f[CR]\(ti\f[R]) followed by a period+expression (mnemonic: \f[CR]\(ti\f[R] looks like a recurring sine+wave.):+.IP+.EX+# every first of month+\(ti monthly+    expenses:rent          $2000+    assets:bank:checking++# every 15th of month in 2023\(aqs first quarter:+\(ti monthly from 2023\-04\-15 to 2023\-06\-16+    expenses:utilities          $400+    assets:bank:checking+.EE+.PP+The period expression is the same syntax used for specifying+multi\-period reports, just interpreted differently; there, it specifies+report periods; here it specifies recurrence dates (the periods\(aq+start dates).+.SS Periodic rules and relative dates+Partial or relative dates (like \f[CR]12/31\f[R], \f[CR]25\f[R],+\f[CR]tomorrow\f[R], \f[CR]last week\f[R], \f[CR]next quarter\f[R]) are+usually not recommended in periodic rules, since the results will change+as time passes.+If used, they will be interpreted relative to, in order of preference:+.IP "1." 3+the first day of the default year specified by a recent \f[CR]Y\f[R]+directive+.IP "2." 3+or the date specified with \f[CR]\-\-today\f[R]+.IP "3." 3+or the date on which you are running the report.+.PP+They will not be affected at all by report period or forecast period+dates.+.SS Two spaces between period expression and description!+If the period expression is followed by a transaction description, these+must be separated by \f[B]two or more spaces\f[R].+This helps hledger know where the period expression ends, so that+descriptions can not accidentally alter their meaning, as in this+example:+.IP+.EX+; 2 or more spaces needed here, so the period is not understood as \(dqevery 2 months in 2023\(dq+;               ||+;               vv+\(ti every 2 months  in 2023, we will review+    assets:bank:checking   $1500+    income:acme inc+.EE+.PP+So,+.IP \(bu 2+Do write two spaces between your period expression and your transaction+description, if any.+.IP \(bu 2+Don\(aqt accidentally write two spaces in the middle of your period+expression.+.SS Auto postings+The \f[CR]=\f[R] directive declares an \(dqauto posting rule\(dq, which+adds extra postings to existing transactions.+(Remember, postings are the account name & amount lines below a+transaction\(aqs date & description.)+.PP+In the journal, an auto posting rule looks quite like a transaction, but+instead of date and description it has \f[CR]=\f[R] (mnemonic:+\(dqmatch\(dq) and a query, like this:+.IP+.EX+= QUERY+    ACCOUNT    AMOUNT+    ...+.EE+.PP+Queries are just like command line queries; an account name substring is+most common.+Query terms containing spaces should be enclosed in single or double+quotes.+.PP+Each \f[CR]=\f[R] rule works like this: when hledger is run with the+\f[CR]\-\-auto\f[R] flag, wherever the QUERY matches a posting in the+journal, the rule\(aqs postings are added to that transaction,+immediately below the matched posting.+Note these generated postings are temporary, existing only for the+duration of the report, and only when \f[CR]\-\-auto\f[R] is used; they+are not saved in the journal file by hledger.+.PP+The postings can contain the special string \f[CR]%account\f[R] which+will be expanded to the account name of the matched account.+.PP+Generated postings\(aq amounts can depend on the matched posting\(aqs+amount.+So auto postings can be useful for, eg, adding tax postings with a+standard percentage.+AMOUNT can be:+.IP \(bu 2+a number with no commodity symbol, like \f[CR]2\f[R].+The matched posting\(aqs commodity symbol will be added to this.+.IP \(bu 2+a normal amount with a commodity symbol, like \f[CR]$2\f[R].+This will be used as\-is.+.IP \(bu 2+an asterisk followed by a number, like \f[CR]*2\f[R].+This will multiply the matched posting\(aqs amount (and total price, if+any) by the number.+.IP \(bu 2+an asterisk followed by an amount with commodity symbol, like+\f[CR]*$2\f[R].+This multiplies and also replaces the commodity symbol with this new+one.+.PP+Some examples:+.IP+.EX+; every time I buy food, schedule a dollar donation+= expenses:food+    (liabilities:charity)   $\-1++; when I buy a gift, also deduct that amount from a budget envelope subaccount+= expenses:gifts+    assets:checking:gifts  *\-1+    assets:checking         *1++2017/12/1+  expenses:food    $10+  assets:checking++2017/12/14+  expenses:gifts   $20+  assets:checking+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger print \-\-auto+2017\-12\-01+    expenses:food              $10+    assets:checking+    (liabilities:charity)      $\-1++2017\-12\-14+    expenses:gifts             $20+    assets:checking+    assets:checking:gifts     \-$20+    assets:checking            $20+.EE+.PP+Note that depending fully on generated data such as this has some+drawbacks \- it\(aqs less portable, less future\-proof, less auditable+by others, and less robust (eg your balance assertions will depend on+whether you use or don\(aqt use \f[CR]\-\-auto\f[R]).+An alternative is to use auto postings in \(dqone time\(dq fashion \-+use them to help build a complex journal entry, view it with+\f[CR]hledger print \-\-auto\f[R], and then copy that output into the+journal file to make it permanent.+.SS Auto postings and multiple files+An auto posting rule can affect any transaction in the current file, or+in any parent file or child file.+Note, currently it will not affect sibling files (when multiple+\f[CR]\-f\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-file\f[R] are used \- see #1212).+.SS Auto postings and dates+A posting date (or secondary date) in the matched posting, or (taking+precedence) a posting date in the auto posting rule itself, will also be+used in the generated posting.+.SS Auto postings and transaction balancing / inferred amounts / balance assertions+Currently, auto postings are added:+.IP \(bu 2+after missing amounts are inferred, and transactions are checked for+balancedness,+.IP \(bu 2+but before balance assertions are checked.+.PP+Note this means that journal entries must be balanced both before and+after auto postings are added.+This changed in hledger 1.12+; see #893 for background.+.PP+This also means that you cannot have more than one auto\-posting with a+missing amount applied to a given transaction, as it will be unable to+infer amounts.+.SS Auto posting tags+Automated postings will have some extra tags:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]generated\-posting:= QUERY\f[R] \- shows this was generated by an+auto posting rule, and the query+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]_generated\-posting:= QUERY\f[R] \- a hidden tag, which does not+appear in hledger\(aqs output.+This can be used to match postings generated \(dqjust now\(dq, rather+than generated in the past and saved to the journal.+.PP+Also, any transaction that has been changed by auto posting rules will+have these tags added:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]modified:\f[R] \- this transaction was modified+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]_modified:\f[R] \- a hidden tag not appearing in the comment; this+transaction was modified \(dqjust now\(dq.+.SS Auto postings on forecast transactions only+Tip: you can can make auto postings that will apply to forecast+transactions but not recorded transactions, by adding+\f[CR]tag:_generated\-transaction\f[R] to their QUERY.+This can be useful when generating new journal entries to be saved in+the journal.+.SS Other syntax+hledger journal format supports quite a few other features, mainly to+make interoperating with or converting from Ledger easier.+Note some of the features below are powerful and can be useful in+special cases, but in general, features in this section are considered+less important or even not recommended for most users.+Downsides are mentioned to help you decide if you want to use them.+.SS Balance assignments+Ledger\-style balance assignments are also supported.+These are like balance assertions, but with no posting amount on the+left side of the equals sign; instead it is calculated automatically so+as to satisfy the assertion.+This can be a convenience during data entry, eg when setting opening+balances:+.IP+.EX+; starting a new journal, set asset account balances+2016/1/1 opening balances+  assets:checking            = $409.32+  assets:savings             = $735.24+  assets:cash                 = $42+  equity:opening balances+.EE+.PP+or when adjusting a balance to reality:+.IP+.EX+; no cash left; update balance, record any untracked spending as a generic expense+2016/1/15+  assets:cash    = $0+  expenses:misc+.EE+.PP+The calculated amount depends on the account\(aqs balance in the+commodity at that point (which depends on the previously\-dated postings+of the commodity to that account since the last balance assertion or+assignment).+.PP+Downsides: using balance assignments makes your journal less explicit;+to know the exact amount posted, you have to run hledger or do the+calculations yourself, instead of just reading it.+Also balance assignments\(aq forcing of balances can hide errors.+These things make your financial data less portable, less future\-proof,+and less trustworthy in an audit.+.SS Balance assignments and costs+A cost in a balance assignment will cause the calculated amount to have+that cost attached:+.IP+.EX+2019/1/1+  (a)             = $1 \(at €2+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger print \-\-explicit+2019\-01\-01+    (a)         $1 \(at €2 = $1 \(at €2+.EE+.SS Balance assignments and multiple files+Balance assignments handle multiple files like balance assertions.+They see balance from other files previously included from the current+file, but not from previous sibling or parent files.+.SS Bracketed posting dates+For setting posting dates and secondary posting dates, Ledger\(aqs+bracketed date syntax is also supported: \f[CR][DATE]\f[R],+\f[CR][DATE=DATE2]\f[R] or \f[CR][=DATE2]\f[R] in posting comments.+hledger will attempt to parse any square\-bracketed sequence of the+\f[CR]0123456789/\-.=\f[R] characters in this way.+With this syntax, DATE infers its year from the transaction and DATE2+infers its year from DATE.+.PP+Downsides: another syntax to learn, redundant with hledger\(aqs+\f[CR]date:\f[R]/\f[CR]date2:\f[R] tags, and confusingly similar to+Ledger\(aqs lot date syntax.+.SS \f[CR]D\f[R] directive+\f[CR]D AMOUNT\f[R]+.PP+This directive sets a default commodity, to be used for any subsequent+commodityless amounts (ie, plain numbers) seen while parsing the+journal.+This effect lasts until the next \f[CR]D\f[R] directive, or the end of+the current file.+.PP+For compatibility/historical reasons, \f[CR]D\f[R] also acts like a+\f[CR]commodity\f[R] directive (setting the commodity\(aqs decimal mark+for parsing and display style for output).+So its argument is not just a commodity symbol, but a full amount+demonstrating the style.+The amount must include a decimal mark (either period or comma).+Eg:+.IP+.EX+; commodity\-less amounts should be treated as dollars+; (and displayed with the dollar sign on the left, thousands separators and two decimal places)+D $1,000.00++1/1+  a     5  ; <\- commodity\-less amount, parsed as $5 and displayed as $5.00+  b+.EE+.PP+Interactions with other directives:+.PP+For setting a commodity\(aqs display style, a \f[CR]commodity\f[R]+directive has highest priority, then a \f[CR]D\f[R] directive.+.PP+For detecting a commodity\(aqs decimal mark during parsing,+\f[CR]decimal\-mark\f[R] has highest priority, then+\f[CR]commodity\f[R], then \f[CR]D\f[R].+.PP+For checking commodity symbols with the check command, a+\f[CR]commodity\f[R] directive is required+(\f[CR]hledger check commodities\f[R] ignores \f[CR]D\f[R] directives).+.PP+Downsides: omitting commodity symbols makes your financial data less+explicit, less portable, and less trustworthy in an audit.+It is usually an unsustainable shortcut; sooner or later you will want+to track multiple commodities.+D is overloaded with functions redundant with \f[CR]commodity\f[R] and+\f[CR]decimal\-mark\f[R].+And it works differently from Ledger\(aqs \f[CR]D\f[R].+.SS \f[CR]apply account\f[R] directive+This directive sets a default parent account, which will be prepended to+all accounts in following entries, until an \f[CR]end apply account\f[R]+directive or end of current file.+Eg:+.IP+.EX+apply account home++2010/1/1+    food    $10+    cash++end apply account+.EE+.PP+is equivalent to:+.IP+.EX+2010/01/01+    home:food           $10+    home:cash          $\-10+.EE+.PP+\f[CR]account\f[R] directives are also affected, and so is any+\f[CR]include\f[R]d content.+.PP+Account names entered via hledger add or hledger\-web are not affected.+.PP+Account aliases, if any, are applied after the parent account is+prepended.+.PP+Downsides: this can make your financial data less explicit, less+portable, and less trustworthy in an audit.+.SS \f[CR]Y\f[R] directive+\f[CR]Y YEAR\f[R]+.PP+or (deprecated backward\-compatible forms):+.PP+\f[CR]year YEAR\f[R] \f[CR]apply year YEAR\f[R]+.PP+The space is optional.+This sets a default year to be used for subsequent dates which don\(aqt+specify a year.+Eg:+.IP+.EX+Y2009  ; set default year to 2009++12/15  ; equivalent to 2009/12/15+  expenses  1+  assets++year 2010  ; change default year to 2010++2009/1/30  ; specifies the year, not affected+  expenses  1+  assets++1/31   ; equivalent to 2010/1/31+  expenses  1+  assets+.EE+.PP+Downsides: omitting the year (from primary transaction dates, at least)+makes your financial data less explicit, less portable, and less+trustworthy in an audit.+Such dates can get separated from their corresponding Y directive, eg+when evaluating a region of the journal in your editor.+A missing Y directive makes reports dependent on today\(aqs date.+.SS Secondary dates+A secondary date is written after the primary date, following an equals+sign: \f[CR]DATE1=DATE2\f[R].+If the year is omitted, the primary date\(aqs year is assumed.+When running reports, the primary (left side) date is used by default,+but with the \f[CR]\-\-date2\f[R] flag (\f[CR]\-\-aux\-date\f[R]+or\f[CR]\-\-effective\f[R] also work, for Ledger users), the secondary+(right side) date will be used instead.+.PP+The meaning of secondary dates is up to you.+Eg it could be \(dqprimary is the bank\(aqs clearing date, secondary is+the date the transaction was initiated, if different\(dq.+.PP+In practice, this feature usually adds confusion:+.IP \(bu 2+You have to remember the primary and secondary dates\(aq meaning, and+follow that consistently.+.IP \(bu 2+It splits your bookkeeping into two modes, and you have to remember+which mode is appropriate for a given report.+.IP \(bu 2+Usually your balance assertions will work with only one of these modes.+.IP \(bu 2+It makes your financial data more complicated, less portable, and less+clear in an audit.+.IP \(bu 2+It interacts with every feature, creating an ongoing cost for+implementors.+.IP \(bu 2+It distracts new users and supporters.+.IP \(bu 2+Posting dates are simpler and work better.+.PP+So secondary dates are officially deprecated in hledger, remaining only+as a Ledger compatibility aid; we recommend using posting dates instead.+.SS Star comments+Lines beginning with \f[CR]*\f[R] (star/asterisk) are also comment+lines.+This feature allows Emacs users to insert org headings in their journal,+allowing them to fold/unfold/navigate it like an outline when viewed+with org mode.+.PP+Downsides: another, unconventional comment syntax to learn.+Decreases your journal\(aqs portability.+And switching to Emacs org mode just for folding/unfolding meant losing+the benefits of ledger mode; nowadays you can add outshine mode to+ledger mode to get folding without losing ledger mode\(aqs features.+.SS Valuation expressions+Ledger allows a valuation function or value to be written in double+parentheses after an amount.+hledger ignores these.+.SS Virtual postings+A posting with parentheses around the account name, like+\f[CR](some:account)   10\f[R], is called an \f[I]unbalanced virtual+posting\f[R].+These postings do not participate in transaction balancing.+(And if you write them without an amount, a zero amount is always+inferred.)+These can occasionally be convenient for special circumstances, but they+violate double entry bookkeeping and make your data less portable across+applications, so many people avoid using them at all.+.PP+A posting with brackets around the account name+(\f[CR][some:account]\f[R]) is called a \f[I]balanced virtual+posting\f[R].+The balanced virtual postings in a transaction must add up to zero, just+like ordinary postings, but separately from them.+These are not part of double entry bookkeeping either, but they are at+least balanced.+An example:+.IP+.EX+2022\-01\-01 buy food with cash, update budget envelope subaccounts, & something else+  assets:cash                    $\-10  ; <\- these balance each other+  expenses:food                    $7  ; <\-+  expenses:food                    $3  ; <\-+  [assets:checking:budget:food]  $\-10  ;   <\- and these balance each other+  [assets:checking:available]     $10  ;   <\-+  (something:else)                 $5  ;     <\- this is not required to balance+.EE+.PP+Ordinary postings, whose account names are neither parenthesised nor+bracketed, are called \f[I]real postings\f[R].+You can exclude virtual postings from reports with the+\f[CR]\-R/\-\-real\f[R] flag or a \f[CR]real:1\f[R] query.+.SS Other Ledger directives+These other Ledger directives are currently accepted but ignored.+This allows hledger to read more Ledger files, but be aware that+hledger\(aqs reports may differ from Ledger\(aqs if you use these.+.IP+.EX+apply fixed COMM AMT+apply tag   TAG+assert      EXPR+bucket / A  ACCT+capture     ACCT REGEX+check       EXPR+define      VAR=EXPR+end apply fixed+end apply tag+end apply year+end tag+eval / expr EXPR+python+  PYTHONCODE+tag         NAME+value       EXPR+\-\-command\-line\-flags+.EE+.PP+See also https://hledger.org/ledger.html for a detailed hledger/Ledger+syntax comparison.+.SS Ledger virtual costs+In Ledger, \f[CR](\(at) UNITCOST\f[R] and+\f[CR](\(at\(at) TOTALCOST\f[R] are virtual costs, which do not generate+market prices.+In hledger, these are equivalent to \f[CR]\(at\f[R] and+\f[CR]\(at\(at\f[R].+.SS Ledger lot syntax+In Ledger, these optional annotations after an amount help specify the+cost basis of a newly acquired lot, or select existing lot(s) to dispose+of:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]{LOTUNITCOST}\f[R] and \f[CR]{{LOTTOTALCOST}}\f[R] (lot price)+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR][LOTDATE]\f[R] (lot date)+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR](LOTNOTE)\f[R] (lot note)+.PP+hledger does not yet calculate lots itself, but it accepts these+annotations and will show them in \f[CR]print\f[R]\(aqs \f[CR]txt\f[R],+\f[CR]beancount\f[R], and \f[CR]json\f[R] output formats.+This means you can use this syntax in your hledger journals (with an+amountless extra posting to help transactions balance, when needed), and+use the \f[CR]print\f[R] command to export to Ledger or Beancount when+you want to calculate lots and capital gains.+.SS Ledger fixed lot costs+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]{=UNITCOST}\f[R] and \f[CR]{{=TOTALCOST}}\f[R] (fixed price)+.RS 2+.IP \(bu 2+when buying, means \(dqthis cost is also the fixed value, don\(aqt let+it fluctuate in value reports\(dq+.RE+.PP+Probably equivalent to \f[CR]\(at\f[R]/\f[CR]\(at\(at\f[R], I\(aqm not+sure.+.PP+\f[B]Beancount\f[R] has simpler notation and different behaviour:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\(at UNITCOST\f[R] and \f[CR]\(at\(at TOTALCOST\f[R]+.RS 2+.IP \(bu 2+expresses a cost without creating a lot, as in hledger+.IP \(bu 2+when buying (acquiring) or selling (disposing of) a lot, and combined+with \f[CR]{...}\f[R]: is not used except to document the cost/selling+price+.RE+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]{UNITCOST}\f[R] and \f[CR]{{TOTALCOST}}\f[R]+.RS 2+.IP \(bu 2+when buying, expresses the cost for transaction balancing, and also+creates a lot with this cost basis attached+.IP \(bu 2+when selling,+.RS 2+.IP \(bu 2+selects a lot by its cost basis+.IP \(bu 2+raises an error if that lot is not present or can not be selected+unambiguously (depending on booking method configured)+.IP \(bu 2+expresses the selling price for transaction balancing+.RE+.RE+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]{}\f[R], \f[CR]{YYYY\-MM\-DD}\f[R], \f[CR]{\(dqLABEL\(dq}\f[R],+\f[CR]{UNITCOST, \(dqLABEL\(dq}\f[R],+\f[CR]{UNITCOST, YYYY\-MM\-DD, \(dqLABEL\(dq}\f[R]+.RS 2+.IP \(bu 2+when selling, other combinations of date/cost/label, like the above, are+accepted for selecting the lot.+.RE+.PP+Currently, hledger+.IP \(bu 2+supports \f[CR]\(at\f[R] and \f[CR]\(at\(at\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+accepts the \f[CR]{UNITCOST}\f[R]/\f[CR]{{TOTALCOST}}\f[R] notation, but+ignores it+.IP \(bu 2+and rejects the rest.+.PP+.SH CSV+hledger can read transactions from CSV (comma\-separated values) files.+More precisely, it can read DSV (delimiter\-separated values), from a+file or standard input.+Comma\-separated, semicolon\-separated and tab\-separated are the most+common variants, and hledger will recognise these three automatically+based on a \f[CR].csv\f[R], \f[CR].ssv\f[R] or \f[CR].tsv\f[R] file name+extension or a \f[CR]csv:\f[R], \f[CR]ssv:\f[R] or \f[CR]tsv:\f[R] file+path prefix.+.PP+(To learn about producing CSV or TSV \f[I]output\f[R], see Output+format.)+.PP+Each CSV file must be described by a corresponding \f[I]rules file\f[R].+This contains rules describing the CSV data (header line, fields layout,+date format etc.), how to construct hledger transactions from it, and+how to categorise transactions based on description or other attributes.+.PP+By default, hledger expects this rules file to be named like the CSV+file, with an extra \f[CR].rules\f[R] extension added, in the same+directory.+Eg when asked to read \f[CR]foo/FILE.csv\f[R], hledger looks for+\f[CR]foo/FILE.csv.rules\f[R].+You can specify a different rules file with the \f[CR]\-\-rules\f[R]+option.+.PP+At minimum, the rules file must identify the date and amount fields, and+often it also specifies the date format and how many header lines there+are.+Here\(aqs a simple CSV file and a rules file for it:+.IP+.EX+Date, Description, Id, Amount+12/11/2019, Foo, 123, 10.23+.EE+.IP+.EX+# basic.csv.rules+skip         1+fields       date, description, , amount+date\-format  %d/%m/%Y+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger print \-f basic.csv+2019\-11\-12 Foo+    expenses:unknown           10.23+    income:unknown            \-10.23+.EE+.PP+There\(aqs an introductory Tutorial: Import CSV data on hledger.org, and+more CSV rules examples below, and a larger collection at+https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/tree/master/examples/csv.+.SS CSV rules cheatsheet+The following kinds of rule can appear in the rules file, in any order.+(Blank lines and lines beginning with \f[CR]#\f[R] or \f[CR];\f[R] or+\f[CR]*\f[R] are ignored.)+.PP+.TS+tab(@);+lw(23.7n) lw(46.3n).+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]source\f[B]\f[R]+T}@T{+optionally declare which file to read data from+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]archive\f[B]\f[R]+T}@T{+optionally enable an archive of imported files+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]encoding\f[B]\f[R]+T}@T{+optionally declare which text encoding the data has+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]separator\f[B]\f[R]+T}@T{+declare the field separator, instead of relying on file extension+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]decimal\-mark\f[B]\f[R]+T}@T{+declare the decimal mark used in CSV amounts, when ambiguous+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]date\-format\f[B]\f[R]+T}@T{+declare how to parse CSV dates/date\-times+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]timezone\f[B]\f[R]+T}@T{+declare the time zone of ambiguous CSV date\-times+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]newest\-first\f[B]\f[R]+T}@T{+improve txn order when: there are multiple records, newest first, all+with the same date+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]intra\-day\-reversed\f[B]\f[R]+T}@T{+improve txn order when: same\-day txns are in opposite order to the+overall file+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]skip\f[B]\f[R]+T}@T{+(at top level) skip header line(s) at start of file+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]fields\f[B] list\f[R]+T}@T{+name CSV fields for easy reference, and optionally assign their values+to hledger fields+T}+T{+\f[B]Field assignment\f[R]+T}@T{+assign a CSV value or interpolated text value to a hledger field+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]if\f[B] block\f[R]+T}@T{+conditionally assign values to hledger fields, or \f[CR]skip\f[R] a+record or \f[CR]end\f[R] (skip rest of file)+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]if\f[B] table\f[R]+T}@T{+conditionally assign values to hledger fields, using compact syntax+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]skip\f[B]\f[R]+T}@T{+(inside an \f[CR]if\f[R] rule) skip current record(s)+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]end\f[B]\f[R]+T}@T{+(inside an \f[CR]if\f[R] rule) skip all remaining records+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]balance\-type\f[B]\f[R]+T}@T{+select which type of balance assertions/assignments to generate+T}+T{+\f[B]\f[CB]include\f[B]\f[R]+T}@T{+inline another CSV rules file+T}+.TE+.PP+Working with CSV tips can be found below, including How CSV rules are+evaluated.+.SS \f[CR]source\f[R]+If you tell hledger to read a csv file with \f[CR]\-f foo.csv\f[R], it+will look for rules in \f[CR]foo.csv.rules\f[R].+Or, you can tell it to read the rules file, with+\f[CR]\-f foo.csv.rules\f[R], and it will look for data in+\f[CR]foo.csv\f[R] (since 1.30).+These are mostly equivalent, but the second method provides some extra+features.+For one, the data file can be missing, without causing an error; it is+just considered empty.+.PP+For more flexibility, add a \f[CR]source\f[R] rule, which lets you+specify a different data file:+.IP+.EX+source ./Checking1.csv+.EE+.PP+If the file does not exist, it is just considered empty, without raising+an error.+.PP+If you specify just a file name with no path, hledger will look for it+in the \f[CR]\(ti/Downloads\f[R] folder:+.IP+.EX+source Checking1.csv+.EE+.PP+You can use a glob pattern, to avoid specifying the file name exactly:+.IP+.EX+source Checking1*.csv+.EE+.PP+This has another benefit: if the pattern matches multiple files, hledger+will read the newest (most recently modified) one.+This avoids problems if you have downloaded a file multiple times+without cleaning up.+.PP+All this enables a convenient workflow where can you just download CSV+files, then run \f[CR]hledger import rules/*\f[R].+.PP+See also \(dqWorking with CSV > Reading files specified by rule\(dq.+.SS Data cleaning / data generating commands+After \f[CR]source\f[R]\(aqs file pattern, you can write \f[CR]|\f[R]+(pipe) and a data cleaning command (or command pipeline).+If hledger\(aqs CSV rules aren\(aqt enough, you can pre\-process the+downloaded data here with a shell command or script, to make it more+suitable for conversion.+The command will be executed by your default shell, in the directory of+the rules file, will receive the data file\(aqs content as standard+input, and should output zero or more lines of+character\-separated\-values, suitable for conversion by the CSV rules.+.PP+Examples:+.IP+.EX+source ./paypal.json | paypalcsv+source data/simplefin.json | simplefincsv \- \(aqchase.*card\(aq+source OfxDownload*.csv | grep \-vE \(aq\(ha(([\(ha,]*,){6}[\(ha,]*|)$\(aq | sort \-t, \-n +2+source History_for_Account_Z20144832*.csv   # | grep \-E \(aq\(ha([\(ha,]*,){12}[\(ha,]*$\(aq | sed \-E \-e \(aqs/\(ha //\(aq \-e \(aqs/\(rs.([0\-9]),/.\(rs10,/g\(aq \-e \(aqs/,([0\-9]+),/,\(rs1.00,/g\(aq+.EE+.PP+Or, after \f[CR]source\f[R] you can write \f[CR]|\f[R] and a data+generating command (with no file pattern before the \f[CR]|\f[R]).+This command receives no input, and should output zero or more lines of+character\-separated values, suitable for conversion by the CSV rules.+.PP+Examples:+.IP+.EX+source | paypaljson | paypalcsv+source | paypalcsv data/paypal.json +source | simplefinjson >data/simplefin.json && simplefincsv data/simplefin.json \(aqchase.*card\(aq+source | simplefincsv data/simplefin.json \(aqunify.*checking\(aq+.EE+.PP+(\f[CR]paypal*\f[R] and \f[CR]simplefin*\f[R] scripts are in bin/)+.PP+Whenever hledger runs one of these commands, it will echo the command on+stderr.+If the command produces error output, but exits successfully, hledger+will show the error output as a warning.+If the command fails, hledger will fail and show the error output in the+error message.+.PP+\f[I]Added in 1.50; experimental.\f[R]+.SS \f[CR]archive\f[R]+With \f[CR]archive\f[R] added to a rules file, the \f[CR]import\f[R]+command will archive each successfully processed data file or data+command output in a nearby \f[CR]data/\f[R] directory.+The archive file name will be based on the rules file and the data+file\(aqs modification date and extension (or for a data\-generating+command, the current date and the \(dq.csv\(dq extension).+The original data file, if any, will be removed.+.PP+Also, in this mode \f[CR]import\f[R] will prefer the oldest file matched+by the \f[CR]source\f[R] rule\(aqs glob pattern, not the newest.+(So if there are multiple downloads, they will be imported and archived+oldest first.)+.PP+Archiving is optional, but it can be useful for troubleshooting your CSV+rules, regenerating entries with improved rules, checking for variations+in your bank\(aqs CSV, etc.+.PP+\f[I]Added in 1.50; experimental.\f[R]+.SS \f[CR]encoding\f[R]+.IP+.EX+encoding ENCODING+.EE+.PP+hledger normally expects non\-ascii text to be using the system+locale\(aqs text encoding.+If you need to read CSV files which have some other encoding, you can do+it by adding \f[CR]encoding ENCODING\f[R] to your CSV rules.+Eg: \f[CR]encoding iso\-8859\-1\f[R].+.PP+The following encodings are supported:+.PP+\f[CR]ascii\f[R], \f[CR]utf\-8\f[R], \f[CR]utf\-16\f[R],+\f[CR]utf\-32\f[R], \f[CR]iso\-8859\-1\f[R], \f[CR]iso\-8859\-2\f[R],+\f[CR]iso\-8859\-3\f[R], \f[CR]iso\-8859\-4\f[R],+\f[CR]iso\-8859\-5\f[R], \f[CR]iso\-8859\-6\f[R],+\f[CR]iso\-8859\-7\f[R], \f[CR]iso\-8859\-8\f[R],+\f[CR]iso\-8859\-9\f[R], \f[CR]iso\-8859\-10\f[R],+\f[CR]iso\-8859\-11\f[R], \f[CR]iso\-8859\-13\f[R],+\f[CR]iso\-8859\-14\f[R], \f[CR]iso\-8859\-15\f[R],+\f[CR]iso\-8859\-16\f[R], \f[CR]cp1250\f[R], \f[CR]cp1251\f[R],+\f[CR]cp1252\f[R], \f[CR]cp1253\f[R], \f[CR]cp1254\f[R],+\f[CR]cp1255\f[R], \f[CR]cp1256\f[R], \f[CR]cp1257\f[R],+\f[CR]cp1258\f[R], \f[CR]koi8\-r\f[R], \f[CR]koi8\-u\f[R],+\f[CR]gb18030\f[R], \f[CR]macintosh\f[R], \f[CR]jis\-x\-0201\f[R],+\f[CR]jis\-x\-0208\f[R], \f[CR]iso\-2022\-jp\f[R],+\f[CR]shift\-jis\f[R], \f[CR]cp437\f[R], \f[CR]cp737\f[R],+\f[CR]cp775\f[R], \f[CR]cp850\f[R], \f[CR]cp852\f[R], \f[CR]cp855\f[R],+\f[CR]cp857\f[R], \f[CR]cp860\f[R], \f[CR]cp861\f[R], \f[CR]cp862\f[R],+\f[CR]cp863\f[R], \f[CR]cp864\f[R], \f[CR]cp865\f[R], \f[CR]cp866\f[R],+\f[CR]cp869\f[R], \f[CR]cp874\f[R], \f[CR]cp932\f[R].+.PP+\f[I]Added in 1.42.\f[R]+.SS \f[CR]separator\f[R]+You can use the \f[CR]separator\f[R] rule to read other kinds of+character\-separated data.+The argument is any single separator character, or the words+\f[CR]tab\f[R] or \f[CR]space\f[R] (case insensitive).+Eg, for comma\-separated values (CSV):+.IP+.EX+separator ,+.EE+.PP+or for semicolon\-separated values (SSV):+.IP+.EX+separator ;+.EE+.PP+or for tab\-separated values (TSV):+.IP+.EX+separator TAB+.EE+.PP+If the input file has a \f[CR].csv\f[R], \f[CR].ssv\f[R] or+\f[CR].tsv\f[R] file extension (or a \f[CR]csv:\f[R], \f[CR]ssv:\f[R],+\f[CR]tsv:\f[R] prefix), the appropriate separator will be inferred+automatically, and you won\(aqt need this rule.+.SS \f[CR]skip\f[R]+.IP+.EX+skip N+.EE+.PP+The word \f[CR]skip\f[R] followed by a number (or no number, meaning 1)+tells hledger to ignore this many non\-empty lines at the start of the+input data.+You\(aqll need this whenever your CSV data contains header lines.+Note, empty and blank lines are skipped automatically, so you don\(aqt+need to count those.+.PP+\f[CR]skip\f[R] has a second meaning: it can be used inside if blocks+(described below), to skip one or more records whenever the condition is+true.+Records skipped in this way are ignored, except they are still required+to be valid CSV.+.SS \f[CR]date\-format\f[R]+.IP+.EX+date\-format DATEFMT+.EE+.PP+This is a helper for the \f[CR]date\f[R] (and \f[CR]date2\f[R]) fields.+If your CSV dates are not formatted like \f[CR]YYYY\-MM\-DD\f[R],+\f[CR]YYYY/MM/DD\f[R] or \f[CR]YYYY.MM.DD\f[R], you\(aqll need to add a+date\-format rule describing them with a strptime\-style date parsing+pattern \- see+https://hackage.haskell.org/package/time/docs/Data\-Time\-Format.html#v:formatTime.+The pattern must parse the CSV date value completely.+Some examples:+.IP+.EX+# MM/DD/YY+date\-format %m/%d/%y+.EE+.IP+.EX+# D/M/YYYY+# The \- makes leading zeros optional.+date\-format %\-d/%\-m/%Y+.EE+.IP+.EX+# YYYY\-Mmm\-DD+date\-format %Y\-%h\-%d+.EE+.IP+.EX+# M/D/YYYY HH:MM AM some other junk+# Note the time and junk must be fully parsed, though only the date is used.+date\-format %\-m/%\-d/%Y %l:%M %p some other junk+.EE+.PP+Note currently there is no locale awareness for things like+\f[CR]%b\f[R], and setting LC_TIME won\(aqt help.+.SS \f[CR]timezone\f[R]+.IP+.EX+timezone TIMEZONE+.EE+.PP+When CSV contains date\-times that are implicitly in some time zone+other than yours, but containing no explicit time zone information, you+can use this rule to declare the CSV\(aqs native time zone, which helps+prevent off\-by\-one dates.+.PP+When the CSV date\-times do contain time zone information, you don\(aqt+need this rule; instead, use \f[CR]%Z\f[R] in \f[CR]date\-format\f[R]+(or \f[CR]%z\f[R], \f[CR]%EZ\f[R], \f[CR]%Ez\f[R]; see the formatTime+link above).+.PP+In either of these cases, hledger will do a time\-zone\-aware+conversion, localising the CSV date\-times to your current system time+zone.+If you prefer to localise to some other time zone, eg for+reproducibility, you can (on unix at least) set the output timezone with+the TZ environment variable, eg:+.IP+.EX+$ TZ=\-1000 hledger print \-f foo.csv  # or TZ=\-1000 hledger import foo.csv+.EE+.PP+\f[CR]timezone\f[R] currently does not understand timezone names, except+\(dqUTC\(dq, \(dqGMT\(dq, \(dqEST\(dq, \(dqEDT\(dq, \(dqCST\(dq,+\(dqCDT\(dq, \(dqMST\(dq, \(dqMDT\(dq, \(dqPST\(dq, or \(dqPDT\(dq.+For others, use numeric format: +HHMM or \-HHMM.+.SS \f[CR]newest\-first\f[R]+hledger tries to ensure that the generated transactions will be ordered+chronologically, including same\-day transactions.+Usually it can auto\-detect how the CSV records are ordered.+But if it encounters CSV where all records are on the same date, it+assumes that the records are oldest first.+If in fact the CSV\(aqs records are normally newest first, like:+.IP+.EX+2022\-10\-01, txn 3...+2022\-10\-01, txn 2...+2022\-10\-01, txn 1...+.EE+.PP+you can add the \f[CR]newest\-first\f[R] rule to help hledger generate+the transactions in correct order.+.IP+.EX+# same\-day CSV records are newest first+newest\-first+.EE+.SS \f[CR]intra\-day\-reversed\f[R]+If CSV records within a single day are ordered opposite to the overall+record order, you can add the \f[CR]intra\-day\-reversed\f[R] rule to+improve the order of journal entries.+Eg, here the overall record order is newest first, but same\-day records+are oldest first:+.IP+.EX+2022\-10\-02, txn 3...+2022\-10\-02, txn 4...+2022\-10\-01, txn 1...+2022\-10\-01, txn 2...+.EE+.IP+.EX+# transactions within each day are reversed with respect to the overall date order+intra\-day\-reversed+.EE+.SS \f[CR]decimal\-mark\f[R]+.IP+.EX+decimal\-mark .+.EE+.PP+or:+.IP+.EX+decimal\-mark ,+.EE+.PP+hledger automatically accepts either period or comma as a decimal mark+when parsing numbers (cf Amounts).+However if any numbers in the CSV contain digit group marks, such as+thousand\-separating commas, you should declare the decimal mark+explicitly with this rule, to avoid misparsed numbers.+.SS CSV fields and hledger fields+This can be confusing, so let\(aqs start with an overview:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[B]CSV fields\f[R] are provided by your data file.+They are named by their position in the CSV record, starting with 1.+You can also give them a readable name.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[B]hledger fields\f[R] are predefined; \f[CR]date\f[R],+\f[CR]description\f[R], \f[CR]account1\f[R], \f[CR]amount1\f[R],+\f[CR]account2\f[R] are some of them.+They correspond to parts of a transaction\(aqs journal entry, mostly.+.IP \(bu 2+The CSV fields and hledger fields are the only fields you\(aqll be+working with; you can\(aqt define new fields, or variables as in a+programming language.+(But you could add extra CSV fields to the data in preprocessing, before+running the rules.)+.IP \(bu 2+For each CSV record, you\(aqll assign values to one or more of the+hledger fields to build up a transaction (journal entry).+Values can be static text, CSV field values from the current record, or+a combination of these.+.IP \(bu 2+For simple cases, you can give a CSV field the same name as one of the+hledger fields, then its value will be automatically assigned to that+hledger field.+.IP \(bu 2+CSV fields can only be read, not written to.+They\(aqll be on the right hand side, with a % prefix.+Eg+.RS 2+.IP \(bu 2+testing a CSV field\(aqs value: \f[CR]if %CSVFIELD ...\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+interpolating its value: \f[CR]HLEDGERFIELD %CSVFIELD\f[R]+.RE+.IP \(bu 2+hledger fields can only be written to, not read.+They\(aqll be on the left hand side (or in a fields list), with no+prefix.+Eg+.RS 2+.IP \(bu 2+setting the transaction\(aqs description to a value:+\f[CR]description VALUE\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+setting the transaction\(aqs description to the second CSV field\(aqs+value:+.PD 0+.P+.PD+\f[CR]fields date, description, amount\f[R]+.RE+.SS \f[CR]fields\f[R] list+.IP+.EX+fields FIELDNAME1, FIELDNAME2, ...+.EE+.PP+A fields list (the word \f[CR]fields\f[R] followed by comma\-separated+field names) is optional, but convenient.+It does two things:+.IP "1." 3+It names the CSV field in each column.+This can be convenient if you are referencing them in other rules, so+you can say \f[CR]%SomeField\f[R] instead of remembering \f[CR]%13\f[R].+.IP "2." 3+Whenever you use one of the special hledger field names (described+below), it assigns the CSV value in this position to that hledger field.+This is the quickest way to populate hledger\(aqs fields and build a+transaction.+.PP+Here\(aqs an example that says \(dquse the 1st, 2nd and 4th fields as+the transaction\(aqs date, description and amount; name the last two+fields for later reference; and ignore the others\(dq:+.IP+.EX+fields date, description, , amount, , , somefield, anotherfield+.EE+.PP+In a fields list, the separator is always comma; it is unrelated to the+CSV file\(aqs separator.+Also:+.IP \(bu 2+There must be least two items in the list (at least one comma).+.IP \(bu 2+Field names may not contain spaces.+Spaces before/after field names are optional.+.IP \(bu 2+Field names may contain \f[CR]_\f[R] (underscore) or \f[CR]\-\f[R]+(hyphen).+.IP \(bu 2+Fields you don\(aqt care about can be given a dummy name or an empty+name.+.PP+If the CSV contains column headings, it\(aqs convenient to use these for+your field names, suitably modified (eg lower\-cased with spaces+replaced by underscores).+.PP+Sometimes you may want to alter a CSV field name to avoid assigning to a+hledger field with the same name.+Eg you could call the CSV\(aqs \(dqbalance\(dq field \f[CR]balance_\f[R]+to avoid directly setting hledger\(aqs \f[CR]balance\f[R] field (and+generating a balance assertion).+.SS Field assignment+.IP+.EX+HLEDGERFIELD FIELDVALUE+.EE+.PP+Field assignments are the more flexible way to assign CSV values to+hledger fields.+They can be used instead of or in addition to a fields list (see above).+.PP+To assign a value to a hledger field, write the field name (any of the+standard hledger field/pseudo\-field names, defined below), a space,+followed by a text value on the same line.+This text value may interpolate CSV fields, referenced either by their+1\-based position in the CSV record (\f[CR]%N\f[R]) or by the name they+were given in the fields list (\f[CR]%CSVFIELD\f[R]), and regular+expression match groups (\f[CR]\(rsN\f[R]).+.PP+Some examples:+.IP+.EX+# set the amount to the 4th CSV field, with \(dq USD\(dq appended+amount %4 USD++# combine three fields to make a comment, containing note: and date: tags+comment note: %somefield \- %anotherfield, date: %1+.EE+.PP+Tips:+.IP \(bu 2+Interpolation strips outer whitespace (so a CSV value like+\f[CR]\(dq 1 \(dq\f[R] becomes \f[CR]1\f[R] when interpolated) (#1051).+.IP \(bu 2+Interpolations always refer to a CSV field \- you can\(aqt interpolate a+hledger field.+(See Referencing other fields below).+.SS Field names+Note the two kinds of field names mentioned here, and used only in+hledger CSV rules files:+.IP "1." 3+\f[B]CSV field names\f[R] (\f[CR]CSVFIELD\f[R] in these docs): you can+optionally name the CSV columns for easy reference (since hledger+doesn\(aqt yet automatically recognise column headings in a CSV file),+by writing arbitrary names in a \f[CR]fields\f[R] list, eg:+.RS 4+.IP+.EX+fields When, What, Some_Id, Net, Total, Foo, Bar+.EE+.RE+.IP "2." 3+Special \f[B]hledger field names\f[R] (\f[CR]HLEDGERFIELD\f[R] in these+docs): you must set at least some of these to generate the hledger+transaction from a CSV record, by writing them as the left hand side of+a field assignment, eg:+.RS 4+.IP+.EX+date        %When+code        %Some_Id+description %What+comment     %Foo %Bar+amount1     $ %Total+.EE+.PP+or directly in a \f[CR]fields\f[R] list:+.IP+.EX+fields date, description, code, , amount1, Foo, Bar+currency $+comment  %Foo %Bar+.EE+.RE+.PP+Here are all the special hledger field names available, and what happens+when you assign values to them:+.SS date field+Assigning to \f[CR]date\f[R] sets the transaction date.+.SS date2 field+\f[CR]date2\f[R] sets the transaction\(aqs secondary date, if any.+.SS status field+\f[CR]status\f[R] sets the transaction\(aqs status, if any.+.SS code field+\f[CR]code\f[R] sets the transaction\(aqs code, if any.+.SS description field+\f[CR]description\f[R] sets the transaction\(aqs description, if any.+.SS comment field+\f[CR]comment\f[R] sets the transaction\(aqs comment, if any.+.PP+\f[CR]commentN\f[R], where N is a number, sets the Nth posting\(aqs+comment.+.PP+You can assign multi\-line comments by writing literal \f[CR]\(rsn\f[R]+in the code.+A comment starting with \f[CR]\(rsn\f[R] will begin on a new line.+.PP+Comments can contain tags, as usual.+.PP+Posting comments can also contain a posting date.+A secondary date, or a year\-less date, will be ignored.+.SS account field+Assigning to \f[CR]accountN\f[R], where N is 1 to 99, sets the account+name of the Nth posting, and causes that posting to be generated.+.PP+Most often there are two postings, so you\(aqll want to set+\f[CR]account1\f[R] and \f[CR]account2\f[R].+Typically \f[CR]account1\f[R] is associated with the CSV file, and is+set once with a top\-level assignment, while \f[CR]account2\f[R] is set+based on each transaction\(aqs description, in conditional rules.+.PP+If a posting\(aqs account name is left unset but its amount is set (see+below), a default account name will be chosen (like+\(dqexpenses:unknown\(dq or \(dqincome:unknown\(dq).+.SS amount field+There are several ways to set posting amounts from CSV, useful in+different situations.+.IP "1." 3+\f[B]\f[CB]amount\f[B]\f[R] is the oldest and simplest.+Assigning to this sets the amount of the first and second postings.+In the second posting, the amount will be negated; also, if it has a+cost attached, it will be converted to cost.+.IP "2." 3+\f[B]\f[CB]amount\-in\f[B]\f[R] and \f[B]\f[CB]amount\-out\f[B]\f[R]+work exactly like the above, but should be used when the CSV has two+amount fields (such as \(dqDebit\(dq and \(dqCredit\(dq, or+\(dqInflow\(dq and \(dqOutflow\(dq).+Whichever field has a non\-zero value will be used as the amount of the+first and second postings.+Here are some tips to avoid confusion:+.RS 4+.IP \(bu 2+It\(aqs not \(dqamount\-in for posting 1 and amount\-out for posting+2\(dq, it is \(dqextract a single amount from the amount\-in or+amount\-out field, and use that for posting 1 and (negated) for posting+2\(dq.+.IP \(bu 2+Don\(aqt use both \f[CR]amount\f[R] and+\f[CR]amount\-in\f[R]/\f[CR]amount\-out\f[R] in the same rules file;+choose based on whether the amount is in a single CSV field or spread+across two fields.+.IP \(bu 2+In each record, at most one of the two CSV fields should contain a+non\-zero amount; the other field must contain a zero or nothing.+.IP \(bu 2+hledger assumes both CSV fields contain unsigned numbers, and it+automatically negates the amount\-out values.+.IP \(bu 2+If the data doesn\(aqt fit these requirements, you\(aqll probably need+an if rule (see below).+.RE+.IP "3." 3+\f[B]\f[CB]amountN\f[B]\f[R] (where N is a number from 1 to 99) sets the+amount of only a single posting: the Nth posting in the transaction.+You\(aqll usually need at least two such assignments to make a balanced+transaction.+You can also generate more than two postings, to represent more complex+transactions.+The posting numbers don\(aqt have to be consecutive; with if rules,+higher posting numbers can be useful to ensure a certain order of+postings.+.IP "4." 3+\f[B]\f[CB]amountN\-in\f[B]\f[R] and \f[B]\f[CB]amountN\-out\f[B]\f[R]+work exactly like the above, but should be used when the CSV has two+amount fields.+This is analogous to \f[CR]amount\-in\f[R] and \f[CR]amount\-out\f[R],+and those tips also apply here.+.IP "5." 3+Remember that a \f[CR]fields\f[R] list can also do assignments.+So in a fields list if you name a CSV field \(dqamount\(dq, that counts+as assigning to \f[CR]amount\f[R].+(If you don\(aqt want that, call it something else in the fields list,+like \(dqamount_\(dq.)+.IP "6." 3+The above don\(aqt handle every situation; if you need more flexibility,+use an \f[CR]if\f[R] rule to set amounts conditionally.+See \(dqWorking with CSV > Setting amounts\(dq below for more on this+and on amount\-setting generally.+.SS currency field+\f[CR]currency\f[R] sets a currency symbol, to be prepended to all+postings\(aq amounts.+You can use this if the CSV amounts do not have a currency symbol, eg if+it is in a separate column.+.PP+\f[CR]currencyN\f[R] prepends a currency symbol to just the Nth+posting\(aqs amount.+.SS balance field+\f[CR]balanceN\f[R] sets a balance assertion amount (or if the posting+amount is left empty, a balance assignment) on posting N.+.PP+\f[CR]balance\f[R] is a compatibility spelling for hledger <1.17; it is+equivalent to \f[CR]balance1\f[R].+.PP+You can adjust the type of assertion/assignment with the+\f[CR]balance\-type\f[R] rule (see below).+.PP+See the Working with CSV tips below for more about setting amounts and+currency.+.SS \f[CR]if\f[R] block+Rules can be applied conditionally, depending on patterns in the CSV+data.+This allows flexibility; in particular, it is how you can categorise+transactions, selecting an appropriate account name based on their+description (for example).+There are two ways to write conditional rules: \(dqif blocks\(dq,+described here, and \(dqif tables\(dq, described below.+.PP+An if block is the word \f[CR]if\f[R] and one or more \(dqmatcher\(dq+expressions (can be a word or phrase), one per line, starting either on+the same or next line; followed by one or more indented rules.+Eg,+.IP+.EX+if MATCHER+ RULE+.EE+.PP+or+.IP+.EX+if+MATCHER+MATCHER+MATCHER+ RULE+ RULE+.EE+.PP+If any of the matchers succeeds, all of the indented rules will be+applied.+They are usually field assignments, but the following special rules may+also be used within an if block:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]skip\f[R] \- skips the matched CSV record (generating no+transaction from it)+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]end\f[R] \- skips the rest of the current CSV file.+.PP+Some examples:+.IP+.EX+# if the record contains \(dqgroceries\(dq, set account2 to \(dqexpenses:groceries\(dq+if groceries+ account2 expenses:groceries+.EE+.IP+.EX+# if the record contains any of these phrases, set account2 and a transaction comment as shown+if+monthly service fee+atm transaction fee+banking thru software+ account2 expenses:business:banking+ comment  XXX deductible ? check it+.EE+.IP+.EX+# if an empty record is seen (assuming five fields), ignore the rest of the CSV file+if ,,,,+ end+.EE+.SS Matchers+There are two kinds of matcher:+.IP "1." 3+A whole record matcher is simplest: it is just a word, single\-line text+fragment, or other regular expression, which hledger will try to match+case\-insensitively anywhere within the CSV record.+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Eg: \f[CR]whole foods\f[R].+.IP "2." 3+A field matcher has a percent\-prefixed CSV field number or name before+the pattern.+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Eg: \f[CR]%3 whole foods\f[R] or \f[CR]%description whole foods\f[R].+.PD 0+.P+.PD+hledger will try to match the pattern just within the named CSV field.+.PP+When using these, there\(aqs two things to be aware of:+.IP "1." 3+Whole record matchers don\(aqt see the exact original record; they see a+reconstruction of it, in which values are comma\-separated, and quotes+enclosing values and whitespace outside those quotes are removed.+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Eg when reading an SSV record like:+\f[CR]2023\-01\-01 ; \(dqAcme, Inc. \(dq ;  1,000\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+the whole record matcher sees instead:+\f[CR]2023\-01\-01,Acme, Inc. ,1,000\f[R]+.IP "2." 3+Field matchers expect either a CSV field number, or a CSV field name+declared with \f[CR]fields\f[R].+Anything else will cause it to match against the empty string, and+probably fail silently (this makes it easier to reuse common rules with+different CSV files).+Don\(aqt use a hledger field name here (see CSV fields and hledger+fields).+.PP+You can also prefix a matcher with \f[CR]!\f[R] (and optional space) to+negate it.+Eg \f[CR]! whole foods\f[R], \f[CR]! %3 whole foods\f[R],+\f[CR]!%description whole foods\f[R] will match if \(dqwhole foods\(dq+is NOT present.+\f[I]Added in 1.32.\f[R]+.PP+The pattern is, as usual in hledger, a POSIX extended regular expression+that also supports GNU word boundaries (\f[CR]\(rsb\f[R],+\f[CR]\(rsB\f[R], \f[CR]\(rs<\f[R], \f[CR]\(rs>\f[R]) and nothing else.+For more details and tips, see Regular expressions in CSV rules below.+.SS Multiple matchers+When an if block has multiple matchers, each on its own line,+.IP \(bu 2+By default they are OR\(aqd (any of them can match).+.IP \(bu 2+Matcher lines beginning with \f[CR]&\f[R] (or \f[CR]&&\f[R], \f[I]since+1.42\f[R]) are AND\(aqed with the matcher above (all in the AND\(aqed+group must match).+.IP \(bu 2+Matcher lines beginning with \f[CR]& !\f[R] (\f[I]since 1.41\f[R], or+\f[CR]&& !\f[R], \f[I]since 1.42\f[R]) are first negated and then+AND\(aqed with the matcher above.+.PP+You can also combine multiple matchers one the same line separated by+\f[CR]&&\f[R] (AND) or \f[CR]&& !\f[R] (AND NOT).+Eg \f[CR]%description amazon && %date 2025\-01\-01\f[R] will match only+when the description field contains \(dqamazon\(dq and the date field+contains \(dq2025\-01\-01\(dq.+\f[I]Added in 1.42.\f[R]+.SS Match groups+\f[I]Added in 1.32\f[R]+.PP+Matchers can define match groups: parenthesised portions of the regular+expression which are available for reference in field assignments.+Groups are enclosed in regular parentheses (\f[CR](\f[R] and+\f[CR])\f[R]) and can be nested.+Each group is available in field assignments using the token+\f[CR]\(rsN\f[R], where N is an index into the match groups for this+conditional block (e.g.+\f[CR]\(rs1\f[R], \f[CR]\(rs2\f[R], etc.).+.PP+Example: Warp credit card payment postings to the beginning of the+billing period (Month start), to match how they are presented in+statements, using posting dates:+.IP+.EX+if %date (....\-..)\-..+  comment2 date:\(rs1\-01+.EE+.PP+Another example: Read the expense account from the CSV field, but throw+away a prefix:+.IP+.EX+if %account1 liabilities:family:(expenses:.*)+    account1 \(rs1+.EE+.SS \f[CR]if\f[R] table+\(dqif tables\(dq are an alternative to if blocks; they can express many+matchers and field assignments in a more compact tabular format, like+this:+.IP+.EX+if,HLEDGERFIELD1,HLEDGERFIELD2,...+MATCHERA,VALUE1,VALUE2,...+MATCHERB && MATCHERC,VALUE1,VALUE2,...  (*since 1.42*)+; Comment line that explains MATCHERD+MATCHERD,VALUE1,VALUE2,...+<empty line>+.EE+.PP+The first character after \f[CR]if\f[R] is taken to be this if+table\(aqs field separator.+It is unrelated to the separator used in the CSV file.+It should be a non\-alphanumeric character like \f[CR],\f[R] or+\f[CR]|\f[R] that does not appear anywhere else in the table (it should+not be used in field names or matchers or values, and it cannot be+escaped with a backslash).+.PP+Each line must contain the same number of separators; empty values are+allowed.+Whitespace can be used in the matcher lines for readability (but not in+the if line, currently).+You can use the comment lines in the table body.+The table must be terminated by an empty line (or end of file).+.PP+An if table like the above is interpreted as follows: try all of the+lines with matchers; whenever a line with matchers succeeds, assign all+of the values on that line to the corresponding hledger fields; If+multiple lines match, later lines will override fields assigned by the+earlier ones \- just like the sequence of \f[CR]if\f[R] blocks would+behave.+.PP+If table presented above is equivalent to this sequence of if blocks:+.IP+.EX+if MATCHERA+  HLEDGERFIELD1 VALUE1+  HLEDGERFIELD2 VALUE2+  ...++if MATCHERB && MATCHERC+  HLEDGERFIELD1 VALUE1+  HLEDGERFIELD2 VALUE2+  ...++; Comment line which explains MATCHERD+if MATCHERD+  HLEDGERFIELD1 VALUE1+  HLEDGERFIELD2 VALUE2+  ...+.EE+.PP+Example:+.IP+.EX+if,account2,comment+atm transaction fee,expenses:business:banking,deductible? check it+%description groceries,expenses:groceries,+;; Comment line that desribes why this particular date is special+2023/01/12.*Plumbing LLC,expenses:house:upkeep,emergency plumbing call\-out+.EE+.SS \f[CR]balance\-type\f[R]+Balance assertions generated by assigning to balanceN are of the simple+\f[CR]=\f[R] type by default, which is a single\-commodity,+subaccount\-excluding assertion.+You may find the subaccount\-including variants more useful, eg if you+have created some virtual subaccounts of checking to help with+budgeting.+You can select a different type of assertion with the+\f[CR]balance\-type\f[R] rule:+.IP+.EX+# balance assertions will consider all commodities and all subaccounts+balance\-type ==*+.EE+.PP+Here are the balance assertion types for quick reference:+.IP+.EX+=    single commodity, exclude subaccounts+=*   single commodity, include subaccounts+==   multi commodity,  exclude subaccounts+==*  multi commodity,  include subaccounts+.EE+.SS \f[CR]include\f[R]+.IP+.EX+include RULESFILE+.EE+.PP+This includes the contents of another CSV rules file at this point.+\f[CR]RULESFILE\f[R] is an absolute file path or a path relative to the+current file\(aqs directory.+This can be useful for sharing common rules between several rules files,+eg:+.IP+.EX+# someaccount.csv.rules++## someaccount\-specific rules+fields   date,description,amount+account1 assets:someaccount+account2 expenses:misc++## common rules+include categorisation.rules+.EE+.SS Working with CSV+Some tips:+.SS Rapid feedback+It\(aqs a good idea to get rapid feedback while creating/troubleshooting+CSV rules.+Here\(aqs a good way, using entr from eradman.com/entrproject:+.IP+.EX+$ ls foo.csv* | entr bash \-c \(aqecho \-\-\-\-; hledger \-f foo.csv print desc:SOMEDESC\(aq+.EE+.PP+A desc: query (eg) is used to select just one, or a few, transactions of+interest.+\(dqbash \-c\(dq is used to run multiple commands, so we can echo a+separator each time the command re\-runs, making it easier to read the+output.+.SS Valid CSV+Note that hledger will only accept valid CSV conforming to RFC 4180, and+equivalent SSV and TSV formats (like RFC 4180 but with semicolon or tab+as separators).+This means, eg:+.IP \(bu 2+Values may be enclosed in double quotes, or not.+Enclosing in single quotes is not allowed.+(Eg \f[CR]\(aqA\(aq,\(aqB\(aq\f[R] is rejected.)+.IP \(bu 2+When values are enclosed in double quotes, spaces outside the quotes are+not allowed.+(Eg \f[CR]\(dqA\(dq, \(dqB\(dq\f[R] is rejected.)+.IP \(bu 2+When values are not enclosed in quotes, they may not contain double+quotes.+(Eg \f[CR]A\(dqA, B\f[R] is rejected.)+.PP+If your CSV/SSV/TSV is not valid in this sense, you\(aqll need to+transform it before reading with hledger.+Try using sed, or a more permissive CSV parser like python\(aqs csv lib.+.SS File Extension+To help hledger choose the CSV file reader and show the right error+messages (and choose the right field separator character by default),+it\(aqs best if CSV/SSV/TSV files are named with a \f[CR].csv\f[R],+\f[CR].ssv\f[R] or \f[CR].tsv\f[R] filename extension.+(More about this at Data formats.)+.PP+When reading files with the \(dqwrong\(dq extension, you can ensure the+CSV reader (and the default field separator) by prefixing the file path+with \f[CR]csv:\f[R], \f[CR]ssv:\f[R] or \f[CR]tsv:\f[R]: Eg:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f ssv:foo.dat print+.EE+.PP+You can also override the default field separator with a separator rule+if needed.+.SS Reading CSV from standard input+You\(aqll need the file format prefix when reading CSV from stdin also,+since hledger assumes journal format by default.+Eg:+.IP+.EX+$ cat foo.dat | hledger \-f ssv:\- print+.EE+.SS Reading multiple CSV files+If you use multiple \f[CR]\-f\f[R] options to read multiple CSV files at+once, hledger will look for a correspondingly\-named rules file for each+CSV file.+But if you specify a rules file with \f[CR]\-\-rules\f[R], that rules+file will be used for all the CSV files.+.SS Reading files specified by rule+Instead of specifying a CSV file in the command line, you can specify a+rules file, as in \f[CR]hledger \-f foo.csv.rules CMD\f[R].+By default this will read data from foo.csv in the same directory, but+you can add a source rule to specify a different data file, perhaps+located in your web browser\(aqs download directory.+.PP+This feature was added in hledger 1.30, so you won\(aqt see it in most+CSV rules examples.+But it helps remove some of the busywork of managing CSV downloads.+Most of your financial institutions\(aqs default CSV filenames are+different and can be recognised by a glob pattern.+So you can put a rule like \f[CR]source Checking1*.csv\f[R] in+foo\-checking.csv.rules, and then periodically follow a workflow like:+.IP "1." 3+Download CSV from Foo\(aqs website, using your browser\(aqs defaults+.IP "2." 3+Run \f[CR]hledger import foo\-checking.csv.rules\f[R] to import any new+transactions+.PP+After import, you can: discard the CSV, or leave it where it is for a+while, or move it into your archives, as you prefer.+If you do nothing, next time your browser will save something like+Checking1\-2.csv, and hledger will use that because of the \f[CR]*\f[R]+wild card and because it is the most recent.+.SS Valid transactions+After reading a CSV file, hledger post\-processes and validates the+generated journal entries as it would for a journal file \- balancing+them, applying balance assignments, and canonicalising amount styles.+Any errors at this stage will be reported in the usual way, displaying+the problem entry.+.PP+There is one exception: balance assertions, if you have generated them,+will not be checked, since normally these will work only when the CSV+data is part of the main journal.+If you do need to check balance assertions generated from CSV right+away, pipe into another hledger:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f file.csv print | hledger \-f\- print+.EE+.SS Deduplicating, importing+When you download a CSV file periodically, eg to get your latest bank+transactions, the new file may overlap with the old one, containing some+of the same records.+.PP+The import command will (a) detect the new transactions, and (b) append+just those transactions to your main journal.+It is idempotent, so you don\(aqt have to remember how many times you+ran it or with which version of the CSV.+(It keeps state in a hidden \f[CR].latest.FILE.csv\f[R] file.)+This is the easiest way to import CSV data.+Eg:+.IP+.EX+# download the latest CSV files, then run this command.+# Note, no \-f flags needed here.+$ hledger import *.csv [\-\-dry]+.EE+.PP+This method works for most CSV files.+(Where records have a stable chronological order, and new records appear+only at the new end.)+.PP+A number of other tools and workflows, hledger\-specific and otherwise,+exist for converting, deduplicating, classifying and managing CSV data.+See:+.IP \(bu 2+https://hledger.org/cookbook.html#setups\-and\-workflows+.IP \(bu 2+https://plaintextaccounting.org \-> data import/conversion+.SS Regular expressions in CSV rules+Regular expressions in \f[CR]if\f[R] conditions (AKA matchers) are POSIX+extended regular expressions, that also support GNU word boundaries+(\f[CR]\(rsb\f[R], \f[CR]\(rsB\f[R], \f[CR]\(rs<\f[R],+\f[CR]\(rs>\f[R]), and nothing else.+(For more detail, see Regular expressions.)+.PP+Here are some examples that might be useful in CSV rules:+.IP \(bu 2+Is field \(dqfoo\(dq truly empty ?+\f[CR]if %foo \(ha$\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+Is it empty or containing only whitespace ?+\f[CR]if %foo \(ha *$\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+Is it non\-empty ?+\f[CR]if %foo .\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+Does it contain non\-whitespace ?+\f[CR]if %foo [\(ha ]\f[R]+.PP+Testing the value of numeric fields is a little harder.+You can\(aqt use hledger queries like \f[CR]amt:0\f[R] or+\f[CR]amt:>10\f[R] in CSV rules.+But you can often achieve the same thing with a regular expression.+.PP+Note the content and layout of number fields in CSV varies, and can+change over time (eg if you switch data providers).+So numeric regexps are always somewhat specific to your particular CSV+data; and it\(aqs a good idea to make them defensive and robust if you+can.+.PP+Here are some examples:+.IP \(bu 2+Does foo contain a non\-zero number ?+\f[CR]if %foo [1\-9]\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+Is it negative ?+\f[CR]if %foo \-\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+Is it non\-negative ?+\f[CR]if ! %foo \-\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+Is it >= 10 ?+\f[CR]if %foo [1\-9][0\-9]+\(rs.\f[R] (assuming a decimal period and no+leading zeros)+.IP \(bu 2+Is it >= 10 and < 20 ?+\f[CR]if %foo \(rsb1[0\-9]\(rs.\f[R]+.SS Setting amounts+Continuing from amount field above, here are more tips for+amount\-setting:+.IP "1." 3+\f[B]If the amount is in a single CSV field:\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+.RS 4+.IP "a." 3+\f[B]If its sign indicates direction of flow:\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Assign it to \f[CR]amountN\f[R], to set the Nth posting\(aqs amount.+N is usually 1 or 2 but can go up to 99.+.IP "b." 3+\f[B]If another field indicates direction of flow:\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Use one or more conditional rules to set the appropriate amount sign.+Eg:+.IP+.EX+# assume a withdrawal unless Type contains \(dqdeposit\(dq:+amount1  \-%Amount+if %Type deposit+  amount1  %Amount+.EE+.RE+.IP "2." 3+\f[B]If the amount is in two CSV fields (such as Debit and Credit, or In+and Out):\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+.RS 4+.IP "a." 3+\f[B]If both fields are unsigned:\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Assign one field to \f[CR]amountN\-in\f[R] and the other to+\f[CR]amountN\-out\f[R].+hledger will automatically negate the \(dqout\(dq field, and will use+whichever field value is non\-zero as posting N\(aqs amount.+.IP "b." 3+\f[B]If either field is signed:\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+You will probably need to override hledger\(aqs sign for one or the+other field, as in the following example:+.IP+.EX+# Negate the \-out value, but only if it is not empty:+fields date, description, amount1\-in, amount1\-out+if %amount1\-out [1\-9]+ amount1\-out \-%amount1\-out+.EE+.IP "c." 3+\f[B]If both fields can contain a non\-zero value (or both can be+empty):\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+The \-in/\-out rules normally choose the value which is+non\-zero/non\-empty.+Some value pairs can be ambiguous, such as \f[CR]1\f[R] and+\f[CR]none\f[R].+For such cases, use conditional rules to help select the amount.+Eg, to handle the above you could select the value containing non\-zero+digits:+.IP+.EX+fields date, description, in, out+if %in [1\-9]+ amount1 %in+if %out [1\-9]+ amount1 %out+.EE+.RE+.IP "3." 3+\f[B]If you want posting 2\(aqs amount converted to cost:\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Use the unnumbered \f[CR]amount\f[R] (or \f[CR]amount\-in\f[R] and+\f[CR]amount\-out\f[R]) syntax.+.IP "4." 3+\f[B]If the CSV has only balance amounts, not transaction amounts:\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Assign to \f[CR]balanceN\f[R], to set a balance assignment on the Nth+posting, causing the posting\(aqs amount to be calculated automatically.+\f[CR]balance\f[R] with no number is equivalent to \f[CR]balance1\f[R].+In this situation hledger is more likely to guess the wrong default+account name, so you may need to set that explicitly.+.SS Amount signs+There is some special handling making it easier to parse and to reverse+amount signs.+(This only works for whole amounts, not for cost amounts such as COST in+\f[CR]amount1  AMT \(at COST\f[R]):+.IP \(bu 2+\f[B]If an amount value begins with a plus sign:\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+that will be removed: \f[CR]+AMT\f[R] becomes \f[CR]AMT\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+\f[B]If an amount value is parenthesised:\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+it will be de\-parenthesised and sign\-flipped: \f[CR](AMT)\f[R] becomes+\f[CR]\-AMT\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+\f[B]If an amount value has two minus signs (or two sets of parentheses,+or a minus sign and parentheses):\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+they cancel out and will be removed: \f[CR]\-\-AMT\f[R] or+\f[CR]\-(AMT)\f[R] becomes \f[CR]AMT\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+\f[B]If an amount value contains just a sign (or just a set of+parentheses):\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+that is removed, making it an empty value.+\f[CR]\(dq+\(dq\f[R] or \f[CR]\(dq\-\(dq\f[R] or \f[CR]\(dq()\(dq\f[R]+becomes \f[CR]\(dq\(dq\f[R].+.PP+It\(aqs not possible (without preprocessing the CSV) to set an amount to+its absolute value, ie discard its sign.+.SS Setting currency/commodity+If the currency/commodity symbol is included in the CSV\(aqs amount+field(s):+.IP+.EX+2023\-01\-01,foo,$123.00+.EE+.PP+you don\(aqt have to do anything special for the commodity symbol, it+will be assigned as part of the amount.+Eg:+.IP+.EX+fields date,description,amount+.EE+.IP+.EX+2023\-01\-01 foo+    expenses:unknown         $123.00+    income:unknown          $\-123.00+.EE+.PP+If the currency is provided as a separate CSV field:+.IP+.EX+2023\-01\-01,foo,USD,123.00+.EE+.PP+You can assign that to the \f[CR]currency\f[R] pseudo\-field, which has+the special effect of prepending itself to every amount in the+transaction (on the left, with no separating space):+.IP+.EX+fields date,description,currency,amount+.EE+.IP+.EX+2023\-01\-01 foo+    expenses:unknown       USD123.00+    income:unknown        USD\-123.00+.EE+.PP+Or, you can use a field assignment to construct the amount yourself,+with more control.+Eg to put the symbol on the right, and separated by a space:+.IP+.EX+fields date,description,cur,amt+amount %amt %cur+.EE+.IP+.EX+2023\-01\-01 foo+    expenses:unknown        123.00 USD+    income:unknown         \-123.00 USD+.EE+.PP+Note we used a temporary field name (\f[CR]cur\f[R]) that is not+\f[CR]currency\f[R] \- that would trigger the prepending effect, which+we don\(aqt want here.+.SS Amount decimal places+When you are reading CSV data, eg with a command like+\f[CR]hledger \-f foo.csv print\f[R], hledger will infer each+commodity\(aqs decimal precision (and other commodity display styles)+from the amounts \- much as when reading a journal file without+\f[CR]commodity\f[R] directives (see the link).+.PP+Note, the commodity styles are not inferred from the numbers in the+original CSV data; rather, they are inferred from the amounts generated+by the CSV rules.+.PP+When you are importing CSV data with the \f[CR]import\f[R] command, eg+\f[CR]hledger import foo.csv\f[R], there\(aqs another step:+\f[CR]import\f[R] tries to make the new entries conform to the+journal\(aqs existing styles.+So for each commodity \- let\(aqs say it\(aqs EUR \- \f[CR]import\f[R]+will choose:+.IP "1." 3+the style declared for EUR by a \f[CR]commodity\f[R] directive in the+journal+.IP "2." 3+otherwise, the style inferred from EUR amounts in the journal+.IP "3." 3+otherwise, the style inferred from EUR amounts generated by the CSV+rules.+.PP+TLDR: if \f[CR]import\f[R] is not generating the precisions or styles+you want, add a \f[CR]commodity\f[R] directive to specify them.+.SS Referencing other fields+In field assignments, you can interpolate only CSV fields, not hledger+fields.+In the example below, there\(aqs both a CSV field and a hledger field+named amount1, but %amount1 always means the CSV field, not the hledger+field:+.IP+.EX+# Name the third CSV field \(dqamount1\(dq+fields date,description,amount1++# Set hledger\(aqs amount1 to the CSV amount1 field followed by USD+amount1 %amount1 USD++# Set comment to the CSV amount1 (not the amount1 assigned above)+comment %amount1+.EE+.PP+Here, since there\(aqs no CSV amount1 field, %amount1 will produce a+literal \(dqamount1\(dq:+.IP+.EX+fields date,description,csvamount+amount1 %csvamount USD+# Can\(aqt interpolate amount1 here+comment %amount1+.EE+.PP+When there are multiple field assignments to the same hledger field,+only the last one takes effect.+Here, comment\(aqs value will be be B, or C if \(dqsomething\(dq is+matched, but never A:+.IP+.EX+comment A+comment B+if something+ comment C+.EE+.SS How CSV rules are evaluated+Here\(aqs how to think of CSV rules being evaluated.+If you get a confusing error while reading a CSV file, it may help to+try to understand which of these steps is failing:+.IP "1." 3+Any included rules files are inlined, from top to bottom, depth first+(scanning each included file for further includes, recursively, before+proceeding).+.IP "2." 3+Top level rules (\f[CR]date\-format\f[R], \f[CR]fields\f[R],+\f[CR]newest\-first\f[R], \f[CR]skip\f[R] etc) are read, top to bottom.+\(dqTop level rules\(dq means non\-conditional rules.+If a rule occurs more than once, the last one wins; except for+\f[CR]skip\f[R]/\f[CR]end\f[R] rules, where the first one wins.+.IP "3." 3+The CSV file is read as text.+Any non\-ascii characters will be decoded using the text encoding+specified by the \f[CR]encoding\f[R] rule, otherwise the system+locale\(aqs text encoding.+.IP "4." 3+Any top\-level skip or end rule is applied.+\f[CR]skip [N]\f[R] immediately skips the current or next N CSV records;+\f[CR]end\f[R] immediately skips all remaining CSV records (not normally+used at top level).+.IP "5." 3+Now any remaining CSV records are processed.+For each CSV record, in file order:+.RS 4+.IP \(bu 2+Is there a conditional skip/end rule that applies for this record ?+Search the \f[CR]if\f[R] blocks, from top to bottom, for a succeeding+one containing a \f[CR]skip\f[R] or \f[CR]end\f[R] rule.+If found, skip the specified number of CSV records, then continue at 5.+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Otherwise...+.IP \(bu 2+Do some basic validation on this CSV record (eg, check that it has at+least two fields).+.IP \(bu 2+For each hledger field (\f[CR]date\f[R], \f[CR]description\f[R],+\f[CR]account1\f[R], etc.):+.RS 2+.IP "1." 3+Get the field\(aqs assigned value, first searching top level+assignments, made directly or by the \f[CR]fields\f[R] rule, then+assignments made inside succeeding \f[CR]if\f[R] blocks.+If there are more than one, the last one wins.+.IP "2." 3+Compute the field\(aqs actual value (as text), by interpolating any+%CSVFIELD references within the assigned value; or by choosing a default+value if there was no assignment.+.RE+.IP \(bu 2+Generate a hledger transaction from the hledger field values, parsing+them if needed (eg from text to an amount).+.RE+.PP+This is all done by the CSV reader, one of several readers hledger can+use to read transactions from an input file.+When all input files have been read successfully, their transactions are+passed to whichever hledger command the user specified.+.SS Well factored rules+Some things than can help reduce duplication and complexity in rules+files:+.IP \(bu 2+Extracting common rules usable with multiple CSV files into a+\f[CR]common.rules\f[R], and adding \f[CR]include common.rules\f[R] to+each CSV\(aqs rules file.+.IP \(bu 2+Splitting if blocks into smaller if blocks, extracting the frequently+used parts.+.SS CSV rules examples+.SS Bank of Ireland+Here\(aqs a CSV with two amount fields (Debit and Credit), and a balance+field, which we can use to add balance assertions, which is not+necessary but provides extra error checking:+.IP+.EX+Date,Details,Debit,Credit,Balance+07/12/2012,LODGMENT       529898,,10.0,131.21+07/12/2012,PAYMENT,5,,126+.EE+.IP+.EX+# bankofireland\-checking.csv.rules++# skip the header line+skip++# name the csv fields, and assign some of them as journal entry fields+fields  date, description, amount\-out, amount\-in, balance++# We generate balance assertions by assigning to \(dqbalance\(dq+# above, but you may sometimes need to remove these because:+#+# \- the CSV balance differs from the true balance,+#   by up to 0.0000000000005 in my experience+#+# \- it is sometimes calculated based on non\-chronological ordering,+#   eg when multiple transactions clear on the same day++# date is in UK/Ireland format+date\-format  %d/%m/%Y++# set the currency+currency  EUR++# set the base account for all txns+account1  assets:bank:boi:checking+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f bankofireland\-checking.csv print+2012\-12\-07 LODGMENT       529898+    assets:bank:boi:checking         EUR10.0 = EUR131.2+    income:unknown                  EUR\-10.0++2012\-12\-07 PAYMENT+    assets:bank:boi:checking         EUR\-5.0 = EUR126.0+    expenses:unknown                  EUR5.0+.EE+.PP+The balance assertions don\(aqt raise an error above, because we\(aqre+reading directly from CSV, but they will be checked if these entries are+imported into a journal file.+.SS Coinbase+A simple example with some CSV from Coinbase.+The spot price is recorded using cost notation.+The legacy \f[CR]amount\f[R] field name conveniently sets amount 2+(posting 2\(aqs amount) to the total cost.+.IP+.EX+# Timestamp,Transaction Type,Asset,Quantity Transacted,Spot Price Currency,Spot Price at Transaction,Subtotal,Total (inclusive of fees and/or spread),Fees and/or Spread,Notes+# 2021\-12\-30T06:57:59Z,Receive,USDC,100,GBP,0.740000,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqReceived 100.00 USDC from an external account\(dq+.EE+.IP+.EX+# coinbase.csv.rules+skip         1+fields       Timestamp,Transaction_Type,Asset,Quantity_Transacted,Spot_Price_Currency,Spot_Price_at_Transaction,Subtotal,Total,Fees_Spread,Notes+date         %Timestamp+date\-format  %Y\-%m\-%dT%T%Z+description  %Notes+account1     assets:coinbase:cc+amount       %Quantity_Transacted %Asset \(at %Spot_Price_at_Transaction %Spot_Price_Currency+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger print \-f coinbase.csv+2021\-12\-30 Received 100.00 USDC from an external account+    assets:coinbase:cc    100 USDC \(at 0.740000 GBP+    income:unknown                 \-74.000000 GBP+.EE+.SS Amazon+Here we convert amazon.com order history, and use an if block to+generate a third posting if there\(aqs a fee.+(In practice you\(aqd probably get this data from your bank instead, but+it\(aqs an example.)+.IP+.EX+\(dqDate\(dq,\(dqType\(dq,\(dqTo/From\(dq,\(dqName\(dq,\(dqStatus\(dq,\(dqAmount\(dq,\(dqFees\(dq,\(dqTransaction ID\(dq+\(dqJul 29, 2012\(dq,\(dqPayment\(dq,\(dqTo\(dq,\(dqFoo.\(dq,\(dqCompleted\(dq,\(dq$20.00\(dq,\(dq$0.00\(dq,\(dq16000000000000DGLNJPI1P9B8DKPVHL\(dq+\(dqJul 30, 2012\(dq,\(dqPayment\(dq,\(dqTo\(dq,\(dqAdapteva, Inc.\(dq,\(dqCompleted\(dq,\(dq$25.00\(dq,\(dq$1.00\(dq,\(dq17LA58JSKRD4HDGLNJPI1P9B8DKPVHL\(dq+.EE+.IP+.EX+# amazon\-orders.csv.rules++# skip one header line+skip 1++# name the csv fields, and assign the transaction\(aqs date, amount and code.+# Avoided the \(dqstatus\(dq and \(dqamount\(dq hledger field names to prevent confusion.+fields date, _, toorfrom, name, amzstatus, amzamount, fees, code++# how to parse the date+date\-format %b %\-d, %Y++# combine two fields to make the description+description %toorfrom %name++# save the status as a tag+comment     status:%amzstatus++# set the base account for all transactions+account1    assets:amazon+# leave amount1 blank so it can balance the other(s).+# I\(aqm assuming amzamount excludes the fees, don\(aqt remember++# set a generic account2+account2    expenses:misc+amount2     %amzamount+# and maybe refine it further:+#include categorisation.rules++# add a third posting for fees, but only if they are non\-zero.+if %fees [1\-9]+ account3    expenses:fees+ amount3     %fees+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f amazon\-orders.csv print+2012\-07\-29 (16000000000000DGLNJPI1P9B8DKPVHL) To Foo.  ; status:Completed+    assets:amazon+    expenses:misc          $20.00++2012\-07\-30 (17LA58JSKRD4HDGLNJPI1P9B8DKPVHL) To Adapteva, Inc.  ; status:Completed+    assets:amazon+    expenses:misc          $25.00+    expenses:fees           $1.00+.EE+.SS Paypal+Here\(aqs a real\-world rules file for (customised) Paypal CSV, with+some Paypal\-specific rules, and a second rules file included:+.IP+.EX+\(dqDate\(dq,\(dqTime\(dq,\(dqTimeZone\(dq,\(dqName\(dq,\(dqType\(dq,\(dqStatus\(dq,\(dqCurrency\(dq,\(dqGross\(dq,\(dqFee\(dq,\(dqNet\(dq,\(dqFrom Email Address\(dq,\(dqTo Email Address\(dq,\(dqTransaction ID\(dq,\(dqItem Title\(dq,\(dqItem ID\(dq,\(dqReference Txn ID\(dq,\(dqReceipt ID\(dq,\(dqBalance\(dq,\(dqNote\(dq+\(dq10/01/2019\(dq,\(dq03:46:20\(dq,\(dqPDT\(dq,\(dqCalm Radio\(dq,\(dqSubscription Payment\(dq,\(dqCompleted\(dq,\(dqUSD\(dq,\(dq\-6.99\(dq,\(dq0.00\(dq,\(dq\-6.99\(dq,\(dqsimon\(atjoyful.com\(dq,\(dqmemberships\(atcalmradio.com\(dq,\(dq60P57143A8206782E\(dq,\(dqMONTHLY \- $1 for the first 2 Months: Me \- Order 99309. Item total: $1.00 USD first 2 months, then $6.99 / Month\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqI\-R8YLY094FJYR\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\-6.99\(dq,\(dq\(dq+\(dq10/01/2019\(dq,\(dq03:46:20\(dq,\(dqPDT\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqBank Deposit to PP Account \(dq,\(dqPending\(dq,\(dqUSD\(dq,\(dq6.99\(dq,\(dq0.00\(dq,\(dq6.99\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqsimon\(atjoyful.com\(dq,\(dq0TU1544T080463733\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq60P57143A8206782E\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq0.00\(dq,\(dq\(dq+\(dq10/01/2019\(dq,\(dq08:57:01\(dq,\(dqPDT\(dq,\(dqPatreon\(dq,\(dqPreApproved Payment Bill User Payment\(dq,\(dqCompleted\(dq,\(dqUSD\(dq,\(dq\-7.00\(dq,\(dq0.00\(dq,\(dq\-7.00\(dq,\(dqsimon\(atjoyful.com\(dq,\(dqsupport\(atpatreon.com\(dq,\(dq2722394R5F586712G\(dq,\(dqPatreon* Membership\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqB\-0PG93074E7M86381M\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\-7.00\(dq,\(dq\(dq+\(dq10/01/2019\(dq,\(dq08:57:01\(dq,\(dqPDT\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqBank Deposit to PP Account \(dq,\(dqPending\(dq,\(dqUSD\(dq,\(dq7.00\(dq,\(dq0.00\(dq,\(dq7.00\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqsimon\(atjoyful.com\(dq,\(dq71854087RG994194F\(dq,\(dqPatreon* Membership\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq2722394R5F586712G\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq0.00\(dq,\(dq\(dq+\(dq10/19/2019\(dq,\(dq03:02:12\(dq,\(dqPDT\(dq,\(dqWikimedia Foundation, Inc.\(dq,\(dqSubscription Payment\(dq,\(dqCompleted\(dq,\(dqUSD\(dq,\(dq\-2.00\(dq,\(dq0.00\(dq,\(dq\-2.00\(dq,\(dqsimon\(atjoyful.com\(dq,\(dqtle\(atwikimedia.org\(dq,\(dqK9U43044RY432050M\(dq,\(dqMonthly donation to the Wikimedia Foundation\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqI\-R5C3YUS3285L\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\-2.00\(dq,\(dq\(dq+\(dq10/19/2019\(dq,\(dq03:02:12\(dq,\(dqPDT\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqBank Deposit to PP Account \(dq,\(dqPending\(dq,\(dqUSD\(dq,\(dq2.00\(dq,\(dq0.00\(dq,\(dq2.00\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqsimon\(atjoyful.com\(dq,\(dq3XJ107139A851061F\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqK9U43044RY432050M\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq0.00\(dq,\(dq\(dq+\(dq10/22/2019\(dq,\(dq05:07:06\(dq,\(dqPDT\(dq,\(dqNoble Benefactor\(dq,\(dqSubscription Payment\(dq,\(dqCompleted\(dq,\(dqUSD\(dq,\(dq10.00\(dq,\(dq\-0.59\(dq,\(dq9.41\(dq,\(dqnoble\(atbene.fac.tor\(dq,\(dqsimon\(atjoyful.com\(dq,\(dq6L8L1662YP1334033\(dq,\(dqJoyful Systems\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqI\-KC9VBGY2GWDB\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq9.41\(dq,\(dq\(dq+.EE+.IP+.EX+# paypal\-custom.csv.rules++# Tips:+# Export from Activity \-> Statements \-> Custom \-> Activity download+# Suggested transaction type: \(dqBalance affecting\(dq+# Paypal\(aqs default fields in 2018 were:+# \(dqDate\(dq,\(dqTime\(dq,\(dqTimeZone\(dq,\(dqName\(dq,\(dqType\(dq,\(dqStatus\(dq,\(dqCurrency\(dq,\(dqGross\(dq,\(dqFee\(dq,\(dqNet\(dq,\(dqFrom Email Address\(dq,\(dqTo Email Address\(dq,\(dqTransaction ID\(dq,\(dqShipping Address\(dq,\(dqAddress Status\(dq,\(dqItem Title\(dq,\(dqItem ID\(dq,\(dqShipping and Handling Amount\(dq,\(dqInsurance Amount\(dq,\(dqSales Tax\(dq,\(dqOption 1 Name\(dq,\(dqOption 1 Value\(dq,\(dqOption 2 Name\(dq,\(dqOption 2 Value\(dq,\(dqReference Txn ID\(dq,\(dqInvoice Number\(dq,\(dqCustom Number\(dq,\(dqQuantity\(dq,\(dqReceipt ID\(dq,\(dqBalance\(dq,\(dqAddress Line 1\(dq,\(dqAddress Line 2/District/Neighborhood\(dq,\(dqTown/City\(dq,\(dqState/Province/Region/County/Territory/Prefecture/Republic\(dq,\(dqZip/Postal Code\(dq,\(dqCountry\(dq,\(dqContact Phone Number\(dq,\(dqSubject\(dq,\(dqNote\(dq,\(dqCountry Code\(dq,\(dqBalance Impact\(dq+# This rules file assumes the following more detailed fields, configured in \(dqCustomize report fields\(dq:+# \(dqDate\(dq,\(dqTime\(dq,\(dqTimeZone\(dq,\(dqName\(dq,\(dqType\(dq,\(dqStatus\(dq,\(dqCurrency\(dq,\(dqGross\(dq,\(dqFee\(dq,\(dqNet\(dq,\(dqFrom Email Address\(dq,\(dqTo Email Address\(dq,\(dqTransaction ID\(dq,\(dqItem Title\(dq,\(dqItem ID\(dq,\(dqReference Txn ID\(dq,\(dqReceipt ID\(dq,\(dqBalance\(dq,\(dqNote\(dq++fields date, time, timezone, description_, type, status_, currency, grossamount, feeamount, netamount, fromemail, toemail, code, itemtitle, itemid, referencetxnid, receiptid, balance, note++skip  1++date\-format  %\-m/%\-d/%Y++# ignore some paypal events+if+In Progress+Temporary Hold+Update to+ skip++# add more fields to the description+description %description_ %itemtitle++# save some other fields as tags+comment  itemid:%itemid, fromemail:%fromemail, toemail:%toemail, time:%time, type:%type, status:%status_++# convert to short currency symbols+if %currency USD+ currency $+if %currency EUR+ currency E+if %currency GBP+ currency P++# generate postings++# the first posting will be the money leaving/entering my paypal account+# (negative means leaving my account, in all amount fields)+account1 assets:online:paypal+amount1  %netamount++# the second posting will be money sent to/received from other party+# (account2 is set below)+amount2  \-%grossamount++# if there\(aqs a fee, add a third posting for the money taken by paypal.+if %feeamount [1\-9]+ account3 expenses:banking:paypal+ amount3  \-%feeamount+ comment3 business:++# choose an account for the second posting++# override the default account names:+# if the amount is positive, it\(aqs income (a debit)+if %grossamount \(ha[\(ha\-]+ account2 income:unknown+# if negative, it\(aqs an expense (a credit)+if %grossamount \(ha\-+ account2 expenses:unknown++# apply common rules for setting account2 & other tweaks+include common.rules++# apply some overrides specific to this csv++# Transfers from/to bank. These are usually marked Pending,+# which can be disregarded in this case.+if+Bank Account+Bank Deposit to PP Account+ description %type for %referencetxnid %itemtitle+ account2 assets:bank:wf:pchecking+ account1 assets:online:paypal++# Currency conversions+if Currency Conversion+ account2 equity:currency conversion+.EE+.IP+.EX+# common.rules++if+darcs+noble benefactor+ account2 revenues:foss donations:darcshub+ comment2 business:++if+Calm Radio+ account2 expenses:online:apps++if+electronic frontier foundation+Patreon+wikimedia+Advent of Code+ account2 expenses:dues++if Google+ account2 expenses:online:apps+ description google | music+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f paypal\-custom.csv  print+2019\-10\-01 (60P57143A8206782E) Calm Radio MONTHLY \- $1 for the first 2 Months: Me \- Order 99309. Item total: $1.00 USD first 2 months, then $6.99 / Month  ; itemid:, fromemail:simon\(atjoyful.com, toemail:memberships\(atcalmradio.com, time:03:46:20, type:Subscription Payment, status:Completed+    assets:online:paypal          $\-6.99 = $\-6.99+    expenses:online:apps           $6.99++2019\-10\-01 (0TU1544T080463733) Bank Deposit to PP Account for 60P57143A8206782E  ; itemid:, fromemail:, toemail:simon\(atjoyful.com, time:03:46:20, type:Bank Deposit to PP Account, status:Pending+    assets:online:paypal               $6.99 = $0.00+    assets:bank:wf:pchecking          $\-6.99++2019\-10\-01 (2722394R5F586712G) Patreon Patreon* Membership  ; itemid:, fromemail:simon\(atjoyful.com, toemail:support\(atpatreon.com, time:08:57:01, type:PreApproved Payment Bill User Payment, status:Completed+    assets:online:paypal          $\-7.00 = $\-7.00+    expenses:dues                  $7.00++2019\-10\-01 (71854087RG994194F) Bank Deposit to PP Account for 2722394R5F586712G Patreon* Membership  ; itemid:, fromemail:, toemail:simon\(atjoyful.com, time:08:57:01, type:Bank Deposit to PP Account, status:Pending+    assets:online:paypal               $7.00 = $0.00+    assets:bank:wf:pchecking          $\-7.00++2019\-10\-19 (K9U43044RY432050M) Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Monthly donation to the Wikimedia Foundation  ; itemid:, fromemail:simon\(atjoyful.com, toemail:tle\(atwikimedia.org, time:03:02:12, type:Subscription Payment, status:Completed+    assets:online:paypal             $\-2.00 = $\-2.00+    expenses:dues                     $2.00+    expenses:banking:paypal      ; business:++2019\-10\-19 (3XJ107139A851061F) Bank Deposit to PP Account for K9U43044RY432050M  ; itemid:, fromemail:, toemail:simon\(atjoyful.com, time:03:02:12, type:Bank Deposit to PP Account, status:Pending+    assets:online:paypal               $2.00 = $0.00+    assets:bank:wf:pchecking          $\-2.00++2019\-10\-22 (6L8L1662YP1334033) Noble Benefactor Joyful Systems  ; itemid:, fromemail:noble\(atbene.fac.tor, toemail:simon\(atjoyful.com, time:05:07:06, type:Subscription Payment, status:Completed+    assets:online:paypal                       $9.41 = $9.41+    revenues:foss donations:darcshub         $\-10.00  ; business:+    expenses:banking:paypal                    $0.59  ; business:+.EE+.PP+.SH Timeclock+hledger can read time logs in the timeclock time logging format of+timeclock.el.+As with Ledger, hledger\(aqs timeclock format is a subset/variant of+timeclock.el\(aqs.+.PP+hledger\(aqs timeclock format was updated in hledger 1.43 and 1.50.+If your old time logs are rejected, you should adapt them to modern+hledger; for now, you can restore the pre\-1.43 behaviour with the+\f[CR]\-\-old\-timeclock\f[R] flag.+.PP+Here the timeclock format in hledger 1.50+:+.IP+.EX+# Comment lines like these, and blank lines, are ignored:+# comment line+; comment line+* comment line++# Lines beginning with b, h, or capital O are also ignored, for compatibility:+b SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+\-ZZZZ][ TEXT]+h SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+\-ZZZZ][ TEXT]+O SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+\-ZZZZ][ TEXT]++# Lines beginning with i or o are are clock\-in / clock\-out entries:+i SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+\-ZZZZ] ACCOUNT[  DESCRIPTION][;COMMENT]]+o SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+\-ZZZZ][ ACCOUNT][;COMMENT]+.EE+.PP+The date is a hledger simple date (YYYY\-MM\-DD or similar).+The time parts must use two digits.+The seconds are optional.+A + or \- four\-digit time zone is accepted for compatibility, but+currently ignored; times are always interpreted as a local time.+.PP+In clock\-in entries (\f[CR]i\f[R]), the account name is required.+A transaction description, separated from the account name by 2+ spaces,+is optional.+A transaction comment, beginning with \f[CR];\f[R], is also optional.+(Indented following comment lines are also allowed, as in journal+format.)+.PP+In clock\-out entries (\f[CR]o\f[R]) have no description, but can have a+comment if you wish.+A clock\-in and clock\-out pair form a \(dqtransaction\(dq posting some+number of hours to an account \- also known as a session.+Eg:+.IP+.EX+i 2015/03/30 09:00:00 session1+o 2015/03/30 10:00:00+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f a.timeclock print+2015\-03\-30 * 09:00\-10:00+    (session1)           1.00h+.EE+.PP+Clock\-ins and clock\-outs are matched by their account/session name.+If a clock\-out does not specify a name, the most recent unclosed+clock\-in is closed.+You can have multiple sessions active simultaneously.+Entries are processed in the order they are parsed.+Sessions spanning more than one day are automatically split at day+boundaries.+.PP+Eg, the following time log:+.IP+.EX+i 2015/03/30 09:00:00 some account  optional description after 2 spaces ; optional comment, tags:+o 2015/03/30 09:20:00+i 2015/03/31 22:21:45 another:account+o 2015/04/01 02:00:34+i 2015/04/02 12:00:00 another:account  ; this demonstrates multple sessions being clocked in+i 2015/04/02 13:00:00 some account+o 2015/04/02 14:00:00+o 2015/04/02 15:00:00 another:account+.EE+.PP+generates these transactions:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f t.timeclock print+2015\-03\-30 * optional description after 2 spaces   ; optional comment, tags:+    (some account)           0.33h++2015\-03\-31 * 22:21\-23:59+    (another:account)           1.64h++2015\-04\-01 * 00:00\-02:00+    (another:account)           2.01h++2015\-04\-02 * 12:00\-15:00  ; this demonstrates multiple sessions being clocked in+    (another:account)           3.00h++2015\-04\-02 * 13:00\-14:00+    (some account)           1.00h+.EE+.PP+Here is a sample.timeclock to download and some queries to try:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f sample.timeclock balance                               # current time balances+$ hledger \-f sample.timeclock register \-p 2009/3                    # sessions in march 2009+$ hledger \-f sample.timeclock register \-p weekly \-\-depth 1 \-\-empty  # time summary by week+.EE+.PP+To generate time logs, ie to clock in and clock out, you could:+.IP \(bu 2+use these shell aliases at the command line:+.RS 2+.IP+.EX+alias ti=\(aqecho i \(gadate \(dq+%Y\-%m\-%d %H:%M:%S\(dq\(ga $* >>$TIMELOG\(aq+alias to=\(aqecho o \(gadate \(dq+%Y\-%m\-%d %H:%M:%S\(dq\(ga >>$TIMELOG\(aq+.EE+.RE+.IP \(bu 2+or Emacs\(aqs built\-in timeclock.el, or the extended timeclock\-x.el,+and perhaps the extras in ledgerutils.el+.IP \(bu 2+or use the old \f[CR]ti\f[R] and \f[CR]to\f[R] scripts in the ledger 2.x+repository.+These rely on a \(dqtimeclock\(dq executable which I think is just the+ledger 2 executable renamed.+.PP+.SH Timedot+\f[CR]timedot\f[R] format is hledger\(aqs human\-friendly time logging+format.+Compared to \f[CR]timeclock\f[R] format, it is more convenient for+quick, approximate, and retroactive time logging, and more+human\-readable (you can see at a glance where time was spent).+A quick example:+.IP+.EX+2023\-05\-01+hom:errands          .... ....  ; two hours; the space is ignored+fos:hledger:timedot  ..         ; half an hour+per:admin:finance               ; no time spent yet+.EE+.PP+hledger reads this as a transaction on this day with three (unbalanced)+postings, where each dot represents \(dq0.25\(dq.+No commodity symbol is assumed, but we typically interpret it as hours.+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f a.timedot print   # .timedot file extension (or timedot: prefix) is required+2023\-05\-01 *+    (hom:errands)                    2.00  ; two hours+    (fos:hledger:timedot)            0.50  ; half an hour+    (per:admin:finance)                 0+.EE+.PP+A timedot file contains a series of transactions (usually one per day).+Each begins with a \f[B]simple date\f[R] (Y\-M\-D, Y/M/D, or Y.M.D),+optionally be followed on the same line by a transaction description,+and/or a transaction comment following a semicolon.+.PP+After the date line are zero or more time postings, consisting of:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[B]An account name\f[R] \- any hledger\-style account name, optionally+indented.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[B]Two or more spaces\f[R] \- required if there is an amount (as in+journal format).+.IP \(bu 2+\f[B]A timedot amount\f[R], which can be+.RS 2+.IP \(bu 2+empty (representing zero)+.IP \(bu 2+a number, optionally followed by a unit \f[CR]s\f[R], \f[CR]m\f[R],+\f[CR]h\f[R], \f[CR]d\f[R], \f[CR]w\f[R], \f[CR]mo\f[R], or+\f[CR]y\f[R], representing a precise number of seconds, minutes, hours,+days weeks, months or years (hours is assumed by default), which will be+converted to hours according to 60s = 1m, 60m = 1h, 24h = 1d, 7d = 1w,+30d = 1mo, 365d = 1y.+.IP \(bu 2+one or more dots (period characters), each representing 0.25.+These are the dots in \(dqtimedot\(dq.+Spaces are ignored and can be used for grouping/alignment.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[I]Added in 1.32\f[R] one or more letters.+These are like dots but they also generate a tag \f[CR]t:\f[R] (short+for \(dqtype\(dq) with the letter as its value, and a separate posting+for each of the values.+This provides a second dimension of categorisation, viewable in reports+with \f[CR]\-\-pivot t\f[R].+.RE+.IP \(bu 2+\f[B]An optional comment\f[R] following a semicolon (a hledger\-style+posting comment).+.PP+There is some flexibility to help with keeping time log data and notes+in the same file:+.IP \(bu 2+Blank lines and lines beginning with \f[CR]#\f[R] or \f[CR];\f[R] are+ignored.+.IP \(bu 2+After the first date line, lines which do not contain a double space are+parsed as postings with zero amount.+(hledger\(aqs register reports will show these if you add \-E).+.IP \(bu 2+Before the first date line, lines beginning with \f[CR]*\f[R] (eg org+headings) are ignored.+And from the first date line onward, Emacs org mode heading prefixes at+the start of lines (one or more \f[CR]*\f[R]\(aqs followed by a space)+will be ignored.+This means the time log can also be a org outline.+.PP+Timedot files don\(aqt support directives like journal files.+So a common pattern is to have a main journal file (eg+\f[CR]time.journal\f[R]) that contains any needed directives, and then+includes the timedot file (\f[CR]include time.timedot\f[R]).+.SS Timedot examples+Numbers:+.IP+.EX+2016/2/3+inc:client1   4+fos:hledger   3h+biz:research  60m+.EE+.PP+Dots:+.IP+.EX+# on this day, 6h was spent on client work, 1.5h on haskell FOSS work, etc.+2016/2/1+inc:client1   .... .... .... .... .... ....+fos:haskell   .... ..+biz:research  .++2016/2/2+inc:client1   .... ....+biz:research  .+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f a.timedot print date:2016/2/2+2016\-02\-02 *+    (inc:client1)          2.00++2016\-02\-02 *+    (biz:research)          0.25+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f a.timedot bal \-\-daily \-\-tree+Balance changes in 2016\-02\-01\-2016\-02\-03:++            ||  2016\-02\-01d  2016\-02\-02d  2016\-02\-03d +============++========================================+ biz        ||         0.25         0.25         1.00 +   research ||         0.25         0.25         1.00 + fos        ||         1.50            0         3.00 +   haskell  ||         1.50            0            0 +   hledger  ||            0            0         3.00 + inc        ||         6.00         2.00         4.00 +   client1  ||         6.00         2.00         4.00 +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+            ||         7.75         2.25         8.00 +.EE+.PP+Letters:+.IP+.EX+# Activity types:+#  c cleanup/catchup/repair+#  e enhancement+#  s support+#  l learning/research++2023\-11\-01+work:adm  ccecces+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f a.timedot print+2023\-11\-01+    (work:adm)  1     ; t:c+    (work:adm)  0.5   ; t:e+    (work:adm)  0.25  ; t:s+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f a.timedot bal+                1.75  work:adm+\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+                1.75  +.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f a.timedot bal \-\-pivot t+                1.00  c+                0.50  e+                0.25  s+\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+                1.75  +.EE+.PP+Org:+.IP+.EX+* 2023 Work Diary+** Q1+*** 2023\-02\-29+**** DONE+0700 yoga+**** UNPLANNED+**** BEGUN+hom:chores+ cleaning  ...+ water plants+  outdoor \- one full watering can+  indoor \- light watering+**** TODO+adm:planning: trip+*** LATER+.EE+.PP+Using \f[CR].\f[R] as account name separator:+.IP+.EX+2016/2/4+fos.hledger.timedot  4h+fos.ledger           ..+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f a.timedot \-\-alias \(aq/\(rs./=:\(aq bal \-t+                4.50  fos+                4.00    hledger:timedot+                0.50    ledger+\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+                4.50+.EE+.SH PART 3: REPORTING CONCEPTS+.SH Time periods+.SS Report start & end date+Most hledger reports will by default show the full time period+represented by the journal.+The report start date will be the earliest transaction or posting date,+and the report end date will be the latest transaction, posting, or+market price date.+.PP+Often you will want to see a shorter period, such as the current month.+You can specify a start and/or end date with the+\f[CR]\-b/\-\-begin\f[R], \f[CR]\-e/\-\-end\f[R], or+\f[CR]\-p/\-\-period\f[R] options, or a \f[CR]date:\f[R] query argument,+described below.+All of these accept the smart date syntax, also described below.+.PP+End dates are exclusive; specify the day after the last day you want to+see in the report.+.PP+When dates are specified by multiple options, the last (right\-most)+option wins.+And when \f[CR]date:\f[R] queries and date options are combined, the+report period will be their intersection.+.PP+Examples:+.TP+\f[CR]\-b 2016/3/17\f[R]+beginning on St.+Patrick\(cqs day 2016+.TP+\f[CR]\-e 12/1\f[R]+ending at the start of December 1st in the current year+.TP+\f[CR]\-p \(aqthis month\(aq\f[R]+during the current month+.TP+\f[CR]\-p thismonth\f[R]+same as above, spaces are optional+.TP+\f[CR]\-b 2023\f[R]+beginning on the first day of 2023+.TP+\f[CR]date:2023..\f[R] or \f[CR]date:2023\-\f[R]+same as above+.PP+\f[CR]\-b 2024 \-e 2025 \-p \(aq2000 to 2030\(aq date:2020\-01 date:2020\f[R]+:+.PD 0+.P+.PD+during January 2020 (the smallest common period, with the \-p overriding+\-b and \-e)+.SS Smart dates+In hledger\(aqs user interfaces (though not in the journal file), you+can optionally use \(dqsmart date\(dq syntax.+Smart dates can be written with english words, can be relative, and can+have parts omitted.+Missing parts are inferred as 1, when needed.+Smart dates can be interpreted as dates or periods depending on the+context.+.PP+Examples:+.PP+\f[CR]2004\-01\-01\f[R], \f[CR]2004/10/1\f[R], \f[CR]2004.9.1\f[R],+\f[CR]20240504\f[R], \f[CR]2024Q1\f[R] :+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Exact dates.+The year must have at least four digits, the month must be 1\-12, the+day must be 1\-31, the separator can be \f[CR]\-\f[R] or \f[CR]/\f[R] or+\f[CR].\f[R] or nothing.+The q can be upper or lower case and the quarter number must be 1\-4.+.TP+\f[CR]2004\-10\f[R]+start of month+.TP+\f[CR]2004q3\f[R]+start of third quarter of 2004+.TP+\f[CR]q3\f[R]+start of third quarter of current year+.TP+\f[CR]2004\f[R]+start of year+.TP+\f[CR]10/1\f[R] or \f[CR]oct\f[R] or \f[CR]october\f[R]+October 1st in current year+.TP+\f[CR]21\f[R]+21st day in current month+.TP+\f[CR]yesterday, today, tomorrow\f[R]+\-1, 0, 1 days from today+.TP+\f[CR]last/this/next day/week/month/quarter/year\f[R]+\-1, 0, 1 periods from the current period+.TP+\f[CR]last/this/next tuesday\f[R]+the previous occurrence of the named day, or the next occurrence after+today+.TP+\f[CR]last/this/next february\f[R]+the previous occurrence of 1st of the named month, or the next+occurrence after the current month+.TP+\f[CR]in n days/weeks/months/quarters/years\f[R]+n periods from the current period+.TP+\f[CR]n days/weeks/months/quarters/years ahead\f[R]+n periods from the current period+.TP+\f[CR]n days/weeks/months/quarters/years ago\f[R]+\-n periods from the current period+.TP+\f[CR]20181201\f[R]+8 digit YYYYMMDD with valid year month and day+.TP+\f[CR]201812\f[R]+6 digit YYYYMM with valid year and month+.PP+Dates with no separators are allowed but might give surprising results+if mistyped:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]20181301\f[R] (YYYYMMDD with an invalid month) is parsed as an+eight\-digit year+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]20181232\f[R] (YYYYMMDD with an invalid day) gives a parse error+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]201801012\f[R] (a valid YYYYMMDD followed by additional digits)+gives a parse error+.PP+The meaning of relative dates depends on today\(aqs date.+If you need to test or reproduce old reports, you can use the+\f[CR]\-\-today\f[R] option to override that.+(Except for periodic transaction rules, which are not affected by+\f[CR]\-\-today\f[R].)+.SS Report intervals+A report interval can be specified so that reports like register,+balance or activity become multi\-period, showing each subperiod as a+separate row or column.+.PP+The following standard intervals can be enabled with command\-line+flags:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-D/\-\-daily\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-W/\-\-weekly\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-M/\-\-monthly\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-Q/\-\-quarterly\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-Y/\-\-yearly\f[R]+.PP+More complex intervals can be specified using \f[CR]\-p/\-\-period\f[R],+described below.+.SS Date adjustments+.SS Start date adjustment+If you let hledger infer a report\(aqs start date, it will adjust the+date to the previous natural boundary of the report interval, for+convenient periodic reports.+(If you don\(aqt want that, specify a start date.)+.PP+For example, if the journal\(aqs first transaction is on january 10th,+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]hledger register\f[R] (no report interval) will start the report+on january 10th.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]hledger register \-\-monthly\f[R] will start the report on the+previous month boundary, january 1st.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]hledger register \-\-monthly \-\-begin 1/5\f[R] will start the+report on january 5th [1].+.PP+Also if you are generating transactions or budget goals with periodic+transaction rules, their start date may be adjusted in a similar way (in+certain situations).+.SS End date adjustment+A report\(aqs end date is always adjusted to include a whole number of+intervals, so that the last subperiod has the same length as the others.+.PP+For example, if the journal\(aqs last transaction is on february 20th,+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]hledger register\f[R] will end the report on february 20th.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]hledger register \-\-monthly\f[R] will end the report at the end+of february.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]hledger register \-\-monthly \-\-end 2/14\f[R] also will end the+report at the end of february (overriding the requested end date).+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]hledger register \-\-monthly \-\-begin 1/5 \-\-end 2/14\f[R] will+end the report on march 4th [1].+.PP+[1] Since hledger 1.29.+.SS Period headings+With non\-standard subperiods, hledger will show+\(dqSTARTDATE..ENDDATE\(dq headings.+With standard subperiods (ie, starting on a natural interval boundary),+you\(aqll see more compact headings, which are usually preferable.+(Though month names will be in english, currently.)+.PP+So if you are specifying a start date and you want compact headings:+choose a start of year for yearly reports, a start of quarter for+quarterly reports, a start of month for monthly reports, etc.+(Remember, you can write eg \f[CR]\-b 2024\f[R] or \f[CR]1/1\f[R] as a+shortcut for a start of year, or \f[CR]2024\-04\f[R] or+\f[CR]202404\f[R] or \f[CR]Apr\f[R] for a start of month or quarter.)+.PP+For weekly reports, choose a date that\(aqs a Monday.+(You can try different dates until you see the short headings, or write+eg \f[CR]\-b \(aq3 weeks ago\(aq\f[R].)+.SS Period expressions+The \f[CR]\-p/\-\-period\f[R] option specifies a period expression,+which is a compact way of expressing a start date, end date, and/or+report interval.+.PP+Here\(aqs a period expression with a start and end date (specifying the+first quarter of 2009):+.PP+.TS+tab(@);+l.+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dqfrom 2009/1/1 to 2009/4/1\(dq\f[R]+T}+.TE+.PP+Several keywords like \(dqfrom\(dq and \(dqto\(dq are supported for+readability; these are optional.+\(dqto\(dq can also be written as \(dq..\(dq or \(dq\-\(dq.+The spaces are also optional, as long as you don\(aqt run two dates+together.+So the following are equivalent to the above:+.PP+.TS+tab(@);+l.+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dq2009/1/1 2009/4/1\(dq\f[R]+T}+T{+\f[CR]\-p2009/1/1to2009/4/1\f[R]+T}+T{+\f[CR]\-p2009/1/1..2009/4/1\f[R]+T}+.TE+.PP+Dates are smart dates, so if the current year is 2009, these are also+equivalent to the above:+.PP+.TS+tab(@);+l.+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dq1/1 4/1\(dq\f[R]+T}+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dqjan\-apr\(dq\f[R]+T}+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dqthis year to 4/1\(dq\f[R]+T}+.TE+.PP+If you specify only one date, the missing start or end date will be the+earliest or latest transaction date in the journal:+.PP+.TS+tab(@);+l l.+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dqfrom 2009/1/1\(dq\f[R]+T}@T{+everything after january 1, 2009+T}+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dqsince 2009/1\(dq\f[R]+T}@T{+the same, since is a synonym+T}+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dqfrom 2009\(dq\f[R]+T}@T{+the same+T}+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dqto 2009\(dq\f[R]+T}@T{+everything before january 1, 2009+T}+.TE+.PP+You can also specify a period by writing a single partial or full date:+.PP+.TS+tab(@);+lw(14.5n) lw(55.5n).+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dq2009\(dq\f[R]+T}@T{+the year 2009; equivalent to \(lq2009/1/1 to 2010/1/1\(rq+T}+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dq2009/1\(dq\f[R]+T}@T{+the month of january 2009; equivalent to \(lq2009/1/1 to 2009/2/1\(rq+T}+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dq2009/1/1\(dq\f[R]+T}@T{+the first day of 2009; equivalent to \(lq2009/1/1 to 2009/1/2\(rq+T}+.TE+.PP+or by using the \(dqQ\(dq quarter\-year syntax (case insensitive):+.PP+.TS+tab(@);+lw(15.3n) lw(54.7n).+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dq2009Q1\(dq\f[R]+T}@T{+first quarter of 2009, equivalent to \(lq2009/1/1 to 2009/4/1\(rq+T}+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dqq4\(dq\f[R]+T}@T{+fourth quarter of the current year+T}+.TE+.SS Period expressions with a report interval+A period expression can also begin with a report interval, separated+from the start/end dates (if any) by a space or the word \f[CR]in\f[R]:+.PP+.TS+tab(@);+l.+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dqweekly from 2009/1/1 to 2009/4/1\(dq\f[R]+T}+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dqmonthly in 2008\(dq\f[R]+T}+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dqquarterly\(dq\f[R]+T}+.TE+.SS More complex report intervals+Some more complex intervals can be specified within period expressions,+such as:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]biweekly\f[R] (every two weeks)+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]fortnightly\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]bimonthly\f[R] (every two months)+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]every day|week|month|quarter|year\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]every N days|weeks|months|quarters|years\f[R]+.PP+Weekly on a custom day:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]every Nth day of week\f[R] (\f[CR]th\f[R], \f[CR]nd\f[R],+\f[CR]rd\f[R], or \f[CR]st\f[R] are all accepted after the number)+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]every WEEKDAYNAME\f[R] (full or three\-letter english weekday+name, case insensitive)+.PP+Monthly on a custom day:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]every Nth day [of month]\f[R] (\f[CR]31st day\f[R] will be+adjusted to each month\(aqs last day)+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]every Nth WEEKDAYNAME [of month]\f[R]+.PP+Yearly on a custom month and day:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]every MM/DD [of year]\f[R] (month number and day of month number)+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]every MONTHNAME DDth [of year]\f[R] (full or three\-letter english+month name, case insensitive, and day of month number)+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]every DDth MONTHNAME [of year]\f[R] (equivalent to the above)+.PP+Examples:+.PP+.TS+tab(@);+lw(26.8n) lw(43.2n).+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dqbimonthly from 2008\(dq\f[R]+T}@T{+T}+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dqevery 2 weeks\(dq\f[R]+T}@T{+T}+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dqevery 5 months from 2009/03\(dq\f[R]+T}@T{+T}+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dqevery 2nd day of week\(dq\f[R]+T}@T{+periods will go from Tue to Tue+T}+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dqevery Tue\(dq\f[R]+T}@T{+same+T}+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dqevery 15th day\(dq\f[R]+T}@T{+period boundaries will be on 15th of each month+T}+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dqevery 2nd Monday\(dq\f[R]+T}@T{+period boundaries will be on second Monday of each month+T}+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dqevery 11/05\(dq\f[R]+T}@T{+yearly periods with boundaries on 5th of November+T}+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dqevery 5th November\(dq\f[R]+T}@T{+same+T}+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dqevery Nov 5th\(dq\f[R]+T}@T{+same+T}+.TE+.PP+Show historical balances at end of the 15th day of each month (N is an+end date, exclusive as always):+.IP+.EX+$ hledger balance \-H \-p \(dqevery 16th day\(dq+.EE+.PP+Group postings from the start of wednesday to end of the following+tuesday (N is both (inclusive) start date and (exclusive) end date):+.IP+.EX+$ hledger register checking \-p \(dqevery 3rd day of week\(dq+.EE+.SS Multiple weekday intervals+This special form is also supported:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]every WEEKDAYNAME,WEEKDAYNAME,...\f[R] (full or three\-letter+english weekday names, case insensitive)+.PP+Also, \f[CR]weekday\f[R] and \f[CR]weekendday\f[R] are shorthand for+\f[CR]mon,tue,wed,thu,fri\f[R] and \f[CR]sat,sun\f[R].+.PP+This is mainly intended for use with \f[CR]\-\-forecast\f[R], to+generate periodic transactions on arbitrary days of the week.+It may be less useful with \f[CR]\-p\f[R], since it divides each week+into subperiods of unequal length, which is unusual.+(Related: #1632)+.PP+Examples:+.PP+.TS+tab(@);+lw(17.8n) lw(52.2n).+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dqevery mon,wed,fri\(dq\f[R]+T}@T{+dates will be Mon, Wed, Fri; periods will be Mon\-Tue, Wed\-Thu,+Fri\-Sun+T}+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dqevery weekday\(dq\f[R]+T}@T{+dates will be Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri; periods will be Mon, Tue, Wed,+Thu, Fri\-Sun+T}+T{+\f[CR]\-p \(dqevery weekendday\(dq\f[R]+T}@T{+dates will be Sat, Sun; periods will be Sat, Sun\-Fri+T}+.TE+.SH Depth+With the \f[CR]\-\-depth NUM\f[R] option (short form, usually preferred:+\f[CR]\-NUM\f[R]), reports will show accounts only to the specified+depth, hiding deeper subaccounts.+Use this when you want a summary with less detail.+This flag has the same effect as a \f[CR]depth:\f[R] query argument.+So all of these are equivalent: \f[CR]depth:2\f[R],+\f[CR]\-\-depth=2\f[R], \f[CR]\-2\f[R].+.PP+You can also provide custom depths for specific accounts, by providing a+\f[CR]REGEX=NUM\f[R] argument instead of just \f[CR]NUM\f[R] \f[I](since+1.41)\f[R].+For example, \f[CR]\-\-depth assets=2\f[R] (or+\f[CR]depth:assets=2\f[R]) will collapse accounts matching the regular+expression \(dqassets\(dq to depth 2.+So \f[CR]assets:bank:savings\f[R] would be collapsed to+\f[CR]assets:bank\f[R], but \f[CR]liabilities:bank:credit card\f[R]+would not be affected.+.PP+If REGEX contains spaces or other special characters, enclose it in+quotes in the usual way.+Eg: \f[CR]\-\-depth \(aqcredit card=2\(aq\f[R]+.SS Combining depth options+If a command line contains multiple general depth options, the last one+wins.+(Useful for overriding a depth specified by scripts.)+.PP+Or a command may contain a combination of general and custom depth+options.+In this case, the most specifically (deepest) matching option wins.+Some examples:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-depth assets=3 \-\-depth expenses=2 \-\-depth 1\f[R] would+collapse accounts containing \(dqassets\(dq to depth 3, accounts+containing \(dqexpenses\(dq to depth 2, and all other accounts to depth+1.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-depth assets=1 \-\-depth savings=2\f[R] would collapse+\f[CR]assets:bank:savings\f[R] to depth 2 (not depth 1; because+\(dqsavings\(dq matches a deeper part of the account name than+\(dqassets\(dq).+.PP+Note currently, to override a custom depth option+\f[CR]\-\-depth REGEX=NUM\f[R] with a later option, the later option+must use the same REGEX.+.SH Queries+Many hledger commands accept query arguments, which restrict their scope+and let you report on a precise subset of your data.+Here\(aqs a quick overview of hledger\(aqs queries:+.IP \(bu 2+By default, a query argument is treated as a case\-insensitive substring+pattern for matching account names.+Eg:+.RS 2+.PP+\f[CR]dining groceries\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+\f[CR]car:fuel\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+.RE+.IP \(bu 2+Patterns containing spaces or other special characters must be enclosed+in single or double quotes:+.RS 2+.PP+\f[CR]\(aqpersonal care\(aq\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+.RE+.IP \(bu 2+Patterns are actually regular expressions, so you can add regexp+metacharacters for more precision (or you may need to backslash\-escape+certain characters; see \(dqRegular expressions\(dq above):+.RS 2+.PP+\f[CR]\(aq\(haexpenses\(rsb\(aq\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+\f[CR]\(aqfood$\(aq\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+\f[CR]\(aqfuel|repair\(aq\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+\f[CR]\(aqaccounts (payable|receivable)\(aq\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+.RE+.IP \(bu 2+To match something other than the account name, you can add a query type+prefix, such as:+.RS 2+.PP+\f[CR]date:202312\-\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+\f[CR]status:\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+\f[CR]desc:amazon\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+\f[CR]cur:USD\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+\f[CR]cur:\(rs\(rs$\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+\f[CR]amt:\(aq>0\(aq\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+\f[CR]acct:groceries\f[R] (but \f[CR]acct:\f[R] is the default, so we+usually don\(aqt bother writing it)+.PD 0+.P+.PD+.RE+.IP \(bu 2+To negate a query, add a \f[CR]not:\f[R] prefix:+.RS 2+.PP+\f[CR]not:status:\(aq*\(aq\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+\f[CR]not:desc:\(aqopening|closing\(aq\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+\f[CR]not:cur:USD\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+.RE+.IP \(bu 2+Multiple query terms can be combined, as space\-separated queries Eg:+\f[CR]hledger print date:2022 desc:amazon desc:amzn\f[R] (show+transactions dated in 2022 whose description contains \(dqamazon\(dq or+\(dqamzn\(dq).+.PD 0+.P+.PD+.IP \(bu 2+Or more flexibly as boolean queries.+Eg:+\f[CR]hledger print expr:\(aqdate:2022 and (desc:amazon or desc:amzn) and not date:202210\(aq\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+.PP+All hledger commands use the same query language, but different commands+may interpret the query in different ways.+We haven\(aqt described the commands yet (that\(aqs coming in PART 4:+COMMANDS below) but here\(aqs the gist of it:+.IP \(bu 2+Transaction\-oriented commands (\f[CR]print\f[R], \f[CR]aregister\f[R],+\f[CR]close\f[R], \f[CR]import\f[R], \f[CR]descriptions\f[R]..)+try to match transactions (including the transaction\(aqs postings).+.IP \(bu 2+Posting\-oriented commands (\f[CR]register\f[R], \f[CR]balance\f[R],+\f[CR]balancesheet\f[R], \f[CR]incomestatement\f[R],+\f[CR]accounts\f[R]..)+try to match postings.+Postings inherit their transaction\(aqs attributes for querying+purposes, so transaction fields like date or description can still be+referenced in a posting query.+.IP \(bu 2+A few commands match in more specific ways.+(Eg \f[CR]aregister\f[R], which has a special first argument.)+.SS Query types+Here are the query types available:+.SS acct: query+\f[B]\f[CB]acct:REGEX\f[B]\f[R], or just \f[B]\f[CB]REGEX\f[B]\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Match account names containing this case insensitive regular expression.+.PD 0+.P+.PD+This is the default query type, so we usually don\(aqt bother writing+the \(dqacct:\(dq prefix.+.SS amt: query+\f[B]\f[CB]amt:N, amt:\(aq<N\(aq, amt:\(aq<=N\(aq, amt:\(aq>N\(aq, amt:\(aq>=N\(aq\f[B]\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Match postings with a single\-commodity amount equal to, less than, or+greater than N. (Postings with multi\-commodity amounts are not tested+and will always match.)+\f[CR]amt:\f[R] needs quotes to hide the less than/greater than sign+from the command line shell.+.PP+The comparison has two modes: if N is preceded by a + or \- sign (or is+0), the two signed numbers are compared.+Otherwise, the absolute magnitudes are compared, ignoring sign.+.PP+Keep in mind that \f[CR]amt:\f[R] matches posting amounts, not account+balances.+.SS code: query+\f[B]\f[CB]code:REGEX\f[B]\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Match by transaction code (eg check number).+.SS cur: query+\f[B]\f[CB]cur:REGEX\f[B]\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Match postings or transactions including any amounts whose+currency/commodity symbol is fully matched by REGEX.+(Contrary to hledger\(aqs usual infix matching.+To do infix matching, write \f[CR].*REGEX.*\f[R].)+Note, to match special characters which are regex\-significant, you need+to escape them with \f[CR]\(rs\f[R].+And for characters which are significant to your shell you will usually+need one more level of escaping.+Eg to match the dollar sign: \f[CR]cur:\(rs\(rs$\f[R] or+\f[CR]cur:\(aq\(rs$\(aq\f[R]+.SS desc: query+\f[B]\f[CB]desc:REGEX\f[B]\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Match transaction descriptions.+.SS date: query+\f[B]\f[CB]date:PERIODEXPR\f[B]\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Match dates (or with the \f[CR]\-\-date2\f[R] flag, secondary dates)+within the specified period.+PERIODEXPR is a period expression.+Examples:+.PD 0+.P+.PD+\f[CR]date:2016\f[R], \f[CR]date:thismonth\f[R],+\f[CR]date:2/1\-2/15\f[R], \f[CR]date:2021\-07\-27..nextquarter\f[R].+.PP+PERIODEXPR may include a report interval (since 1.52).+On the command line, this is equivalent to specifying a report interval+with a command line option.+In other contexts (hledger\-ui, hledger\-web), the report interval may+be ignored.+.SS date2: query+\f[B]\f[CB]date2:PERIODEXPR\f[B]\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+If you use secondary dates: this matches secondary dates within the+specified period.+It is not affected by the \f[CR]\-\-date2\f[R] flag.+A report interval in PERIODEXPR will be ignored.+.SS depth: query+\f[B]\f[CB]depth:[REGEXP=]N\f[B]\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Match (or display, depending on command) accounts at or above this+depth, optionally only for accounts matching a provided regular+expression.+See Depth for detailed rules.+.SS note: query+\f[B]\f[CB]note:REGEX\f[B]\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Match transaction notes (the part of the description right of+\f[CR]|\f[R], or the whole description if there\(aqs no \f[CR]|\f[R]).+.SS payee: query+\f[B]\f[CB]payee:REGEX\f[B]\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Match transaction payee/payer names (the part of the description left of+\f[CR]|\f[R], or the whole description if there\(aqs no \f[CR]|\f[R]).+.SS real: query+\f[B]\f[CB]real:, real:0\f[B]\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Match real or virtual postings respectively.+.SS status: query+\f[B]\f[CB]status:, status:!, status:*\f[B]\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Match unmarked, pending, or cleared transactions respectively.+.SS type: query+\f[B]\f[CB]type:TYPECODES\f[B]\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Match by account type (see Declaring accounts > Account types).+\f[CR]TYPECODES\f[R] is one or more of the single\-letter account type+codes \f[CR]ALERXCVG\f[R], case insensitive.+Note \f[CR]type:A\f[R], \f[CR]type:E\f[R], and \f[CR]type:R\f[R] will+also match their respective subtypes \f[CR]C\f[R] (Cash), \f[CR]V\f[R]+(Conversion), and \f[CR]G\f[R] (Gain).+Certain kinds of account alias can disrupt account types, see Rewriting+accounts > Aliases and account types.+.SS tag: query+\f[B]\f[CB]tag:NAMEREGEX[=VALREGEX]\f[B]\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Match by tag name, and optionally also by tag value.+Note:+.IP \(bu 2+Both regular expressions do infix matching.+If you need a complete match, use \f[CR]\(ha\f[R] and \f[CR]$\f[R].+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Eg: \f[CR]tag:\(aq\(hafullname$\(aq\f[R],+\f[CR]tag:\(aq\(hafullname$=\(hafullvalue$\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+To match values, ignoring names, do \f[CR]tag:.=VALREGEX\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+Accounts also inherit the tags of their parent accounts.+.IP \(bu 2+Postings also inherit the tags of their account and their transaction .+.IP \(bu 2+Transactions also acquire the tags of their postings.+.SS Negative queries+.SS not: query+\f[B]\f[CB]not:QUERY\f[B]\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+You can prepend \f[B]\f[CB]not:\f[B]\f[R] to a query to negate the+match.+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Eg: \f[CR]not:equity\f[R], \f[CR]not:desc:apple\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+(Also, a trick: \f[CR]not:not:...\f[R] can sometimes solve query+problems conveniently.)+.SS Space\-separated queries+When given multiple space\-separated query terms, most commands select+things which match:+.IP \(bu 2+any of the description terms AND+.IP \(bu 2+any of the account terms AND+.IP \(bu 2+any of the status terms AND+.IP \(bu 2+all the other terms.+.PP+The print command is a little different, showing transactions which:+.IP \(bu 2+match any of the description terms AND+.IP \(bu 2+have any postings matching any of the positive account terms AND+.IP \(bu 2+have no postings matching any of the negative account terms AND+.IP \(bu 2+match all the other terms.+.SS Boolean queries+You can write more complicated \(dqboolean\(dq query expressions,+enclosed in quotes and prefixed with \f[CR]expr:\f[R].+These can combine subqueries with NOT, AND, OR operators (case+insensitive), and parentheses for grouping.+Eg, to show transactions involving both cash and expense accounts:+.IP+.EX+hledger print expr:\(aqcash AND expenses\(aq+.EE+.PP+The prefix and enclosing quotes are required, so don\(aqt write+\f[CR]hledger print cash AND expenses\f[R].+That would be a space\-separated query showing transactions involving+accounts with any of \(dqcash\(dq, \(dqand\(dq, \(dqexpenses\(dq in+their names.+.PP+You can write space\-separated queries \f[I]inside\f[R] a boolean query,+and they will combine as described above, but it might be confusing and+best avoided.+Eg these are equivalent, showing transactions involving cash or expenses+accounts:+.IP+.EX+hledger print expr:\(aqcash expenses\(aq+hledger print cash expenses+.EE+.PP+There is a restriction with \f[CR]date:\f[R] queries: they may not be+used inside OR expressions.+.PP+Actually, there are three types of boolean query: \f[CR]expr:\f[R] for+general use, and \f[CR]any:\f[R] and \f[CR]all:\f[R] variants which can+be useful with \f[CR]print\f[R].+.SS expr: query+\f[B]\f[CB]expr:\(aqQUERYEXPR\(aq\f[B]\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+For example,+\f[CR]expr:\(aqdate:lastmonth AND NOT (food OR rent)\(aq\f[R] means+\(dqmatch things which are dated in the last month and do not have food+or rent in the account name\(dq.+.PP+When using \f[CR]expr:\f[R] with transaction\-oriented commands like+\f[CR]print\f[R], posting\-oriented query terms like \f[CR]acct:\f[R]+and \f[CR]amt:\f[R] are considered to match the transaction if they+match any of its postings.+.PD 0+.P+.PD+So, \f[CR]hledger print expr:\(aqcash and amt:>0\(aq\f[R] means \(dqshow+transactions with (at least one posting involving a cash account) and+(at least one posting with a positive amount)\(dq.+.SS any: query+\f[B]\f[CB]any:\(aqQUERYEXPR\(aq\f[B]\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Like \f[CR]expr:\f[R], but when used with transaction\-oriented commands+like \f[CR]print\f[R], it matches the transaction only if a posting can+be matched by all of QUERYEXPR.+.PD 0+.P+.PD+So, \f[CR]hledger print any:\(aqcash and amt:>0\(aq\f[R] means \(dqshow+transactions where at least one posting posts a positive amount to a+cash account\(dq.+.SS all: query+\f[B]\f[CB]all:\(aqQUERYEXPR\(aq\f[B]\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Like \f[CR]expr:\f[R], but when used with transaction\-oriented commands+like \f[CR]print\f[R], it matches the transaction only if all postings+are matched by all of QUERYEXPR (and there is at least one posting).+.PD 0+.P+.PD+So, \f[CR]hledger print all:\(aqcash and amt:0\(aq\f[R] means \(dqshow+transactions where all postings involve a cash account and have a zero+amount\(dq.+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Or, \f[CR]hledger print all:\(aqcash or checking\(aq\f[R] means \(dqshow+transactions which touch only cash and/or checking accounts\(dq.+.SS Queries and command options+Some queries can also be expressed as command\-line options:+\f[CR]depth:2\f[R] is equivalent to \f[CR]\-\-depth 2\f[R],+\f[CR]date:2023\f[R] is equivalent to \f[CR]\-p 2023\f[R], etc.+When you mix command options and query arguments, generally the+resulting query is their intersection.+.SS Queries and account aliases+When account names are rewritten with \f[CR]\-\-alias\f[R] or+\f[CR]alias\f[R], \f[CR]acct:\f[R] will match either the old or the new+account name.+.SS Queries and valuation+When amounts are converted to other commodities in cost or value+reports, \f[CR]cur:\f[R] and \f[CR]amt:\f[R] match the old commodity+symbol and the old amount quantity, not the new ones.+(Except in hledger 1.22, #1625.)+.SH Pivoting+Normally, hledger groups amounts and displays their totals by account+(name).+With \f[CR]\-\-pivot PIVOTEXPR\f[R], some other field\(aqs (or multiple+fields\(aq) value is used as a synthetic account name, causing different+grouping and display.+PIVOTEXPR can be+.IP \(bu 2+any of these standard transaction or posting fields (their value is+substituted): \f[CR]status\f[R], \f[CR]code\f[R], \f[CR]desc\f[R],+\f[CR]payee\f[R], \f[CR]note\f[R], \f[CR]acct\f[R],+\f[CR]comm\f[R]/\f[CR]cur\f[R], \f[CR]amt\f[R], \f[CR]cost\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+or a tag name+.IP \(bu 2+or any combination of these, colon\-separated.+.PP+Some special cases:+.IP \(bu 2+Colons appearing in PIVOTEXPR or in a pivoted tag value will generate+account hierarchy.+.IP \(bu 2+When pivoting a posting that has multiple values for a tag, the tag\(aqs+first value will be used as the pivoted value.+.IP \(bu 2+When a posting has multiple commodities, the pivoted value of+\(dqcomm\(dq/\(dqcur\(dq will be \(dq\(dq.+Also when an unrecognised tag name or field is provided, its pivoted+value will be \(dq\(dq.+(If this causes confusing output, consider excluding those postings from+the report.)+.PP+Examples:+.IP+.EX+2016/02/16 Yearly Dues Payment+    assets:bank account                 2 EUR+    income:dues                        \-2 EUR  ; member: John Doe, kind: Lifetime+.EE+.PP+Normal balance report showing account names:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger balance+               2 EUR  assets:bank account+              \-2 EUR  income:dues+\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+                   0+.EE+.PP+Pivoted balance report, using member: tag values instead:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger balance \-\-pivot member+               2 EUR+              \-2 EUR  John Doe+\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+                   0+.EE+.PP+One way to show only amounts with a member: value (using a query):+.IP+.EX+$ hledger balance \-\-pivot member tag:member=.+              \-2 EUR  John Doe+\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+              \-2 EUR+.EE+.PP+Another way (the acct: query matches against the pivoted \(dqaccount+name\(dq):+.IP+.EX+$ hledger balance \-\-pivot member acct:.+              \-2 EUR  John Doe+\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+              \-2 EUR+.EE+.PP+Hierarchical reports can be generated with multiple pivot values:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger balance Income:Dues \-\-pivot kind:member+              \-2 EUR  Lifetime:John Doe+\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+              \-2 EUR+.EE+.SH Generating data+hledger can enrich the data provided to it, or generate new data, in a+number of ways.+Mostly, this is done only if you request it:+.IP \(bu 2+Missing amounts or missing costs in transactions are inferred+automatically when possible.+.IP \(bu 2+The \f[CR]\-\-infer\-equity\f[R] flag infers missing conversion equity+postings from \(at/\(at\(at costs.+.IP \(bu 2+The \f[CR]\-\-infer\-costs\f[R] flag infers missing costs from+conversion equity postings.+.IP \(bu 2+The \f[CR]\-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R] flag infers \f[CR]P\f[R] price+directives from costs.+.IP \(bu 2+The \f[CR]\-\-auto\f[R] flag adds extra postings to transactions matched+by auto posting rules.+.IP \(bu 2+The \f[CR]\-\-forecast\f[R] option generates transactions from periodic+transaction rules.+.IP \(bu 2+The \f[CR]balance \-\-budget\f[R] report infers budget goals from+periodic transaction rules.+.IP \(bu 2+Commands like \f[CR]close\f[R], \f[CR]rewrite\f[R], and+\f[CR]hledger\-interest\f[R] generate transactions or postings.+.IP \(bu 2+CSV data is converted to transactions by applying CSV conversion rules..+etc.+.PP+Such generated data is temporary, existing only at report time.+You can convert it to permanent recorded data by, eg, capturing the+output of \f[CR]hledger print\f[R] and saving it in your journal file.+This can sometimes be useful as a data entry aid.+.PP+If you are curious what data is being generated and why, run+\f[CR]hledger print \-x \-\-verbose\-tags\f[R].+\f[CR]\-x/\-\-explicit\f[R] shows inferred amounts and+\f[CR]\-\-verbose\-tags\f[R] adds tags like+\f[CR]generated\-transaction\f[R] (from periodic rules) and+\f[CR]generated\-posting\f[R], \f[CR]modified\f[R] (from auto posting+rules).+Similar hidden tags (with an underscore prefix) are always present,+also, so you can always match such data with queries like+\f[CR]tag:generated\f[R] or \f[CR]tag:modified\f[R].+.SH Forecasting+Forecasting, or speculative future reporting, can be useful for+estimating future balances, or for exploring different future scenarios.+.PP+The simplest and most flexible way to do it with hledger is to manually+record a bunch of future\-dated transactions.+You could keep these in a separate \f[CR]future.journal\f[R] and include+that with \f[CR]\-f\f[R] only when you want to see them.+.SS \-\-forecast+There is another way: with the \f[CR]\-\-forecast\f[R] option, hledger+can generate temporary \(dqforecast transactions\(dq for reporting+purposes, according to periodic transaction rules defined in the+journal.+Each rule can generate multiple recurring transactions, so by changing+one rule you can change many forecasted transactions.+.PP+Forecast transactions usually start after ordinary transactions end.+By default, they begin after your latest\-dated ordinary transaction, or+today, whichever is later, and they end six months from today.+(The exact rules are a little more complicated, and are given below.)+.PP+This is the \(dqforecast period\(dq, which need not be the same as the+report period.+You can override it \- eg to forecast farther into the future, or to+force forecast transactions to overlap your ordinary transactions \- by+giving the \-\-forecast option a period expression argument, like+\f[CR]\-\-forecast=..2099\f[R] or+\f[CR]\-\-forecast=2023\-02\-15..\f[R].+Note that the \f[CR]=\f[R] is required.+.SS Inspecting forecast transactions+\f[CR]print\f[R] is the best command for inspecting and troubleshooting+forecast transactions.+Eg:+.IP+.EX+\(ti monthly from 2022\-12\-20    rent+    assets:bank:checking+    expenses:rent           $1000+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger print \-\-forecast \-\-today=2023/4/21+2023\-05\-20 rent+    ; generated\-transaction: \(ti monthly from 2022\-12\-20+    assets:bank:checking+    expenses:rent                  $1000++2023\-06\-20 rent+    ; generated\-transaction: \(ti monthly from 2022\-12\-20+    assets:bank:checking+    expenses:rent                  $1000++2023\-07\-20 rent+    ; generated\-transaction: \(ti monthly from 2022\-12\-20+    assets:bank:checking+    expenses:rent                  $1000++2023\-08\-20 rent+    ; generated\-transaction: \(ti monthly from 2022\-12\-20+    assets:bank:checking+    expenses:rent                  $1000++2023\-09\-20 rent+    ; generated\-transaction: \(ti monthly from 2022\-12\-20+    assets:bank:checking+    expenses:rent                  $1000+.EE+.PP+Here there are no ordinary transactions, so the forecasted transactions+begin on the first occurrence after today\(aqs date.+(You won\(aqt normally use \f[CR]\-\-today\f[R]; it\(aqs just to make+these examples reproducible.)+.SS Forecast reports+Forecast transactions affect all reports, as you would expect.+Eg:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger areg rent \-\-forecast \-\-today=2023/4/21+Transactions in expenses:rent and subaccounts:+2023\-05\-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $1000+2023\-06\-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $2000+2023\-07\-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $3000+2023\-08\-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $4000+2023\-09\-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $5000+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger bal \-M expenses \-\-forecast \-\-today=2023/4/21+Balance changes in 2023\-05\-01..2023\-09\-30:++               ||   May    Jun    Jul    Aug    Sep +===============++===================================+ expenses:rent || $1000  $1000  $1000  $1000  $1000 +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+               || $1000  $1000  $1000  $1000  $1000 +.EE+.SS Forecast tags+Forecast transactions generated by \-\-forecast have a hidden tag,+\f[CR]_generated\-transaction\f[R].+So if you ever need to match forecast transactions, you could use+\f[CR]tag:_generated\-transaction\f[R] (or just+\f[CR]tag:generated\f[R]) in a query.+.PP+For troubleshooting, you can add the \f[CR]\-\-verbose\-tags\f[R] flag.+Then, visible \f[CR]generated\-transaction\f[R] tags will be added also,+so you can view them with the \f[CR]print\f[R] command.+Their value indicates which periodic rule was responsible.+.SS Forecast period, in detail+Forecast start/end dates are chosen so as to do something useful by+default in almost all situations, while also being flexible.+Here are (with luck) the exact rules, to help with troubleshooting:+.PP+The forecast period starts on:+.IP \(bu 2+the later of+.RS 2+.IP \(bu 2+the start date in the periodic transaction rule+.IP \(bu 2+the start date in \f[CR]\-\-forecast\f[R]\(aqs argument+.RE+.IP \(bu 2+otherwise (if those are not available): the later of+.RS 2+.IP \(bu 2+the report start date specified with+\f[CR]\-b\f[R]/\f[CR]\-p\f[R]/\f[CR]date:\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+the day after the latest ordinary transaction in the journal+.RE+.IP \(bu 2+otherwise (if none of these are available): today.+.PP+The forecast period ends on:+.IP \(bu 2+the earlier of+.RS 2+.IP \(bu 2+the end date in the periodic transaction rule+.IP \(bu 2+the end date in \f[CR]\-\-forecast\f[R]\(aqs argument+.RE+.IP \(bu 2+otherwise: the report end date specified with+\f[CR]\-e\f[R]/\f[CR]\-p\f[R]/\f[CR]date:\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+otherwise: 180 days (\(ti6 months) from today.+.SS Forecast troubleshooting+When \-\-forecast is not doing what you expect, one of these tips should+help:+.IP \(bu 2+Remember to use the \f[CR]\-\-forecast\f[R] option.+.IP \(bu 2+Remember to have at least one periodic transaction rule in your journal.+.IP \(bu 2+Test with \f[CR]print \-\-forecast\f[R].+.IP \(bu 2+Check for typos or too\-restrictive start/end dates in your periodic+transaction rule.+.IP \(bu 2+Leave at least 2 spaces between the rule\(aqs period expression and+description fields.+.IP \(bu 2+Check for future\-dated ordinary transactions suppressing forecasted+transactions.+.IP \(bu 2+Try setting explicit report start and/or end dates with \f[CR]\-b\f[R],+\f[CR]\-e\f[R], \f[CR]\-p\f[R] or \f[CR]date:\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+Try adding the \f[CR]\-E\f[R] flag to encourage display of empty+periods/zero transactions.+.IP \(bu 2+Try setting explicit forecast start and/or end dates with+\f[CR]\-\-forecast=START..END\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+Consult Forecast period, in detail, above.+.IP \(bu 2+Check inside the engine: add \f[CR]\-\-debug=2\f[R] (eg).+.SH Budgeting+With the balance command\(aqs \f[CR]\-\-budget\f[R] report, each+periodic transaction rule generates recurring budget goals in specified+accounts, and goals and actual performance can be compared.+See the balance command\(aqs doc below.+.PP+You can generate budget goals and forecast transactions at the same+time, from the same or different periodic transaction rules:+\f[CR]hledger bal \-M \-\-budget \-\-forecast ...\f[R]+.PP+See also: Budgeting and Forecasting.+.SH Amount formatting+.SS Commodity display style+For the amounts in each commodity, hledger chooses a consistent display+style (symbol placement, decimal mark and digit group marks, number of+decimal digits) to use in most reports.+This is inferred as follows:+.PP+First, if there\(aqs a \f[CR]D\f[R] directive declaring a default+commodity, that commodity symbol and amount format is applied to all+no\-symbol amounts in the journal.+.PP+Then each commodity\(aqs display style is determined from its+\f[CR]commodity\f[R] directive.+We recommend always declaring commodities with \f[CR]commodity\f[R]+directives, since they help ensure consistent display styles and+precisions, and bring other benefits such as error checking for+commodity symbols.+Here\(aqs an example:+.IP+.EX+# Set display styles (and decimal marks, for parsing, if there is no decimal\-mark directive)+# for the $, EUR, INR and no\-symbol commodities:+commodity $1,000.00+commodity EUR 1.000,00+commodity INR 9,99,99,999.00+commodity 1 000 000.9455+.EE+.PP+But for convenience, if a \f[CR]commodity\f[R] directive is not present,+hledger infers a commodity\(aqs display styles from its amounts as they+are written in the journal (excluding cost amounts and amounts in+periodic transaction rules or auto posting rules).+It uses+.IP \(bu 2+the symbol placement and decimal mark of the first amount seen+.IP \(bu 2+the digit group marks of the first amount with digit group marks+.IP \(bu 2+and the maximum number of decimal digits seen across all amounts.+.PP+And as fallback if no applicable amounts are found, it would use a+default style, like \f[CR]$1000.00\f[R] (symbol on the left with no+space, period as decimal mark, and two decimal digits).+.PP+Finally, commodity styles can be overridden by the+\f[CR]\-c/\-\-commodity\-style\f[R] command line option.+.SS Rounding+Amounts are stored internally as decimal numbers with up to 255 decimal+places.+They are displayed with their original journal precisions by print and+print\-like reports, and rounded to their display precision (the number+of decimal digits specified by the commodity display style) by other+reports.+When rounding, hledger uses banker\(aqs rounding (it rounds to the+nearest even digit).+So eg 0.5 displayed with zero decimal digits appears as \(dq0\(dq.+.SS Trailing decimal marks+If you\(aqre wondering why your \f[CR]print\f[R] report sometimes shows+trailing decimal marks, with no decimal digits; it does this when+showing amounts that have digit group marks but no decimal digits, to+disambiguate them and allow them to be re\-parsed reliably (see Decimal+marks).+Eg:+.IP+.EX+commodity $1,000.00++2023\-01\-02+    (a)      $1000+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger print+2023\-01\-02+    (a)        $1,000.+.EE+.PP+If this is a problem (eg when exporting to Ledger), you can avoid it by+disabling digit group marks, eg with \-c/\-\-commodity (for each+affected commodity):+.IP+.EX+$ hledger print \-c \(aq$1000.00\(aq+2023\-01\-02+    (a)          $1000+.EE+.PP+or by forcing print to always show decimal digits, with \-\-round:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger print \-c \(aq$1,000.00\(aq \-\-round=soft+2023\-01\-02+    (a)      $1,000.00+.EE+.SS Amount parseability+More generally, hledger output falls into three rough categories, which+format amounts a little bit differently to suit different consumers:+.PP+\f[B]1.+\(dqhledger\-readable output\(dq \- should be readable by hledger (and+by humans)\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+This is produced by reports that show full journal entries:+\f[CR]print\f[R], \f[CR]import\f[R], \f[CR]close\f[R],+\f[CR]rewrite\f[R] etc.+.IP \(bu 2+It shows amounts with their original journal precisions, which may not+be consistent from one amount to the next.+.IP \(bu 2+It adds a trailing decimal mark when needed to avoid showing ambiguous+amounts.+.IP \(bu 2+It can be parsed reliably (by hledger and ledger2beancount at least, but+perhaps not by Ledger..)+.PP+\f[B]2.+\(dqhuman\-readable output\(dq \- usually for humans\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+This is produced by all other reports.+.IP \(bu 2+It shows amounts with standard display precisions, which will be+consistent within each commodity.+.IP \(bu 2+It shows ambiguous amounts unmodified.+.IP \(bu 2+It can be parsed reliably in the context of a known report (when you+know decimals are consistently not being shown, you can assume a single+mark is a digit group mark).+.PP+\f[B]3.+\(dqmachine\-readable output\(dq \- usually for other software\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+This is produced by all reports when an output format like+\f[CR]csv\f[R], \f[CR]tsv\f[R], \f[CR]json\f[R], or \f[CR]sql\f[R] is+selected.+.IP \(bu 2+It shows amounts as 1 or 2 do, but without digit group marks.+.IP \(bu 2+It can be parsed reliably (if needed, the decimal mark can be changed+with \-c/\-\-commodity\-style).+.SH Cost reporting+In some transactions \- for example a currency conversion, or a purchase+or sale of stock \- one commodity is exchanged for another.+In these transactions there is a conversion rate, also called the cost+(when buying) or selling price (when selling).+(In hledger docs we just say \(dqcost\(dq generically for convenience.)+With the \f[CR]\-B/\-\-cost\f[R] flag, hledger can show amounts \(dqat+cost\(dq, converted to the cost\(aqs commodity.+.SS Recording costs+We\(aqll explore several ways of recording transactions involving costs.+These are also summarised at hledger Cookbook > Cost notation.+.PP+Costs can be recorded explicitly in the journal, using the+\f[CR]\(at UNITCOST\f[R] or \f[CR]\(at\(at TOTALCOST\f[R] notation+described in Journal > Costs:+.PP+\f[B]Variant 1\f[R]+.IP+.EX+2022\-01\-01+  assets:dollars    $\-135+  assets:euros       €100 \(at $1.35   ; $1.35 per euro (unit cost)+.EE+.PP+\f[B]Variant 2\f[R]+.IP+.EX+2022\-01\-01+  assets:dollars    $\-135+  assets:euros       €100 \(at\(at $135   ; $135 total cost+.EE+.PP+Typically, writing the unit cost (variant 1) is preferable; it can be+more effort, requiring more attention to decimal digits; but it reveals+the per\-unit cost basis, and makes stock sales easier.+.PP+Costs can also be left implicit, and hledger will infer the cost that is+consistent with a balanced transaction:+.PP+\f[B]Variant 3\f[R]+.IP+.EX+2022\-01\-01+  assets:dollars    $\-135+  assets:euros       €100+.EE+.PP+Here, hledger will attach a \f[CR]\(at\(at €100\f[R] cost to the first+amount (you can see it with \f[CR]hledger print \-x\f[R]).+This form looks convenient, but there are downsides:+.IP \(bu 2+It sacrifices some error checking.+For example, if you accidentally wrote €10 instead of €100, hledger+would not be able to detect the mistake.+.IP \(bu 2+It is sensitive to the order of postings \- if they were reversed, a+different entry would be inferred and reports would be different.+.IP \(bu 2+The per\-unit cost basis is not easy to read.+.PP+So generally this kind of entry is not recommended.+You can make sure you have none of these by using \f[CR]\-s\f[R] (strict+mode), or by running \f[CR]hledger check balanced\f[R].+.SS Reporting at cost+Now when you add the \f[CR]\-B\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-cost\f[R] flag to reports+(\(dqB\(dq is from Ledger\(aqs \-B/\-\-basis/\-\-cost flag), any amounts+which have been annotated with costs will be converted to their+cost\(aqs commodity (in the report output).+Ie they will be displayed \(dqat cost\(dq or \(dqat sale price\(dq.+.PP+Some things to note:+.IP \(bu 2+Costs are attached to specific posting amounts in specific transactions,+and once recorded they do not change.+This contrasts with market prices, which are ambient and fluctuating.+.IP \(bu 2+Conversion to cost is performed before conversion to market value+(described below).+.SS Equity conversion postings+There is a problem with the entries above \- they are not conventional+Double Entry Bookkeeping (DEB) notation, and because of the+\(dqmagical\(dq transformation of one commodity into another, they cause+an imbalance in the Accounting Equation.+This shows up as a non\-zero grand total in balance reports like+\f[CR]hledger bse\f[R].+.PP+For most hledger users, this doesn\(aqt matter in practice and can+safely be ignored !+But if you\(aqd like to learn more, keep reading.+.PP+Conventional DEB uses an extra pair of equity postings to balance the+transaction.+Of course you can do this in hledger as well:+.PP+\f[B]Variant 4\f[R]+.IP+.EX+2022\-01\-01+    assets:dollars      $\-135+    assets:euros         €100+    equity:conversion    $135+    equity:conversion   €\-100+.EE+.PP+Now the transaction is perfectly balanced according to standard DEB, and+\f[CR]hledger bse\f[R]\(aqs total will not be disrupted.+.PP+And, hledger can still infer the cost for cost reporting, but it\(aqs+not done by default \- you must add the \f[CR]\-\-infer\-costs\f[R] flag+like so:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger print \-\-infer\-costs+2022\-01\-01 one hundred euros purchased at $1.35 each+    assets:dollars       $\-135 \(at\(at €100+    assets:euros                  €100+    equity:conversion             $135+    equity:conversion            €\-100+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger bal \-\-infer\-costs \-B+               €\-100  assets:dollars                                                                                                                                              +                €100  assets:euros                                                                                                                                                +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-                                                                                                                                                              +                   0                                                                                                                                                              +.EE+.PP+Here are some downsides of this kind of entry:+.IP \(bu 2+The per\-unit cost basis is not easy to read.+.IP \(bu 2+Instead of \f[CR]\-B\f[R] you must remember to type+\f[CR]\-B \-\-infer\-costs\f[R].+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-infer\-costs\f[R] works only where hledger can identify the+two equity:conversion postings and match them up with the two+non\-equity postings.+So writing the journal entry in a particular format becomes more+important.+More on this below.+.SS Inferring equity conversion postings+Can we go in the other direction ?+Yes, if you have transactions written with the \(at/\(at\(at cost+notation, hledger can infer the missing equity postings, if you add the+\f[CR]\-\-infer\-equity\f[R] flag.+Eg:+.IP+.EX+2022\-01\-01+  assets:dollars  \-$135+  assets:euros     €100 \(at $1.35+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger print \-\-infer\-equity+2022\-01\-01+    assets:dollars                    $\-135+    assets:euros               €100 \(at $1.35+    equity:conversion:$\-€:€           €\-100+    equity:conversion:$\-€:$         $135.00+.EE+.PP+The equity account names will be \(dqequity:conversion:A\-B:A\(dq and+\(dqequity:conversion:A\-B:B\(dq where A is the alphabetically first+commodity symbol.+You can customise the \(dqequity:conversion\(dq part by declaring an+account with the \f[CR]V\f[R]/\f[CR]Conversion\f[R] account type.+.PP+Note you will need to add account declarations for these to your+journal, if you use \f[CR]check accounts\f[R] or+\f[CR]check \-\-strict\f[R].+(And unlike normal postings, generated equity postings do not inherit+tags from account declarations.)+.SS Combining costs and equity conversion postings+Finally, you can use both the \(at/\(at\(at cost notation and equity+postings at the same time.+This in theory gives the best of all worlds \- preserving the accounting+equation, revealing the per\-unit cost basis, and providing more+flexibility in how you write the entry:+.PP+\f[B]Variant 5\f[R]+.IP+.EX+2022\-01\-01 one hundred euros purchased at $1.35 each+    assets:dollars      $\-135+    equity:conversion    $135+    equity:conversion   €\-100+    assets:euros         €100 \(at $1.35+.EE+.PP+All the other variants above can (usually) be rewritten to this final+form with:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger print \-x \-\-infer\-costs \-\-infer\-equity+.EE+.PP+Downsides:+.IP \(bu 2+The precise format of the journal entry becomes more important.+If hledger can\(aqt detect and match up the cost and equity postings, it+will give a transaction balancing error.+.IP \(bu 2+The add command does not yet accept this kind of entry (#2056).+.IP \(bu 2+This is the most verbose form.+.SS Requirements for detecting equity conversion postings+\f[CR]\-\-infer\-costs\f[R] has certain requirements (unlike+\f[CR]\-\-infer\-equity\f[R], which always works).+It will infer costs only in transactions with:+.IP \(bu 2+Two non\-equity postings, in different commodities.+Their order is significant: the cost will be added to the first of them.+.IP \(bu 2+Two postings to equity conversion accounts, next to one another, which+balance the two non\-equity postings.+This balancing is checked to the same precision (number of decimal+places) used in the conversion posting\(aqs amount.+Equity conversion accounts are:+.RS 2+.IP \(bu 2+any accounts declared with account type+\f[CR]V\f[R]/\f[CR]Conversion\f[R], or their subaccounts+.IP \(bu 2+otherwise, accounts named \f[CR]equity:conversion\f[R],+\f[CR]equity:trade\f[R], or \f[CR]equity:trading\f[R], or their+subaccounts.+.RE+.PP+And multiple such four\-posting groups can coexist within a single+transaction.+When \f[CR]\-\-infer\-costs\f[R] fails, it does not infer a cost in that+transaction, and does not raise an error (ie, it infers costs where it+can).+.PP+Reading variant 5 journal entries, combining cost notation and equity+postings, has all the same requirements.+When reading such an entry fails, hledger raises an \(dqunbalanced+transaction\(dq error.+.SS Infer cost and equity by default ?+Should \f[CR]\-\-infer\-costs\f[R] and \f[CR]\-\-infer\-equity\f[R] be+enabled by default ?+Try using them always, eg with a shell alias:+.IP+.EX+alias h=\(dqhledger \-\-infer\-equity \-\-infer\-costs\(dq+.EE+.PP+and let us know what problems you find.+.PP+.SH Value reporting+hledger can also show amounts \(dqat market value\(dq, converted to some+other commodity using the market price or conversion rate on a certain+date.+.PP+This is controlled by the \f[CR]\-\-value=TYPE[,COMMODITY]\f[R] option.+We also provide simpler \f[CR]\-V\f[R] and \f[CR]\-X COMMODITY\f[R]+aliases for this, which are often sufficient.+The market prices are declared with a special \f[CR]P\f[R] directive,+and/or they can be inferred from the costs recorded in transactions, by+using the \f[CR]\-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R] flag.+.SS \-X: Value in specified commodity+The \f[CR]\-X COMM\f[R] (or \f[CR]\-\-exchange=COMM\f[R]) option+converts amounts to their market value in the specified commodity, using+the market prices in effect on the \f[I]valuation date(s)\f[R], if any.+(More on these in a minute.)+.PP+Use this when you want to (eg) show everything in your base currency as+far as possible.+(Commodities for which no conversion rate can be found, will not be+converted.)+.PP+COMM should be the full commodity symbol or name.+Remember to quote special shell characters, if needed.+Some examples:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-X€\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-X$\f[R] (nothing after $, no quoting needed)+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-X CNY\f[R] (the space after \-X is optional)+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-X \(aqred apples\(aq\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-X \(aqr&r\(aq\f[R]+.SS \-V: Value in default commodity(s)+The \f[CR]\-V/\-\-market\f[R] flag is a variant of \f[CR]\-X\f[R] where+you don\(aqt have to specify COMM.+Instead it tries to guess a \f[I]default valuation commodity\f[R] for+each original commodity, based on the market prices in effect on the+valuation date(s).+.PP+\f[CR]\-V\f[R] can often be a convenient shortcut for+\f[CR]\-X MYCURRENCY\f[R], but not always; depending on your data it+could guess multiple valuation commodities.+Usually you want to convert to a single commodity, so it\(aqs better to+use \f[CR]\-X\f[R], unless you\(aqre sure \f[CR]\-V\f[R] is doing what+you want.+.SS Valuation date+Market prices can change from day to day.+hledger will use the prices on a particular valuation date (or on more+than one date).+By default hledger uses \(dqend\(dq dates for valuation.+More specifically:+.IP \(bu 2+For single period reports (including normal print and register reports):+.RS 2+.IP \(bu 2+If an explicit report end date is specified, that is used.+.IP \(bu 2+Otherwise the latest transaction date or non\-future P directive date is+used.+.RE+.IP \(bu 2+For multiperiod reports, each period is valued on its last day.+.PP+This can be customised with the \-\-value option described below, which+can select either \(dqthen\(dq, \(dqend\(dq, \(dqnow\(dq, or+\(dqcustom\(dq dates.+.SS Finding market price+To convert a commodity A to its market value in another commodity B,+hledger looks for a suitable market price (exchange rate) as follows, in+this order of preference:+.IP "1." 3+A \f[I]declared market price\f[R] or \f[I]inferred market price\f[R]:+A\(aqs latest market price in B on or before the valuation date as+declared by a P directive, or (with the+\f[CR]\-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R] flag) inferred from costs.+\+.IP "2." 3+A \f[I]reverse market price\f[R]: the inverse of a declared or inferred+market price from B to A.+.IP "3." 3+A \f[I]forward chain of market prices\f[R]: a synthetic price formed by+combining the shortest chain of \(dqforward\(dq (only 1 above) market+prices, leading from A to B.+.IP "4." 3+\f[I]Any chain of market prices\f[R]: a chain of any market prices,+including both forward and reverse prices (1 and 2 above), leading from+A to B.+.PP+There is a limit to the length of these price chains; if hledger reaches+that length without finding a complete chain or exhausting all+possibilities, it will give up (with a \(dqgave up\(dq message visible+in \f[CR]\-\-debug=2\f[R] output).+That limit is currently 1000.+.PP+Amounts for which no suitable market price can be found, are not+converted.+.SS \-\-infer\-market\-prices: market prices from transactions+Normally, market value in hledger is fully controlled by, and requires,+P directives in your journal.+Since adding and updating those can be a chore, and since transactions+usually take place at close to market value, why not use the recorded+costs as additional market prices (as Ledger does) ?+Adding the \f[CR]\-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R] flag to \f[CR]\-V\f[R],+\f[CR]\-X\f[R] or \f[CR]\-\-value\f[R] enables this.+.PP+So for example, \f[CR]hledger bs \-V \-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R] will+get market prices both from P directives and from transactions.+If both occur on the same day, the P directive takes precedence.+.PP+There is a downside: value reports can sometimes be affected in+confusing/undesired ways by your journal entries.+If this happens to you, read all of this Value reporting section+carefully, and try adding \f[CR]\-\-debug\f[R] or \f[CR]\-\-debug=2\f[R]+to troubleshoot.+.PP+\f[CR]\-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R] can infer market prices from:+.IP \(bu 2+multicommodity transactions with explicit prices+(\f[CR]\(at\f[R]/\f[CR]\(at\(at\f[R])+.IP \(bu 2+multicommodity transactions with implicit prices (no \f[CR]\(at\f[R],+two commodities, unbalanced).+(With these, the order of postings matters.+\f[CR]hledger print \-x\f[R] can be useful for troubleshooting.)+.IP \(bu 2+multicommodity transactions with equity postings, if cost is inferred+with \f[CR]\-\-infer\-costs\f[R].+.PP+There is a limitation (bug) currently: when a valuation commodity is not+specified, prices inferred with \f[CR]\-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R] do+not help select a default valuation commodity, as \f[CR]P\f[R] prices+would.+So conversion might not happen because no valuation commodity was+detected (\f[CR]\-\-debug=2\f[R] will show this).+To be safe, specify the valuation commmodity, eg:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-X EUR \-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R], not+\f[CR]\-V \-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-value=then,EUR \-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R], not+\f[CR]\-\-value=then \-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R]+.PP+Signed costs and market prices can be confusing.+For reference, here is the current behaviour, since hledger 1.25.+(If you think it should work differently, see #1870.)+.IP+.EX+2022\-01\-01 Positive Unit prices+    a        A 1+    b        B \-1 \(at A 1++2022\-01\-01 Positive Total prices+    a        A 1+    b        B \-1 \(at\(at A 1+++2022\-01\-02 Negative unit prices+    a        A 1+    b        B 1 \(at A \-1++2022\-01\-02 Negative total prices+    a        A 1+    b        B 1 \(at\(at A \-1+++2022\-01\-03 Double Negative unit prices+    a        A \-1+    b        B \-1 \(at A \-1++2022\-01\-03 Double Negative total prices+    a        A \-1+    b        B \-1 \(at\(at A \-1+.EE+.PP+All of the transactions above are considered balanced (and on each day,+the two transactions are considered equivalent).+Here are the market prices inferred for B:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f\- \-\-infer\-market\-prices prices+P 2022\-01\-01 B A 1+P 2022\-01\-01 B A 1.0+P 2022\-01\-02 B A \-1+P 2022\-01\-02 B A \-1.0+P 2022\-01\-03 B A \-1+P 2022\-01\-03 B A \-1.0+.EE+.SS Valuation commodity+\f[B]When you specify a valuation commodity (\f[CB]\-X COMM\f[B] or+\f[CB]\-\-value TYPE,COMM\f[B]):\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+hledger will convert all amounts to COMM, wherever it can find a+suitable market price (including by reversing or chaining prices).+.PP+\f[B]When you leave the valuation commodity unspecified (\f[CB]\-V\f[B]+or \f[CB]\-\-value TYPE\f[B]):\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+For each commodity A, hledger picks a default valuation commodity as+follows, in this order of preference:+.IP "1." 3+The price commodity from the latest P\-declared market price for A on or+before valuation date.+.IP "2." 3+The price commodity from the latest P\-declared market price for A on+any date.+(Allows conversion to proceed when there are inferred prices before the+valuation date.)+.IP "3." 3+If there are no P directives at all (any commodity or date) and the+\f[CR]\-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R] flag is used: the price commodity+from the latest transaction\-inferred price for A on or before valuation+date.+.PP+This means:+.IP \(bu 2+If you have P directives, they determine which commodities+\f[CR]\-V\f[R] will convert, and to what.+.IP \(bu 2+If you have no P directives, and use the+\f[CR]\-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R] flag, costs determine it.+.PP+Amounts for which no valuation commodity can be found are not converted.+.SS \-\-value: Flexible valuation+\f[CR]\-V\f[R] and \f[CR]\-X\f[R] are special cases of the more general+\f[CR]\-\-value\f[R] option:+.IP+.EX+ \-\-value=TYPE[,COMM]  TYPE is then, end, now or YYYY\-MM\-DD.+                      COMM is an optional commodity symbol.+                      Shows amounts converted to:+                      \- default valuation commodity (or COMM) using market prices at posting dates+                      \- default valuation commodity (or COMM) using market prices at period end(s)+                      \- default valuation commodity (or COMM) using current market prices+                      \- default valuation commodity (or COMM) using market prices at some date+.EE+.PP+The TYPE part selects cost or value and valuation date:+.TP+\f[CR]\-\-value=then\f[R]+Convert amounts to their value in the default valuation commodity, using+market prices on each posting\(aqs date.+.TP+\f[CR]\-\-value=end\f[R]+Convert amounts to their value in the default valuation commodity, using+market prices on the last day of the report period (or if unspecified,+the journal\(aqs end date); or in multiperiod reports, market prices on+the last day of each subperiod.+.TP+\f[CR]\-\-value=now\f[R]+Convert amounts to their value in the default valuation commodity using+current market prices (as of when report is generated).+.TP+\f[CR]\-\-value=YYYY\-MM\-DD\f[R]+Convert amounts to their value in the default valuation commodity using+market prices on this date.+.PP+To select a different valuation commodity, add the optional+\f[CR],COMM\f[R] part: a comma, then the target commodity\(aqs symbol.+Eg: \f[B]\f[CB]\-\-value=now,EUR\f[B]\f[R].+hledger will do its best to convert amounts to this commodity, deducing+market prices as described above.+.SS Valuation examples+Here are some quick examples of \f[CR]\-V\f[R]:+.IP+.EX+; one euro is worth this many dollars from nov 1+P 2016/11/01 € $1.10++; purchase some euros on nov 3+2016/11/3+    assets:euros        €100+    assets:checking++; the euro is worth fewer dollars by dec 21+P 2016/12/21 € $1.03+.EE+.PP+How many euros do I have ?+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f t.j bal \-N euros+                €100  assets:euros+.EE+.PP+What are they worth at end of nov 3 ?+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f t.j bal \-N euros \-V \-e 2016/11/4+             $110.00  assets:euros+.EE+.PP+What are they worth after 2016/12/21 ?+(no report end date specified, defaults to today)+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f t.j bal \-N euros \-V+             $103.00  assets:euros+.EE+.PP+Here are some examples showing the effect of \f[CR]\-\-value\f[R], as+seen with \f[CR]print\f[R]:+.IP+.EX+P 2000\-01\-01 A  1 B+P 2000\-02\-01 A  2 B+P 2000\-03\-01 A  3 B+P 2000\-04\-01 A  4 B++2000\-01\-01+  (a)      1 A \(at 5 B++2000\-02\-01+  (a)      1 A \(at 6 B++2000\-03\-01+  (a)      1 A \(at 7 B+.EE+.PP+Show the cost of each posting:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f\- print \-\-cost+2000\-01\-01+    (a)             5 B++2000\-02\-01+    (a)             6 B++2000\-03\-01+    (a)             7 B+.EE+.PP+Show the value as of the last day of the report period (2000\-02\-29):+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f\- print \-\-value=end date:2000/01\-2000/03+2000\-01\-01+    (a)             2 B++2000\-02\-01+    (a)             2 B+.EE+.PP+With no report period specified, the latest transaction date or price+date is used as valuation date (2000\-04\-01):+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f\- print \-\-value=end+2000\-01\-01+    (a)             3 B++2000\-02\-01+    (a)             3 B++2000\-03\-01+    (a)             3 B+.EE+.PP+The value today is the same (the 2000\-04\-01 price is still in effect):+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f\- print \-\-value=now+2000\-01\-01+    (a)             4 B++2000\-02\-01+    (a)             4 B++2000\-03\-01+    (a)             4 B+.EE+.PP+Show the value on 2000/01/15:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f\- print \-\-value=2000\-01\-15+2000\-01\-01+    (a)             1 B++2000\-02\-01+    (a)             1 B++2000\-03\-01+    (a)             1 B+.EE+.SS Interaction of valuation and queries+When matching postings based on queries in the presence of valuation,+the following happens:+.IP "1." 3+The query is separated into two parts:+.RS 4+.IP "1." 3+the currency (\f[CR]cur:\f[R]) or amount (\f[CR]amt:\f[R]).+.IP "2." 3+all other parts.+.RE+.IP "2." 3+The postings are matched to the currency and amount queries based on+pre\-valued amounts.+.IP "3." 3+Valuation is applied to the postings.+.IP "4." 3+The postings are matched to the other parts of the query based on+post\-valued amounts.+.PP+Related: #1625+.SS Effect of valuation on reports+Here is a reference for how valuation is supposed to affect each part of+hledger\(aqs reports.+It may be useful when troubleshooting.+If you find problems, please report them, ideally with a reproducible+example.+Related: #329, #1083.+.PP+First, a quick glossary:+.TP+\f[I]cost\f[R]+calculated using price(s) recorded in the transaction(s).+.TP+\f[I]value\f[R]+market value using available market price declarations, or the unchanged+amount if no conversion rate can be found.+.TP+\f[I]report start\f[R]+the first day of the report period specified with \-b or \-p or date:,+otherwise today.+.TP+\f[I]report or journal start\f[R]+the first day of the report period specified with \-b or \-p or date:,+otherwise the earliest transaction date in the journal, otherwise today.+.TP+\f[I]report end\f[R]+the last day of the report period specified with \-e or \-p or date:,+otherwise today.+.TP+\f[I]report or journal end\f[R]+the last day of the report period specified with \-e or \-p or date:,+otherwise the latest transaction date in the journal, otherwise today.+.TP+\f[I]report interval\f[R]+a flag (\-D/\-W/\-M/\-Q/\-Y) or period expression that activates the+report\(aqs multi\-period mode (whether showing one or many subperiods).+.PP+.TS+tab(@);+lw(9.5n) lw(11.8n) lw(12.0n) lw(17.2n) lw(12.0n) lw(7.4n).+T{+Report type+T}@T{+\f[CR]\-B\f[R], \f[CR]\-\-cost\f[R]+T}@T{+\f[CR]\-V\f[R], \f[CR]\-X\f[R]+T}@T{+\f[CR]\-\-value=then\f[R]+T}@T{+\f[CR]\-\-value=end\f[R]+T}@T{+\f[CR]\-\-value=DATE\f[R], \f[CR]\-\-value=now\f[R]+T}+_+T{+\f[B]print\f[R]+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}+T{+posting amounts+T}@T{+cost+T}@T{+value at report end or today+T}@T{+value at posting date+T}@T{+value at report or journal end+T}@T{+value at DATE/today+T}+T{+balance assertions/assignments+T}@T{+unchanged+T}@T{+unchanged+T}@T{+unchanged+T}@T{+unchanged+T}@T{+unchanged+T}+T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}+T{+\f[B]register\f[R]+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}+T{+starting balance (\-H)+T}@T{+cost+T}@T{+value at report or journal end+T}@T{+valued at day each historical posting was made+T}@T{+value at report or journal end+T}@T{+value at DATE/today+T}+T{+starting balance (\-H) with report interval+T}@T{+cost+T}@T{+value at day before report or journal start+T}@T{+valued at day each historical posting was made+T}@T{+value at day before report or journal start+T}@T{+value at DATE/today+T}+T{+posting amounts+T}@T{+cost+T}@T{+value at report or journal end+T}@T{+value at posting date+T}@T{+value at report or journal end+T}@T{+value at DATE/today+T}+T{+summary posting amounts with report interval+T}@T{+summarised cost+T}@T{+value at period ends+T}@T{+sum of postings in interval, valued at interval start+T}@T{+value at period ends+T}@T{+value at DATE/today+T}+T{+running total/average+T}@T{+sum/average of displayed values+T}@T{+sum/average of displayed values+T}@T{+sum/average of displayed values+T}@T{+sum/average of displayed values+T}@T{+sum/average of displayed values+T}+T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}+T{+\f[B]balance (bs, bse, cf, is)\f[R]+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}+T{+balance changes+T}@T{+sums of costs+T}@T{+value at report end or today of sums of postings+T}@T{+value at posting date+T}@T{+value at report or journal end of sums of postings+T}@T{+value at DATE/today of sums of postings+T}+T{+budget amounts (\-\-budget)+T}@T{+like balance changes+T}@T{+like balance changes+T}@T{+like balance changes+T}@T{+like balances+T}@T{+like balance changes+T}+T{+grand total+T}@T{+sum of displayed values+T}@T{+sum of displayed values+T}@T{+sum of displayed valued+T}@T{+sum of displayed values+T}@T{+sum of displayed values+T}+T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}+T{+\f[B]balance (bs, bse, cf, is) with report interval\f[R]+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}+T{+starting balances (\-H)+T}@T{+sums of costs of postings before report start+T}@T{+value at report start of sums of all postings before report start+T}@T{+sums of values of postings before report start at respective posting+dates+T}@T{+value at report start of sums of all postings before report start+T}@T{+sums of postings before report start+T}+T{+balance changes (bal, is, bs \-\-change, cf \-\-change)+T}@T{+sums of costs of postings in period+T}@T{+same as \-\-value=end+T}@T{+sums of values of postings in period at respective posting dates+T}@T{+balance change in each period, valued at period ends+T}@T{+value at DATE/today of sums of postings+T}+T{+end balances (bal \-H, is \-\-H, bs, cf)+T}@T{+sums of costs of postings from before report start to period end+T}@T{+same as \-\-value=end+T}@T{+sums of values of postings from before period start to period end at+respective posting dates+T}@T{+period end balances, valued at period ends+T}@T{+value at DATE/today of sums of postings+T}+T{+budget amounts (\-\-budget)+T}@T{+like balance changes/end balances+T}@T{+like balance changes/end balances+T}@T{+like balance changes/end balances+T}@T{+like balances+T}@T{+like balance changes/end balances+T}+T{+row totals, row averages (\-T, \-A)+T}@T{+sums, averages of displayed values+T}@T{+sums, averages of displayed values+T}@T{+sums, averages of displayed values+T}@T{+sums, averages of displayed values+T}@T{+sums, averages of displayed values+T}+T{+column totals+T}@T{+sums of displayed values+T}@T{+sums of displayed values+T}@T{+sums of displayed values+T}@T{+sums of displayed values+T}@T{+sums of displayed values+T}+T{+grand total, grand average+T}@T{+sum, average of column totals+T}@T{+sum, average of column totals+T}@T{+sum, average of column totals+T}@T{+sum, average of column totals+T}@T{+sum, average of column totals+T}+T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}+.TE+.PP+\f[CR]\-\-cumulative\f[R] is omitted to save space, it works like+\f[CR]\-H\f[R] but with a zero starting balance.+.SH PART 4: COMMANDS+.PP+Here are hledger\(aqs standard subcommands.+You can list these by running \f[CR]hledger\f[R].+If you have installed more add\-on commands, they also will be listed.+.PP+In the following command docs, each command\(aqs specific options are+shown.+Most commands also support the general options described above, though+some of them might have no effect.+(Usually if there\(aqs a sensible way for a general option to affect a+command, it will.)+You can list all of a command\(aqs options by running+\f[CR]hledger CMD \-h\f[R].+.PP+\f[B]Help commands\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+commands \- show the hledger commands list (default)+.IP \(bu 2+demo \- show small hledger demos in the terminal+.IP \(bu 2+help \- show the hledger manual with info, man, or pager+.PP+\f[B]User interface commands\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+repl \- run commands from an interactive prompt+.IP \(bu 2+run \- run commands from a script+.IP \(bu 2+ui \- (if installed) run hledger\(aqs terminal UI+.IP \(bu 2+web \- (if installed) run hledger\(aqs web UI+.PP+\f[B]Data entry commands\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+add \- add transactions using terminal prompts+.IP \(bu 2+import \- add new transactions from other files, eg CSV files+.PP+\f[B]Basic report commands\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+accounts \- show account names+.IP \(bu 2+codes \- show transaction codes+.IP \(bu 2+commodities \- show commodity/currency symbols+.IP \(bu 2+descriptions \- show transaction descriptions+.IP \(bu 2+files \- show input file paths+.IP \(bu 2+notes \- show note parts of transaction descriptions+.IP \(bu 2+payees \- show payee parts of transaction descriptions+.IP \(bu 2+prices \- show market prices+.IP \(bu 2+stats \- show journal statistics+.IP \(bu 2+tags \- show tag names+.PP+\f[B]Standard report commands\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+print \- show transactions or export journal data+.IP \(bu 2+aregister (areg) \- show transactions in a particular account+.IP \(bu 2+register (reg) \- show postings in one or more accounts & running total+.IP \(bu 2+balancesheet (bs) \- show assets, liabilities and net worth+.IP \(bu 2+balancesheetequity (bse) \- show assets, liabilities and equity+.IP \(bu 2+cashflow (cf) \- show changes in liquid assets+.IP \(bu 2+incomestatement (is) \- show revenues and expenses+.PP+\f[B]Advanced report commands\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+balance (bal) \- show balance changes, end balances, budgets, gains..+.IP \(bu 2+roi \- show return on investments+.PP+\f[B]Chart commands\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+activity \- show bar charts of posting counts per period+.PP+\f[B]Data generation commands\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+close \- generate balance\-zeroing/restoring transactions+.IP \(bu 2+rewrite \- generate auto postings, like print \-\-auto+.PP+\f[B]Maintenance commands\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+check \- check for various kinds of error in the data+.IP \(bu 2+diff \- compare account transactions in two journal files+.IP \(bu 2+setup \- check and show the status of the hledger installation+.IP \(bu 2+test \- run self tests+.PP+Next, these commands are described in detail.+.SH Help commands+.SS commands+Show the hledger commands list.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+     \-\-builtin             show only builtin commands, not addons+.EE+.SS demo+Play demos of hledger usage in the terminal, if asciinema is installed.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+  \-s \-\-speed=SPEED         playback speed (1 is original speed, .5 is half, 2+                           is double, etc (default: 2))+.EE+.PP+Run this command with no argument to list the demos.+To play a demo, write its number or a prefix or substring of its title.+Tips:+.PP+Make your terminal window large enough to see the demo clearly.+.PP+Use the \-s/\-\-speed SPEED option to set your preferred playback speed,+eg \f[CR]\-s4\f[R] to play at 4x original speed or \f[CR]\-s.5\f[R] to+play at half speed.+The default speed is 2x.+.PP+During playback, several keys are available: SPACE to pause/unpause, .+to step forward (while paused), CTRL\-c quit.+.PP+Examples:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger demo               # list available demos+$ hledger demo 1             # play the first demo at default speed (2x)+$ hledger demo install \-s4   # play the \(dqinstall\(dq demo at 4x speed+.EE+.PP+This command is experimental: there aren\(aqt many useful demos yet.+.SS help+Show the hledger user manual with \f[CR]info\f[R], \f[CR]man\f[R], or a+pager.+With a (case insensitive) TOPIC argument, try to open it at that section+heading.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+  \-i                       show the manual with info+  \-m                       show the manual with man+  \-p                       show the manual with $PAGER or less+                           (less is always used if TOPIC is specified)+.EE+.PP+This command shows the hledger manual built in to your hledger+executable.+It can be useful when offline, or when you prefer the terminal to a web+browser, or when the appropriate hledger manual or viewers are not+installed properly on your system.+.PP+By default it chooses the best viewer found in $PATH, trying in this+order: \f[CR]info\f[R], \f[CR]man\f[R], \f[CR]$PAGER\f[R],+\f[CR]less\f[R], \f[CR]more\f[R], stdout.+(If a TOPIC is specified, \f[CR]$PAGER\f[R] and \f[CR]more\f[R] are not+tried.)+You can force the use of info, man, or a pager with the \f[CR]\-i\f[R],+\f[CR]\-m\f[R], or \f[CR]\-p\f[R] flags.+If no viewer can be found, or if running non\-interactively, it just+prints the manual to stdout.+.PP+When using \f[CR]info\f[R], TOPIC can match either the full heading or a+prefix.+If your \f[CR]info \-\-version\f[R] is < 6, you\(aqll need to upgrade+it, eg with \(aq\f[CR]brew install texinfo\f[R]\(aq on mac.+.PP+When using \f[CR]man\f[R] or \f[CR]less\f[R], TOPIC must match the full+heading.+For a prefix match, you can write \(aq\f[CR]TOPIC.*\f[R]\(aq.+.PP+Examples+.IP+.EX+$ hledger help \-h                 # show the help command\(aqs usage+$ hledger help                    # show the manual with info, man or $PAGER+$ hledger help \(aqtime periods\(aq     # show the manual\(aqs \(dqTime periods\(dq topic+$ hledger help \(aqtime periods\(aq \-m  # use man, even if info is installed+.EE+.SH User interface commands+.SS repl+Start an interactive prompt, where you can run any of hledger\(aqs+commands.+Data files are parsed just once, so the commands run faster.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+no command\-specific flags+.EE+.PP+This command is experimental and could change in the future.+.PP+\f[CR]hledger repl\f[R] starts a read\-eval\-print loop (REPL) where you+can enter commands interactively.+As with the \f[CR]run\f[R] command, each input file (or each input+file/input options combination) is parsed just once, so commands will+run more quickly than if you ran them individually at the command line.+.PP+Also like \f[CR]run\f[R], the input file(s) specified for the+\f[CR]repl\f[R] command will be the default input for all interactive+commands.+You can override this temporarily by specifying an \f[CR]\-f\f[R] option+in particular commands.+But note that commands will not see any changes made to input files (eg+by \f[CR]add\f[R]) until you exit and restart the REPL.+.PP+The command syntax is the same as with \f[CR]run\f[R]:+.IP \(bu 2+enter one hledger command at a time, without the usual+\f[CR]hledger\f[R] first word+.IP \(bu 2+empty lines and comment text from \f[CR]#\f[R] to end of line are+ignored+.IP \(bu 2+use single or double quotes to quote arguments when needed+.IP \(bu 2+type \f[CR]exit\f[R] or \f[CR]quit\f[R] or control\-D to exit the REPL.+.PP+While it is running, the REPL remembers your command history, and you+can navigate in the usual ways:+.IP \(bu 2+Keypad or Emacs navigation keys to edit the current command line+.IP \(bu 2+UP/DOWN or control\-P/control\-N to step back/forward through history+.IP \(bu 2+control\-R to search for a past command+.IP \(bu 2+TAB to complete file paths.+.PP+Generally \f[CR]repl\f[R] command lines should feel much like the normal+hledger CLI, but you may find differences.+\f[CR]repl\f[R] is a little stricter; eg it requires full command names+or official abbreviations (as seen in the commands list).+.PP+The \f[CR]commands\f[R] and \f[CR]help\f[R] commands, and the command+help flags (\f[CR]CMD \-\-tldr\f[R], \f[CR]CMD \-h/\-\-help\f[R],+\f[CR]CMD \-\-info\f[R], \f[CR]CMD \-\-man\f[R]), can be useful.+.PP+You can type control\-C to cancel a long\-running command (but only+once; typing it a second time will exit the REPL).+.PP+And in most shells you can type control\-Z to temporarily exit to the+shell (and then \f[CR]fg\f[R] to return to the REPL).+.SS Examples+Start the REPL and enter some commands:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger repl +Enter hledger commands. To exit, enter \(aqquit\(aq or \(aqexit\(aq, or send EOF.+% stats+Main file           : .../2025.journal+\&...+% stats \-f 2024/2024.journal +Main file           : .../2024.journal+\&...+% stats+Main file           : .../2025.journal+\&...+.EE+.PP+or:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger repl \-f some.journal+Enter hledger commands. To exit, enter \(aqquit\(aq or \(aqexit\(aq, or send EOF.+% bs+\&...+% print \-b \(aqlast week\(aq+\&...+% bs \-f other.journal+\&...+.EE+.SS run+Run a sequence of hledger commands, provided as files or command line+arguments.+Data files are parsed just once, so the commands run faster.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+no command\-specific flags+.EE+.PP+This command is experimental and could change in the future.+.PP+You can use \f[CR]run\f[R] in three ways:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]hledger run \-\- CMD1 \-\- CMD2 \-\- CMD3\f[R] \- read commands+from the command line, separated by \f[CR]\-\-\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]hledger run SCRIPTFILE1 SCRIPTFILE2\f[R] \- read commands from one+or more files+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]cat SCRIPTFILE1 | hledger run\f[R] \- read commands from standard+input.+.PP+\f[CR]run\f[R] first loads the input file(s) specified by+\f[CR]LEDGER_FILE\f[R] or by \f[CR]\-f\f[R] options, in the usual way.+Then it runs each command in turn, each using the same input data.+But if you want a particular command to use different input, you can+specify an \f[CR]\-f\f[R] option within that command.+This will override (not add to) the default input, just for that+command.+.PP+Each input file (more precisely, each combination of input file and+input options) is parsed only once.+This means that commands will not see any changes made to these files,+until the next run.+But the commands will run more quickly than if run individually+(typically about twice as fast).+.PP+Command scripts, whether in a file or written on the command line, have+a simple syntax:+.IP \(bu 2+each line may contain a single hledger command and its arguments,+without the usual \f[CR]hledger\f[R] first word+.IP \(bu 2+empty lines are ignored+.IP \(bu 2+text from \f[CR]#\f[R] to end of line is a comment, and ignored+.IP \(bu 2+you can use single or double quotes to quote arguments when needed, as+on the command line+.IP \(bu 2+these extra commands are available: \f[CR]echo TEXT\f[R] prints some+text, and \f[CR]exit\f[R] or \f[CR]quit\f[R] ends the run.+.PP+On unix systems you can use \f[CR]#!/usr/bin/env hledger run\f[R] in the+first line of a command file to make it a runnable script.+If that gives an error, use \f[CR]#!/usr/bin/env \-S hledger run\f[R].+.PP+It\(aqs ok to use the \f[CR]run\f[R] command recursively within a+command script.+.PP+You may find some differences in behaviour between \f[CR]run\f[R]+command lines and normal hledger command lines.+\f[CR]run\f[R] is a little stricter; eg it requires full command names+or official abbreviations (as seen in the commands list), and command+options must be written after the command name.+.SS Examples+Run commands from the command line:+.IP+.EX+hledger \-f some.journal run \-\- balance assets \-\-depth 2 \-\- balance liabilities \-f /some/other.journal \-\-depth 3 \-\-transpose \-\- stats+.EE+.PP+This would load \f[CR]some.journal\f[R], run+\f[CR]balance assets \-\-depth 2\f[R] on it, then run+\f[CR]balance liabilities \-\-depth 3 \-\-transpose\f[R] on+\f[CR]/some/other.journal\f[R], and finally run \f[CR]stats\f[R] on+\f[CR]some.journal\f[R]+.PP+Run commands from standard input:+.IP+.EX+(echo \(dqfiles\(dq; echo \(dqstats\(dq) | hledger \-f some.journal run+.EE+.PP+Run commands as a script:+.IP+.EX+$ cat report+#!/usr/bin/env \-S hledger run \-f some.journal++echo \(dqList of accounts in some.journal\(dq+accounts++echo \(dqAssets of some.journal\(dq+balance assets \-\-depth 2++echo \(dqLiabilities from /some/other.journal\(dq+balance liabilities \-f /some/other.journal \-\-depth 3 \-\-transpose++echo \(dqCommands from another.script, applied to another.journal\(dq+run \-f another.journal another.script+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ chmod +x report+$ ./report+List of accounts in some.journal+\&...+.EE+.SS ui+Runs hledger\-ui (if installed).+.SS web+Runs hledger\-web (if installed).+.SH Data entry commands+.SS add+Add new transactions to a journal file, with interactive prompting.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+     \-\-no\-new\-accounts      don\(aqt allow creating new accounts+.EE+.PP+Many hledger users edit their journals directly with a text editor, or+generate them from CSV.+For more interactive data entry, there is the \f[CR]add\f[R] command,+which prompts interactively on the console for new transactions, and+appends them to the main journal file (which should be in journal+format).+Existing transactions are not changed.+This is one of the few hledger commands that writes to the journal file+(see also \f[CR]import\f[R]).+.PP+To use it, just run \f[CR]hledger add\f[R] and follow the prompts.+You can add as many transactions as you like; when you are finished,+enter \f[CR].\f[R] or press control\-d or control\-c to exit.+.PP+Features:+.IP \(bu 2+add tries to provide useful defaults, using the most similar (by+description) recent transaction (filtered by the query, if any) as a+template.+.IP \(bu 2+You can also set the initial defaults with command line arguments.+.IP \(bu 2+Readline\-style edit keys can be used during data entry.+.IP \(bu 2+The tab key will auto\-complete whenever possible \- accounts,+payees/descriptions, dates (\f[CR]yesterday\f[R], \f[CR]today\f[R],+\f[CR]tomorrow\f[R]).+If the input area is empty, it will insert the default value.+.IP \(bu 2+A parenthesised transaction code may be entered following a date.+.IP \(bu 2+Comments and tags may be entered following a description or amount.+.IP \(bu 2+If you make a mistake, enter \f[CR]<\f[R] at any prompt to go one step+backward.+.IP \(bu 2+Input prompts are displayed in a different colour when the terminal+supports it.+.PP+Notes:+.IP \(bu 2+If you enter a number with no commodity symbol, and you have declared a+default commodity with a \f[CR]D\f[R] directive, you might expect+\f[CR]add\f[R] to add this symbol for you.+It does not do this; we assume that if you are using a \f[CR]D\f[R]+directive you prefer not to see the commodity symbol repeated on amounts+in the journal.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]add\f[R] creates entries in journal format; it won\(aqt work with+timeclock or timedot files.+.IP \(bu 2+There is a known issue on Windows if this hledger version is built from+stackage: the prompts will show ANSI junk instead of colours (#2410).+You can avoid this by using official hledger release binaries or by+building it with haskeline >=0.8.4; or by running \f[CR]add\f[R] with+\f[CR]\-\-color=no\f[R], perhaps configured in your config file.+.PP+Examples:+.IP \(bu 2+Record new transactions, saving to the default journal file:+.RS 2+.PP+\f[CR]hledger add\f[R]+.RE+.IP \(bu 2+Add transactions to 2024.journal, but also load 2023.journal for+completions:+.RS 2+.PP+\f[CR]hledger add \-\-file 2024.journal \-\-file 2023.journal\f[R]+.RE+.IP \(bu 2+Provide answers for the first four prompts:+.RS 2+.PP+\f[CR]hledger add today \(aqbest buy\(aq expenses:supplies \(aq$20\(aq\f[R]+.RE+.PP+There is a detailed tutorial at https://hledger.org/add.html.+.SS add and balance assertions+Since hledger 1.43, you can add a balance assertion by writing+\f[CR]AMOUNT = BALANCE\f[R] when asked for an amount.+Eg \f[CR]100 = 500\f[R].+.PP+Also, each time you enter a new amount, hledger re\-checks all balance+assertions in the journal and rejects the new amount if it would make+any of them fail.+You can run \f[CR]add\f[R] with+\f[CR]\-I\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-ignore\-assertions\f[R] to disable balance+assertion checking.+.SS add and balance assignments+Since hledger 1.51, you can add a balance assignment by writing+\f[CR]= BALANCE\f[R] (or \f[CR]==\f[R], \f[CR]=*\f[R] etc) when asked+for an amount.+The missing amount will be calculated automatically.+.PP+\f[CR]add\f[R] normally won\(aqt let you add a new posting which is+dated earlier than an existing balance assignment.+(Because when \f[CR]add\f[R] runs, existing balance assignments have+already been calculated and converted to amounts and balance+assertions.)+You can allow it by disabling balance assertion checking with+\f[CR]\-I\f[R].+.SS import+Import new transactions from one or more data files to the main journal.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+     \-\-catchup              just mark all transactions as already imported+     \-\-dry\-run              just show the transactions to be imported+.EE+.PP+This command detects new transactions in one or more data files+specified as arguments, and appends them to the main journal.+.PP+You can import from any input file format hledger supports, but+CSV/SSV/TSV files, downloaded from financial institutions, are the most+common import source.+.PP+The import destination is the default journal file, or another specified+in the usual way with \f[CR]$LEDGER_FILE\f[R] or+\f[CR]\-f/\-\-file\f[R].+It should be in journal format.+.PP+Examples:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger import bank1\-checking.csv bank1\-savings.csv+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger import *.csv+.EE+.SS Import dry run+It\(aqs useful to preview the import by running first with+\f[CR]\-\-dry\-run\f[R], to sanity check the range of dates being+imported, and to check the effect of your conversion rules if converting+from CSV.+Eg:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger import bank.csv \-\-dry\-run+.EE+.PP+The dry run output is valid journal format, so hledger can re\-parse it.+If the output is large, you could show just the uncategorised+transactions like so:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger import \-\-dry\-run bank.csv | hledger \-f\- \-I print unknown+.EE+.PP+You could also run this repeatedly to see the effect of edits to your+conversion rules:+.IP+.EX+$ watchexec \-\- \(dqhledger import \-\-dry\-run bank.csv | hledger \-f\- \-I print unknown\(dq+.EE+.PP+Once the conversion and dates look good enough to import to your+journal, perhaps with some manual fixups to follow, you would do the+actual import:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger import bank.csv+.EE+.SS Overlap detection+Reading CSV files is built in to hledger, and not specific to+\f[CR]import\f[R]; so you could also import by doing+\f[CR]hledger \-f bank.csv print >>$LEDGER_FILE\f[R].+.PP+But \f[CR]import\f[R] is easier and provides some advantages.+The main one is that it avoids re\-importing transactions it has seen on+previous runs.+This means you don\(aqt have to worry about overlapping data in+successive downloads of your bank CSV; just download and+\f[CR]import\f[R] as often as you like, and only the new transactions+will be imported each time.+.PP+We don\(aqt call this \(dqdeduplication\(dq, as it\(aqs generally not+possible to reliably detect duplicates in bank CSV.+Instead, \f[CR]import\f[R] remembers the latest date processed+previously in each CSV file (saving it in a hidden file), and skips any+records prior to that date.+This works well for most real\-world CSV, where:+.IP "1." 3+the data file name is stable (does not change) across imports+.IP "2." 3+the item dates are stable across imports+.IP "3." 3+the order of same\-date items is stable across imports+.IP "4." 3+the newest items have the newest dates+.PP+(Occasional violations of 2\-4 are often harmless; you can reduce the+chance of disruption by downloading and importing more often.)+.PP+Overlap detection is automatic, and shouldn\(aqt require much attention+from you, except perhaps at first import (see below).+But here\(aqs how it works:+.IP \(bu 2+For each \f[CR]FILE\f[R] being imported from:+.RS 2+.IP "1." 3+hledger reads a file named \f[CR].latest.FILE\f[R] file in the same+directory, if any.+This file contains the latest record date previously imported from FILE,+in YYYY\-MM\-DD format.+If multiple records with that date were imported, the date is repeated+on N lines.+.IP "2." 3+hledger reads records from FILE.+If a latest date was found in step 1, any records before that date, and+the first N records on that date, are skipped.+.RE+.IP \(bu 2+After a successful import from all FILEs, without error and without+\f[CR]\-\-dry\-run\f[R], hledger updates each FILE\(aqs+\f[CR].latest.FILE\f[R] for next time.+.PP+If this goes wrong, it\(aqs relatively easy to repair:+.IP \(bu 2+You\(aqll notice it before import when you preview with+\f[CR]import \-\-dry\-run\f[R].+.IP \(bu 2+Or after import when you try to reconcile your hledger account balances+with your bank.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]hledger print \-f FILE.csv\f[R] will show all recently downloaded+transactions.+Compare these with your journal.+Copy/paste if needed.+.IP \(bu 2+Update your conversion rules and print again, if needed.+.IP \(bu 2+You can manually update or remove the .latest file, or use+\f[CR]import \-\-catchup FILE\f[R].+.IP \(bu 2+Download and import more often, eg twice a week, at least while you are+learning.+It\(aqs easier to review and troubleshoot when there are fewer+transactions.+.SS First import+The first time you import from a file, when no corresponding .latest+file has been created yet, all of the records will be imported.+.PP+But perhaps you have been entering the data manually, so you know that+all of these transactions are already recorded in the journal.+In this case you can run \f[CR]hledger import \-\-catchup\f[R] once.+This will create a .latest file containing the latest CSV record date,+so that none of those records will be re\-imported.+.PP+Or, if you know that some but not all of the transactions are in the+journal, you can create the .latest file yourself.+Eg, let\(aqs say you previously recorded foobank transactions up to+2024\-10\-31 in the journal.+Then in the directory where you\(aqll be saving \f[CR]foobank.csv\f[R],+you would create a \f[CR].latest.foobank.csv\f[R] file containing+.IP+.EX+2024\-10\-31+.EE+.PP+Or if you had three foobank transactions recorded with that date, you+would repeat the date that many times:+.IP+.EX+2024\-10\-31+2024\-10\-31+2024\-10\-31+.EE+.PP+Then \f[CR]hledger import foobank.csv [\-\-dry\-run]\f[R] will import+only the newer records.+.SS Importing balance assignments+Journal entries added by import will have all posting amounts made+explicit (like \f[CR]print \-x\f[R]).+.PP+This means that any balance assignments in the imported entries would+need to be evaluated.+But this generally isn\(aqt possible, as the main file\(aqs account+balances are not visible during import.+So try to avoid generating balance assignments with your CSV rules, or+importing from a journal that contains balance assignments.+(Balance assignments are best avoided anyway.)+.PP+But if you must use them, eg because your CSV includes only balances:+you can import with \f[CR]print\f[R], which leaves implicit amounts+implicit.+(\f[CR]print\f[R] can also do overlap detection like import, with the+\f[CR]\-\-new\f[R] flag):+.IP+.EX+$ hledger print \-\-new \-f bank.csv >> $LEDGER_FILE+.EE+.PP+(If you think \f[CR]import\f[R] should preserve implicit balances,+please test that and send a pull request.)+.SS Import and commodity styles+Amounts in entries added by import will be formatted according to the+journal\(aqs canonical commodity styles, as declared by+\f[CR]commodity\f[R] directives or inferred from the journal\(aqs+amounts.+.PP+Related: CSV > Amount decimal places.+.SS Import archiving+When importing from a CSV rules file+(\f[CR]hledger import bank.rules\f[R]), you can use the archive rule to+enable automatic archiving of the data file.+After a successful import, the data file (specified by+\f[CR]source\f[R]) will be moved to an archive folder (\f[CR]data/\f[R],+next to the rules file, auto\-created), and renamed similar to the rules+file, with a date.+This can be useful for troubleshooting, detecting variations in your+banks\(aq CSV data, regenerating entries with improved rules, etc.+.PP+The \f[CR]archive\f[R] rule also causes \f[CR]import\f[R] to handle+\f[CR]source\f[R] glob patterns differently: when there are multiple+matched files, it will pick the oldest, not the newest.+.SS Import special cases+.SS Deduplication+Here are two kinds of \(dqdeduplication\(dq which \f[CR]import\f[R] does+not handle (and should not, because these can happen legitimately in+financial data):+.IP \(bu 2+Two or more of the new CSV records are identical, and generate identical+new journal entries.+.IP \(bu 2+A new CSV record generates a journal entry identical to one(s) already+in the journal.+.SS Varying file name+If you have a download whose file name varies, you could rename it to a+fixed name after each download.+Or you could use a CSV \f[CR]source\f[R] rule with a suitable glob+pattern, and import from the .rules file.+.SS Multiple versions+Say you download \f[CR]bank.csv\f[R], import it, but forget to delete it+from your downloads folder.+The next time you download it, your web browser will save it as (eg)+\f[CR]bank (2).csv\f[R].+The source rule\(aqs glob patterns are for just this situation: instead+of specifying \f[CR]source bank.csv\f[R], specify+\f[CR]source bank*.csv\f[R].+Then \f[CR]hledger \-f bank.rules CMD\f[R] or+\f[CR]hledger import bank.rules\f[R] will automatically pick the newest+matched file (\f[CR]bank (2).csv\f[R]).+.PP+Alternately, what if you download, but forget to import or delete, then+download again ?+Now each of \f[CR]bank.csv\f[R] and \f[CR]bank (2).csv\f[R] might+contain data that\(aqs not in the other, and not in your journal.+In this case, it\(aqs best to import each of them in turn, oldest first+(otherwise, overlap detection could cause new records to be skipped).+Enabling import archiving ensures this.+Then \f[CR]hledger import bank.rules; hledger import bank.rules\f[R]+will import and archive first \f[CR]bank.csv\f[R], then+\f[CR]bank (2).csv\f[R].+.SH Basic report commands+.SS accounts+List the account names used or declared in the journal.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+  \-u \-\-used                 list accounts used+  \-d \-\-declared             list accounts declared+     \-\-undeclared           list accounts used but not declared+     \-\-unused               list accounts declared but not used+     \-\-find                 list the first account matched by the first+                            argument (a case\-insensitive infix regexp)+     \-\-directives           show as account directives, for use in journals+     \-\-locations            also show where accounts were declared+     \-\-types                also show account types when known+  \-l \-\-flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list+                            (default)+  \-t \-\-tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree+     \-\-drop=N               flat mode: omit N leading account name parts+.EE+.PP+This command lists account names \- all of them by default, or just the+ones which have been used in transactions (\f[CR]\-u/\-\-used\f[R]), or+declared with \f[CR]account\f[R] directives+(\f[CR]\-d/\-\-declared\f[R]), or used but not declared+(\f[CR]\-\-undeclared\f[R]), or declared but not used+(\f[CR]\-\-unused\f[R]), or just the first one matched by a pattern+(\f[CR]\-\-find\f[R], returning a non\-zero exit code if it fails).+.PP+You can add query arguments to select a subset of transactions or+accounts.+.PP+With \f[CR]\-\-directives\f[R], it shows valid account directives which+could be pasted into a journal file.+This is useful together with \f[CR]\-\-undeclared\f[R] when updating+your account declarations to satisfy \f[CR]hledger check accounts\f[R].+.PP+With \f[CR]\-\-locations\f[R], it also shows the file and line number of+each account\(aqs declaration, if any, and the account\(aqs overall+declaration order; these may be useful when troubleshooting account+display order.+.PP+With \f[CR]\-\-types\f[R], it also shows each account\(aqs type, if+it\(aqs known.+(See Declaring accounts > Account types.)+.PP+It shows a flat list by default.+With \f[CR]\-\-tree\f[R], it uses indentation to show the account+hierarchy.+In flat mode you can add \f[CR]\-\-drop N\f[R] to omit the first few+account name components.+Account names can be depth\-clipped with \f[CR]depth:N\f[R] or+\f[CR]\-\-depth N\f[R] or \f[CR]\-N\f[R].+.PP+Examples:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger accounts+assets:bank:checking+assets:bank:saving+assets:cash+expenses:food+expenses:supplies+income:gifts+income:salary+liabilities:debts+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger accounts \-\-undeclared \-\-directives >> $LEDGER_FILE+$ hledger check accounts+.EE+.SS codes+List the codes seen in transactions, in the order parsed.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+no command\-specific flags+.EE+.PP+This command prints the value of each transaction\(aqs code field, in+the order transactions were parsed.+The transaction code is an optional value written in parentheses between+the date and description, often used to store a cheque number, order+number or similar.+.PP+Transactions aren\(aqt required to have a code, and missing or empty+codes will not be shown by default.+With the \f[CR]\-E\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-empty\f[R] flag, they will be printed+as blank lines.+.PP+You can add a query to select a subset of transactions.+.PP+Examples:+.IP+.EX+2022/1/1 (123) Supermarket   + Food       $5.00+ Checking    ++2022/1/2 (124) Post Office+ Postage    $8.32+ Checking++2022/1/3 Supermarket+ Food      $11.23+ Checking ++2022/1/4 (126) Post Office+ Postage    $3.21+ Checking+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger codes+123+124+126+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger codes \-E+123+124++126+.EE+.SS commodities+List the commodity symbols used or declared in the journal.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+     \-\-used                 list commodities used+     \-\-declared             list commodities declared+     \-\-undeclared           list commodities used but not declared+     \-\-unused               list commodities declared but not used+     \-\-find                 list the first commodity matched by the first+                            argument (a case\-insensitive infix regexp)+.EE+.PP+This command lists commodity symbols/names \- all of them by default, or+just the ones which have been used in transactions or \f[CR]P\f[R]+directives, or declared with \f[CR]commodity\f[R] directives, or used+but not declared, or declared but not used, or just the first one+matched by a pattern (with \f[CR]\-\-find\f[R], returning a non\-zero+exit code if it fails).+.PP+You can add \f[CR]cur:\f[R] query arguments to further limit the+commodities.+.SS descriptions+List the unique descriptions used in transactions.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+no command\-specific flags+.EE+.PP+This command lists the unique descriptions that appear in transactions,+in alphabetic order.+You can add a query to select a subset of transactions.+.PP+Example:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger descriptions+Store Name+Gas Station | Petrol+Person A+.EE+.SS files+List all files included in the journal.+With a REGEX argument, only file names matching the regular expression+(case sensitive) are shown.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+no command\-specific flags+.EE+.SS notes+List the unique notes that appear in transactions.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+no command\-specific flags+.EE+.PP+This command lists the unique notes that appear in transactions, in+alphabetic order.+You can add a query to select a subset of transactions.+The note is the part of the transaction description after a | character+(or if there is no |, the whole description).+.PP+Example:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger notes+Petrol+Snacks+.EE+.SS payees+List the payee/payer names used or declared in the journal.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+     \-\-used                 list payees used+     \-\-declared             list payees declared+     \-\-undeclared           list payees used but not declared+     \-\-unused               list payees declared but not used+     \-\-find                 list the first payee matched by the first+                            argument (a case\-insensitive infix regexp)+.EE+.PP+This command lists unique payee/payer names \- all of them by default,+or just the ones which have been used in transaction descriptions, or+declared with \f[CR]payee\f[R] directives, or used but not declared, or+declared but not used, or just the first one matched by a pattern (with+\f[CR]\-\-find\f[R], returning a non\-zero exit code if it fails).+.PP+The payee/payer name is the part of the transaction description before a+| character (or if there is no |, the whole description).+.PP+You can add query arguments to select a subset of transactions or+payees.+.PP+Example:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger payees+Store Name+Gas Station+Person A+.EE+.SS prices+Print the market prices declared with P directives.+With \-\-infer\-market\-prices, also show any additional prices inferred+from costs.+With \-\-show\-reverse, also show additional prices inferred by+reversing known prices.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+     \-\-show\-reverse         also show the prices inferred by reversing known+                            prices+.EE+.PP+Price amounts are always displayed with their full precision, except for+reverse prices which are limited to 8 decimal digits.+.PP+Prices can be filtered by a date:, cur: or amt: query.+.PP+Generally if you run this command with \-\-infer\-market\-prices+\-\-show\-reverse, it will show the same prices used internally to+calculate value reports.+But if in doubt, you can inspect those directly by running the value+report with \-\-debug=2.+.SS stats+Show journal and performance statistics.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+  \-1                        show a single line of output+  \-v \-\-verbose              show more detailed output+  \-o \-\-output\-file=FILE     write output to FILE.+.EE+.PP+The stats command shows summary information for the whole journal, or a+matched part of it.+With a reporting interval, it shows a report for each report period.+.PP+It also shows some performance statistics:+.IP \(bu 2+how long the program ran for+.IP \(bu 2+the number of transactions processed per second+.IP \(bu 2+the peak live memory in use by the program to do its work+.IP \(bu 2+the peak allocated memory as seen by the program+.PP+By default, the output is reasonably discreet; it reveals the main file+name, your activity level, and the speed of your machine.+.PP+With \f[CR]\-v/\-\-verbose\f[R], more details are shown: the full paths+of all files, and the names of the commodities you work with.+.PP+With \f[CR]\-1\f[R], only one line of output is shown, in a+machine\-friendly tab\-separated format: the program version, the main+journal file name, and the performance stats,+.PP+The run time of \f[CR]stats\f[R] is similar to that of a balance report.+.PP+Example:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger stats \-f examples/1ktxns\-1kaccts.journal +Main file           : .../1ktxns\-1kaccts.journal+Included files      : 0+Txns span           : 2000\-01\-01 to 2002\-09\-27 (1000 days)+Last txn            : 2002\-09\-26 (7827 days ago)+Txns                : 1000 (1.0 per day)+Txns last 30 days   : 0 (0.0 per day)+Txns last 7 days    : 0 (0.0 per day)+Payees/descriptions : 1000+Accounts            : 1000 (depth 10)+Commodities         : 26+Market prices       : 1000+Runtime stats       : 0.12 s elapsed, 8266 txns/s, 4 MB live, 16 MB alloc+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger stats \-1 \-f examples/10ktxns\-1kaccts.journal+1.50.99\-g0835a2485\-20251119, mac\-aarch64    10ktxns\-1kaccts.journal 0.66 s elapsed  15244 txns/s    28 MB live  86 MB alloc+.EE+.PP+This command supports the \-o/\-\-output\-file option (but not+\-O/\-\-output\-format).+.SS tags+List the tag names used or declared in the journal, or their values.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+     \-\-used                 list tags used+     \-\-declared             list tags declared+     \-\-undeclared           list tags used but not declared+     \-\-unused               list tags declared but not used+     \-\-find                 list the first tag whose name is matched by the+                            first argument (a case\-insensitive infix regexp)+     \-\-values               list tag values instead of tag names+     \-\-parsed               show them in the order they were parsed (mostly),+                            including duplicates+.EE+.PP+This command lists tag names \- all of them by default, or just the ones+which have been used on transactions/postings/accounts, or declared with+\f[CR]tag\f[R] directives, or used but not declared, or declared but not+used, or just the first one matched by a pattern (with+\f[CR]\-\-find\f[R], returning a non\-zero exit code if it fails).+.PP+Note this command\(aqs non\-standard first argument: it is a+case\-insensitive infix regular expression for matching tag names, which+limits the tags shown.+Any additional arguments are standard query arguments, which limit the+transactions, postings, or accounts providing tags.+.PP+With \f[CR]\-\-values\f[R], the tags\(aq unique non\-empty values are+listed instead.+.PP+With \f[CR]\-E\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-empty\f[R], blank/empty values are also+shown.+.PP+With \f[CR]\-\-parsed\f[R], tags or values are shown in the order they+were parsed, with duplicates included.+(Except, tags from account declarations are always shown first.)+.PP+Remember that accounts also acquire tags from their parents; postings+also acquire tags from their account and transaction; and transactions+also acquire tags from their postings.+.SH Standard report commands+.SS print+Show full journal entries, representing transactions.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+  \-x \-\-explicit             show all amounts explicitly+     \-\-invert               display all amounts with reversed sign+     \-\-locations            add tags showing file paths and line numbers+  \-m \-\-match=DESC           fuzzy search for one recent transaction with+                            description closest to DESC+     \-\-new                  show only newer\-dated transactions added in each+                            file since last run+     \-\-round=TYPE           how much rounding or padding should be done when+                            displaying amounts ?+                            none \- show original decimal digits,+                                   as in journal (default)+                            soft \- just add or remove decimal zeros+                                   to match precision+                            hard \- round posting amounts to precision+                                   (can unbalance transactions)+                            all  \- also round cost amounts to precision+                                   (can unbalance transactions)+     \-\-base\-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate links to hledger\-web,+                            with this prefix. (Usually the base url shown by+                            hledger\-web; can also be relative.)+  \-O \-\-output\-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:+                            txt, beancount, csv, tsv, html, fods, json, sql.+  \-o \-\-output\-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching+                            one of the above formats selects that format.+.EE+.PP+The print command displays full journal entries (transactions) from the+journal file, sorted by date (or with \f[CR]\-\-date2\f[R], by secondary+date).+.PP+Directives and inter\-transaction comments are not shown, currently.+This means the print command is somewhat lossy, and if you are using it+to reformat/regenerate your journal you should take care to also copy+over the directives and inter\-transaction comments.+.PP+Eg:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger print \-f examples/sample.journal date:200806+2008/06/01 gift+    assets:bank:checking            $1+    income:gifts                   $\-1++2008/06/02 save+    assets:bank:saving              $1+    assets:bank:checking           $\-1++2008/06/03 * eat & shop+    expenses:food                $1+    expenses:supplies            $1+    assets:cash                 $\-2+.EE+.SS print amount explicitness+Normally, whether posting amounts are implicit or explicit is preserved.+For example, when an amount is omitted in the journal, it will not+appear in the output.+Similarly, if a conversion cost is implied but not written, it will not+appear in the output.+.PP+You can use the \f[CR]\-x\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-explicit\f[R] flag to force+explicit display of all amounts and costs.+This can be useful for troubleshooting or for making your journal more+readable and robust against data entry errors.+\f[CR]\-x\f[R] is also implied by using any of+\f[CR]\-B\f[R],\f[CR]\-V\f[R],\f[CR]\-X\f[R],\f[CR]\-\-value\f[R].+.PP+The \f[CR]\-x\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-explicit\f[R] flag will cause any postings+with a multi\-commodity amount (which can arise when a multi\-commodity+transaction has an implicit amount) to be split into multiple+single\-commodity postings, keeping the output parseable.+.SS print alignment+Amounts are shown right\-aligned within each transaction (but not+aligned across all transactions; you can achieve that with ledger\-mode+in Emacs).+.SS print amount style+Amounts will be displayed mostly in their commodity\(aqs display style,+with standardised symbol placement, decimal mark, and digit group marks.+This does not apply to their decimal digits; \f[CR]print\f[R] normally+shows the same decimal digits that are recorded in each journal entry.+.PP+You can override the decimal precisions with \f[CR]print\f[R]\(aqs+special \f[CR]\-\-round\f[R] option (\f[I]since 1.32\f[R]).+\f[CR]\-\-round\f[R] tries to show amounts with their commodities\(aq+standard decimal precisions, increasingly strongly:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-round=none\f[R] show amounts with original precisions+(default)+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-round=soft\f[R] add/remove decimal zeros in amounts (except+costs)+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-round=hard\f[R] round amounts (except costs), possibly hiding+significant digits+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-round=all\f[R] round all amounts and costs+.PP+\f[CR]soft\f[R] is good for non\-lossy cleanup, displaying more+consistent decimals where possible, without making entries unbalanced.+.PP+\f[CR]hard\f[R] or \f[CR]all\f[R] can be good for stronger cleanup, when+decimal rounding is wanted.+Note rounding can produce unbalanced journal entries, perhaps requiring+manual fixup.+.SS print parseability+Normally, print\(aqs output is a valid hledger journal, which you can+\(dqpipe\(dq to a second hledger command for further processing.+This is sometimes convenient for achieving certain kinds of query+(though less needed now that queries have become more powerful):+.IP+.EX+# Show running total of food expenses paid from cash.+# \-f\- reads from stdin. \-I/\-\-ignore\-assertions is sometimes needed.+$ hledger print assets:cash | hledger \-f\- \-I reg expenses:food+.EE+.PP+But here are some things which can cause print\(aqs output to become+unparseable:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-round\f[R] (see above) can disrupt transaction balancing.+.IP \(bu 2+Account aliases or pivoting can disrupt account names, balance+assertions, or balance assignments.+.IP \(bu 2+Value reporting also can disrupt balance assertions or balance+assignments.+.IP \(bu 2+Auto postings can generate too many amountless postings.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-infer\-costs or \-\-infer\-equity\f[R] can generate+too\-complex redundant costs.+.IP \(bu 2+Because print always shows transactions in date order, balance+assertions involving non\-date\-ordered transactions (and same\-day+postings) could be disrupted.+.SS print, other features+With \f[CR]\-B\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-cost\f[R], amounts with costs are shown+converted to cost.+.PP+With \f[CR]\-\-invert\f[R], posting amounts are shown with their sign+flipped.+It could be useful if you have accidentally recorded some transactions+with the wrong signs.+.PP+With \f[CR]\-\-new\f[R], print shows only transactions it has not seen+on a previous run.+This uses the same deduplication system as the \f[CR]import\f[R]+command.+(See import\(aqs docs for details.)+.PP+With \f[CR]\-m DESC\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-match=DESC\f[R], print shows one+recent transaction whose description is most similar to DESC.+DESC should contain at least two characters.+If there is no similar\-enough match, no transaction will be shown and+the program exit code will be non\-zero.+.PP+With \f[CR]\-\-locations\f[R], print adds the source file and line+number to every transaction, as a tag.+.SS print output format+This command also supports the output destination and output format+options The output formats supported are \f[CR]txt\f[R],+\f[CR]beancount\f[R] (\f[I]Added in 1.32\f[R]), \f[CR]csv\f[R],+\f[CR]tsv\f[R] (\f[I]Added in 1.32\f[R]), \f[CR]json\f[R] and+\f[CR]sql\f[R].+.PP+The \f[CR]beancount\f[R] format tries to produce Beancount\-compatible+output, as follows:+.IP \(bu 2+Transaction and postings with unmarked status are converted to cleared+(\f[CR]*\f[R]) status.+.IP \(bu 2+Transactions\(aq payee and note are backslash\-escaped and+double\-quote\-escaped and wrapped in double quotes.+.IP \(bu 2+Transaction tags are copied to Beancount #tag format.+.IP \(bu 2+Commodity symbols are converted to upper case, and a small number of+currency symbols like \f[CR]$\f[R] are converted to the corresponding+currency names.+.IP \(bu 2+Account name parts are capitalised and unsupported characters are+replaced with \f[CR]\-\f[R].+If an account name part does not begin with a letter, or if the first+part is not Assets, Liabilities, Equity, Income, or Expenses, an error+is raised.+(Use \f[CR]\-\-alias\f[R] options to bring your accounts into+compliance.)+.IP \(bu 2+An \f[CR]open\f[R] directive is generated for each account used, on the+earliest transaction date.+.PP+Some limitations:+.IP \(bu 2+Balance assertions are removed.+.IP \(bu 2+Balance assignments become missing amounts.+.IP \(bu 2+Virtual and balanced virtual postings become regular postings.+.IP \(bu 2+Directives are not converted.+.PP+Here\(aqs an example of print\(aqs CSV output:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger print \-Ocsv+\(dqtxnidx\(dq,\(dqdate\(dq,\(dqdate2\(dq,\(dqstatus\(dq,\(dqcode\(dq,\(dqdescription\(dq,\(dqcomment\(dq,\(dqaccount\(dq,\(dqamount\(dq,\(dqcommodity\(dq,\(dqcredit\(dq,\(dqdebit\(dq,\(dqposting\-status\(dq,\(dqposting\-comment\(dq+\(dq1\(dq,\(dq2008/01/01\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqincome\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqassets:bank:checking\(dq,\(dq1\(dq,\(dq$\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq1\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq+\(dq1\(dq,\(dq2008/01/01\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqincome\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqincome:salary\(dq,\(dq\-1\(dq,\(dq$\(dq,\(dq1\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq+\(dq2\(dq,\(dq2008/06/01\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqgift\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqassets:bank:checking\(dq,\(dq1\(dq,\(dq$\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq1\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq+\(dq2\(dq,\(dq2008/06/01\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqgift\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqincome:gifts\(dq,\(dq\-1\(dq,\(dq$\(dq,\(dq1\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq+\(dq3\(dq,\(dq2008/06/02\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqsave\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqassets:bank:saving\(dq,\(dq1\(dq,\(dq$\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq1\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq+\(dq3\(dq,\(dq2008/06/02\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqsave\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqassets:bank:checking\(dq,\(dq\-1\(dq,\(dq$\(dq,\(dq1\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq+\(dq4\(dq,\(dq2008/06/03\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq*\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqeat & shop\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqexpenses:food\(dq,\(dq1\(dq,\(dq$\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq1\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq+\(dq4\(dq,\(dq2008/06/03\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq*\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqeat & shop\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqexpenses:supplies\(dq,\(dq1\(dq,\(dq$\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq1\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq+\(dq4\(dq,\(dq2008/06/03\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq*\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqeat & shop\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqassets:cash\(dq,\(dq\-2\(dq,\(dq$\(dq,\(dq2\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq+\(dq5\(dq,\(dq2008/12/31\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq*\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqpay off\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqliabilities:debts\(dq,\(dq1\(dq,\(dq$\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq1\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq+\(dq5\(dq,\(dq2008/12/31\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq*\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqpay off\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dqassets:bank:checking\(dq,\(dq\-1\(dq,\(dq$\(dq,\(dq1\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq,\(dq\(dq+.EE+.IP \(bu 2+There is one CSV record per posting, with the parent transaction\(aqs+fields repeated.+.IP \(bu 2+The \(dqtxnidx\(dq (transaction index) field shows which postings belong+to the same transaction.+(This number might change if transactions are reordered within the file,+files are parsed/included in a different order, etc.)+.IP \(bu 2+The amount is separated into \(dqcommodity\(dq (the symbol) and+\(dqamount\(dq (numeric quantity) fields.+.IP \(bu 2+The numeric amount is repeated in either the \(dqcredit\(dq or+\(dqdebit\(dq column, for convenience.+(Those names are not accurate in the accounting sense; it just puts+negative amounts under credit and zero or greater amounts under debit.)+.SS aregister+(areg)+.PP+Show the transactions and running balances in one account, with each+transaction on one line.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+     \-\-txn\-dates            filter strictly by transaction date, not posting+                            date. Warning: this can show a wrong running+                            balance.+     \-\-no\-elide             don\(aqt show only 2 commodities per amount+     \-\-cumulative           accumulation mode: show running total from report+                            start date+  \-H \-\-historical           accumulation mode: show historical running+                            total/balance (includes postings before report+                            start date) (default)+     \-\-invert               display all amounts with reversed sign+     \-\-drop=N               omit N leading account name parts+     \-\-heading=YN           show heading row above table: yes (default) or no+  \-w \-\-width=N              set output width (default: terminal width). \-wN,M+                            sets description width as well.+     \-\-align\-all            guarantee alignment across all lines (slower)+  \-O \-\-output\-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:+                            txt, html, csv, tsv, json.+  \-o \-\-output\-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching+                            one of the above formats selects that format.+.EE+.PP+\f[CR]aregister\f[R] shows the overall transactions affecting a+particular account (and any subaccounts).+Each report line represents one transaction in this account.+Transactions before the report start date are included in the running+balance (\f[CR]\-\-historical\f[R] mode is the default).+You can suppress this behaviour using the \f[CR]\-\-cumulative\f[R]+option.+.PP+This is a more \(dqreal world\(dq, bank\-like view than the+\f[CR]register\f[R] command (which shows individual postings, possibly+from multiple accounts, not necessarily in historical mode).+As a quick rule of thumb:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]aregister\f[R] is best when reconciling real\-world+asset/liability accounts+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]register\f[R] is best when reviewing individual revenues/expenses.+.PP+Note this command\(aqs non\-standard, and required, first argument; it+specifies the account whose register will be shown.+You can write the account\(aqs name, or (to save typing) a+case\-insensitive infix regular expression matching the name, which+selects the alphabetically first matched account.+(For example, if you have \f[CR]assets:personal checking\f[R] and+\f[CR]assets:business checking\f[R], \f[CR]hledger areg checking\f[R]+would select \f[CR]assets:business checking\f[R].)+.PP+Transactions involving subaccounts of this account will also be shown.+\f[CR]aregister\f[R] ignores depth limits, so its final total will+always match a historical balance report with similar arguments.+.PP+Any additional arguments are standard query arguments, which will limit+the transactions shown.+Note some queries will disturb the running balance, causing it to be+different from the account\(aqs real\-world running balance.+.PP+An example: this shows the transactions and historical running balance+during july, in the first account whose name contains \(dqchecking\(dq:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger areg checking date:jul+.EE+.PP+Each \f[CR]aregister\f[R] line item shows:+.IP \(bu 2+the transaction\(aqs date (or the relevant posting\(aqs date if+different, see below)+.IP \(bu 2+the names of all the other account(s) involved in this transaction+(probably abbreviated)+.IP \(bu 2+the total change to this account\(aqs balance from this transaction+.IP \(bu 2+the account\(aqs historical running balance after this transaction.+.PP+Transactions making a net change of zero are not shown by default; add+the \f[CR]\-E/\-\-empty\f[R] flag to show them.+.PP+For performance reasons, column widths are chosen based on the first+1000 lines; this means unusually wide values in later lines can cause+visual discontinuities as column widths are adjusted.+If you want to ensure perfect alignment, at the cost of more time and+memory, use the \f[CR]\-\-align\-all\f[R] flag.+.PP+By default, \f[CR]aregister\f[R] shows a heading above the data.+However, when reporting in a language different from English, it is+easier to omit this heading and prepend your own one.+For this purpose, use the \f[CR]\-\-heading=no\f[R] option.+.PP+This command also supports the output destination and output format+options.+The output formats supported are \f[CR]txt\f[R], \f[CR]csv\f[R],+\f[CR]tsv\f[R] (\f[I]Added in 1.32\f[R]), \f[CR]html\f[R],+\f[CR]fods\f[R] (\f[I]Added in 1.41\f[R]) and \f[CR]json\f[R].+.SS aregister and posting dates+aregister always shows one line (and date and amount) per transaction.+But sometimes transactions have postings with different dates.+Also, not all of a transaction\(aqs postings may be within the report+period.+To resolve this, aregister shows the earliest of the transaction\(aqs+date and posting dates that is in\-period, and the sum of the in\-period+postings.+In other words it will show a combined line item with just the earliest+date, and the running balance will (temporarily, until the+transaction\(aqs last posting) be inaccurate.+Use \f[CR]register \-H\f[R] if you need to see the individual postings.+.PP+There is also a \f[CR]\-\-txn\-dates\f[R] flag, which filters strictly+by transaction date, ignoring posting dates.+This too can cause an inaccurate running balance.+.SS register+(reg)+.PP+Show postings and their running total.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+     \-\-cumulative           accumulation mode: show running total from report+                            start date (default)+  \-H \-\-historical           accumulation mode: show historical running+                            total/balance (includes postings before report+                            start date)+  \-A \-\-average              show running average of posting amounts instead+                            of total (implies \-\-empty)+  \-m \-\-match=DESC           fuzzy search for one recent posting with+                            description closest to DESC+  \-r \-\-related              show postings\(aq siblings instead+     \-\-invert               display all amounts with reversed sign+     \-\-drop=N               omit N leading account name parts+     \-\-sort=FIELDS          sort by: date, desc, account, amount, absamount,+                            or a comma\-separated combination of these. For a+                            descending sort, prefix with \-. (Default: date)+  \-w \-\-width=N              set output width (default: terminal width). \-wN,M+                            sets description width as well.+     \-\-align\-all            guarantee alignment across all lines (slower)+     \-\-base\-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate links to hledger\-web,+                            with this prefix. (Usually the base url shown by+                            hledger\-web; can also be relative.)+  \-O \-\-output\-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:+                            txt, csv, tsv, html, fods, json.+  \-o \-\-output\-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching+                            one of the above formats selects that format.+.EE+.PP+The register command displays matched postings, across all accounts, in+date order, with their running total or running historical balance.+(See also the \f[CR]aregister\f[R] command, which shows matched+transactions in a specific account.)+.PP+register normally shows line per posting, but note that multi\-commodity+amounts will occupy multiple lines (one line per commodity).+.PP+It is typically used with a query selecting a particular account, to see+that account\(aqs activity:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger register checking+2008/01/01 income               assets:bank:checking            $1           $1+2008/06/01 gift                 assets:bank:checking            $1           $2+2008/06/02 save                 assets:bank:checking           $\-1           $1+2008/12/31 pay off              assets:bank:checking           $\-1            0+.EE+.PP+With \f[CR]\-\-date2\f[R], it shows and sorts by secondary date instead.+.PP+For performance reasons, column widths are chosen based on the first+1000 lines; this means unusually wide values in later lines can cause+visual discontinuities as column widths are adjusted.+If you want to ensure perfect alignment, at the cost of more time and+memory, use the \f[CR]\-\-align\-all\f[R] flag.+.PP+The \f[CR]\-\-historical\f[R]/\f[CR]\-H\f[R] flag adds the balance from+any undisplayed prior postings to the running total.+This is useful when you want to see only recent activity, with a+historically accurate running balance:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger register checking \-b 2008/6 \-\-historical+2008/06/01 gift                 assets:bank:checking            $1           $2+2008/06/02 save                 assets:bank:checking           $\-1           $1+2008/12/31 pay off              assets:bank:checking           $\-1            0+.EE+.PP+The \f[CR]\-\-depth\f[R] option limits the amount of sub\-account detail+displayed.+.PP+The \f[CR]\-\-drop\f[R] option will trim leading segments from account+names.+.PP+The \f[CR]\-\-average\f[R]/\f[CR]\-A\f[R] flag shows the running average+posting amount instead of the running total (so, the final number+displayed is the average for the whole report period).+This flag implies \f[CR]\-\-empty\f[R] (see below).+It is affected by \f[CR]\-\-historical\f[R].+It works best when showing just one account and one commodity.+.PP+The \f[CR]\-\-related\f[R]/\f[CR]\-r\f[R] flag shows the \f[I]other\f[R]+postings in the transactions of the postings which would normally be+shown.+.PP+The \f[CR]\-\-invert\f[R] flag negates all amounts.+For example, it can be used on an income account where amounts are+normally displayed as negative numbers.+It\(aqs also useful to show postings on the checking account together+with the related account:+.PP+The \f[CR]\-\-sort=FIELDS\f[R] flag sorts by the fields given, which can+be any of \f[CR]account\f[R], \f[CR]amount\f[R], \f[CR]absamount\f[R],+\f[CR]date\f[R], or \f[CR]desc\f[R]/\f[CR]description\f[R], optionally+separated by commas.+For example, \f[CR]\-\-sort account,amount\f[R] will group all+transactions in each account, sorted by transaction amount.+Each field can be negated by a preceding \f[CR]\-\f[R], so+\f[CR]\-\-sort \-amount\f[R] will show transactions ordered from+smallest amount to largest amount.+.IP+.EX+$ hledger register \-\-related \-\-invert assets:checking+.EE+.PP+With a reporting interval, register shows summary postings, one per+interval, aggregating the postings to each account:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger register \-\-monthly income+2008/01                 income:salary                          $\-1          $\-1+2008/06                 income:gifts                           $\-1          $\-2+.EE+.PP+Periods with no activity, and summary postings with a zero amount, are+not shown by default; use the \f[CR]\-\-empty\f[R]/\f[CR]\-E\f[R] flag+to see them:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger register \-\-monthly income \-E+2008/01                 income:salary                          $\-1          $\-1+2008/02                                                          0          $\-1+2008/03                                                          0          $\-1+2008/04                                                          0          $\-1+2008/05                                                          0          $\-1+2008/06                 income:gifts                           $\-1          $\-2+2008/07                                                          0          $\-2+2008/08                                                          0          $\-2+2008/09                                                          0          $\-2+2008/10                                                          0          $\-2+2008/11                                                          0          $\-2+2008/12                                                          0          $\-2+.EE+.PP+Often, you\(aqll want to see just one line per interval.+The \f[CR]\-\-depth\f[R] option helps with this, causing subaccounts to+be aggregated:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger register \-\-monthly assets \-\-depth 1+2008/01                 assets                                  $1           $1+2008/06                 assets                                 $\-1            0+2008/12                 assets                                 $\-1          $\-1+.EE+.PP+Note when using report intervals, if you specify start/end dates these+will be adjusted outward if necessary to contain a whole number of+intervals.+This ensures that the first and last intervals are full length and+comparable to the others in the report.+.PP+If you have a deeply nested account tree some reports might benefit from+trimming leading segments from the account names using+\f[CR]\-\-drop\f[R].+.IP+.EX+$ hledger register \-\-monthly income \-\-drop 1+2008/01                 salary                                 $\-1          $\-1+2008/06                 gifts                                  $\-1          $\-2+.EE+.PP+With \f[CR]\-m DESC\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-match=DESC\f[R], register does a+fuzzy search for one recent posting whose description is most similar to+DESC.+DESC should contain at least two characters.+If there is no similar\-enough match, no posting will be shown and the+program exit code will be non\-zero.+.SS Custom register output+register normally uses the full terminal width (or 80 columns if it+can\(aqt detect that).+You can override this with the \f[CR]\-\-width\f[R]/\f[CR]\-w\f[R]+option.+.PP+The description and account columns normally share the space equally+(about half of (width \- 40) each).+You can adjust this by adding a description width as part of+\-\-width\(aqs argument, comma\-separated: \f[CR]\-\-width W,D\f[R] .+Here\(aqs a diagram (won\(aqt display correctly in \-\-help):+.IP+.EX+<\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- width (W) \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\->+date (10)  description (D)       account (W\-41\-D)     amount (12)   balance (12)+DDDDDDDDDD dddddddddddddddddddd  aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa  AAAAAAAAAAAA  AAAAAAAAAAAA+.EE+.PP+and some examples:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger reg                     # use terminal width (or 80 on windows)+$ hledger reg \-w 100              # use width 100+$ hledger reg \-w 100,40           # set overall width 100, description width 40+.EE+.PP+This command also supports the output destination and output format+options The output formats supported are \f[CR]txt\f[R], \f[CR]csv\f[R],+\f[CR]tsv\f[R] (\f[I]Added in 1.32\f[R]), and \f[CR]json\f[R].+.SS balancesheet+(bs)+.PP+Show the end balances in asset and liability accounts.+Amounts are shown with normal positive sign, as in conventional+financial statements.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+     \-\-sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts+                            (default)+     \-\-valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of+                            period\-end historical balances (caused by deposits,+                            withdrawals, market price fluctuations)+     \-\-gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital+                            gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost+                            basis)+     \-\-count                calculation mode: show the count of postings+     \-\-change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column+                            start to column end (in multicolumn reports)+     \-\-cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report+                            start (specified by e.g. \-b/\-\-begin) to column end+  \-H \-\-historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from+                            journal start to column end (includes postings+                            before report start date) (default)+  \-l \-\-flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list+                            (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,+                            except where the account is depth\-clipped.+  \-t \-\-tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts+                            include subaccount amounts.+     \-\-drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts+     \-\-declared             include non\-parent declared accounts (best used+                            with \-E)+  \-A \-\-average              show a row average column (in multicolumn+                            reports)+  \-T \-\-row\-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)+     \-\-summary\-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,+                            average) (in multicolumn reports)+  \-N \-\-no\-total             omit the final total row+     \-\-no\-elide             in tree mode, don\(aqt squash boring parent accounts+     \-\-format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)+  \-S \-\-sort\-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name+  \-% \-\-percent              express values in percentage of each column\(aqs+                            total+     \-\-layout=ARG           how to show multi\-commodity amounts:+                            \(aqwide[,WIDTH]\(aq: all commodities on one line+                            \(aqtall\(aq        : each commodity on a new line+                            \(aqbare\(aq        : bare numbers, symbols in a column+     \-\-base\-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate hyperlinks to+                            hledger\-web, with this prefix. (Usually the base+                            url shown by hledger\-web; can also be relative.)+  \-O \-\-output\-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:+                            txt, html, csv, tsv, json.+  \-o \-\-output\-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching+                            one of the above formats selects that format.+.EE+.PP+This command displays a balance sheet, showing historical ending+balances of asset and liability accounts.+(To see equity as well, use the balancesheetequity command.)+.PP+Accounts declared with the \f[CR]Asset\f[R], \f[CR]Cash\f[R] or+\f[CR]Liability\f[R] type are shown (see account types).+Or if no such accounts are declared, it shows top\-level accounts named+\f[CR]asset\f[R] or \f[CR]liability\f[R] (case insensitive, plurals+allowed) and their subaccounts.+.PP+Example:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger balancesheet+Balance Sheet 2008\-12\-31++                    || 2008\-12\-31 +====================++============+ Assets             ||            +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+ assets:bank:saving ||         $1 + assets:cash        ||        $\-2 +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+                    ||        $\-1 +====================++============+ Liabilities        ||            +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+ liabilities:debts  ||        $\-1 +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+                    ||        $\-1 +====================++============+ Net:               ||          0 +.EE+.PP+This command is a higher\-level variant of the \f[CR]balance\f[R]+command, and supports many of that command\(aqs features, such as+multi\-period reports.+It is similar to \f[CR]hledger balance \-H assets liabilities\f[R], but+with smarter account detection, and liabilities displayed with their+sign flipped.+.PP+This command also supports the output destination and output format+options The output formats supported are \f[CR]txt\f[R], \f[CR]csv\f[R],+\f[CR]tsv\f[R] (\f[I]Added in 1.32\f[R]), \f[CR]html\f[R], and+\f[CR]json\f[R].+.SS balancesheetequity+(bse)+.PP+This command displays a balance sheet, showing historical ending+balances of asset, liability and equity accounts.+Amounts are shown with normal positive sign, as in conventional+financial statements.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+     \-\-sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts+                            (default)+     \-\-valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of+                            period\-end historical balances (caused by deposits,+                            withdrawals, market price fluctuations)+     \-\-gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital+                            gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost+                            basis)+     \-\-count                calculation mode: show the count of postings+     \-\-change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column+                            start to column end (in multicolumn reports)+     \-\-cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report+                            start (specified by e.g. \-b/\-\-begin) to column end+  \-H \-\-historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from+                            journal start to column end (includes postings+                            before report start date) (default)+  \-l \-\-flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list+                            (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,+                            except where the account is depth\-clipped.+  \-t \-\-tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts+                            include subaccount amounts.+     \-\-drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts+     \-\-declared             include non\-parent declared accounts (best used+                            with \-E)+  \-A \-\-average              show a row average column (in multicolumn+                            reports)+  \-T \-\-row\-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)+     \-\-summary\-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,+                            average) (in multicolumn reports)+  \-N \-\-no\-total             omit the final total row+     \-\-no\-elide             in tree mode, don\(aqt squash boring parent accounts+     \-\-format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)+  \-S \-\-sort\-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name+  \-% \-\-percent              express values in percentage of each column\(aqs+                            total+     \-\-layout=ARG           how to show multi\-commodity amounts:+                            \(aqwide[,WIDTH]\(aq: all commodities on one line+                            \(aqtall\(aq        : each commodity on a new line+                            \(aqbare\(aq        : bare numbers, symbols in a column+     \-\-base\-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate hyperlinks to+                            hledger\-web, with this prefix. (Usually the base+                            url shown by hledger\-web; can also be relative.)+  \-O \-\-output\-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:+                            txt, html, csv, tsv, json.+  \-o \-\-output\-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching+                            one of the above formats selects that format.+.EE+.PP+This report shows accounts declared with the \f[CR]Asset\f[R],+\f[CR]Cash\f[R], \f[CR]Liability\f[R] or \f[CR]Equity\f[R] type (see+account types).+Or if no such accounts are declared, it shows top\-level accounts named+\f[CR]asset\f[R], \f[CR]liability\f[R] or \f[CR]equity\f[R] (case+insensitive, plurals allowed) and their subaccounts.+.PP+Example:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger balancesheetequity+Balance Sheet With Equity 2008\-12\-31++                    || 2008\-12\-31 +====================++============+ Assets             ||            +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+ assets:bank:saving ||         $1 + assets:cash        ||        $\-2 +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+                    ||        $\-1 +====================++============+ Liabilities        ||            +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+ liabilities:debts  ||        $\-1 +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+                    ||        $\-1 +====================++============+ Equity             ||            +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+                    ||          0 +====================++============+ Net:               ||          0 +.EE+.PP+This command is a higher\-level variant of the \f[CR]balance\f[R]+command, and supports many of that command\(aqs features, such as+multi\-period reports.+It is similar to+\f[CR]hledger balance \-H assets liabilities equity\f[R], but with+smarter account detection, and liabilities/equity displayed with their+sign flipped.+.PP+This report is the easiest way to see if the accounting equation (A+L+E+= 0) is satisfied (after you have done a \f[CR]close \-\-retain\f[R] to+merge revenues and expenses with equity, and perhaps added+\f[CR]\-\-infer\-equity\f[R] to balance your commodity conversions).+.PP+This command also supports the output destination and output format+options The output formats supported are \f[CR]txt\f[R], \f[CR]csv\f[R],+\f[CR]tsv\f[R], \f[CR]html\f[R], and \f[CR]json\f[R].+.SS cashflow+(cf)+.PP+This command displays a (simple) cashflow statement, showing the inflows+and outflows affecting \(dqcash\(dq (ie, liquid, easily convertible)+assets.+Amounts are shown with normal positive sign, as in conventional+financial statements.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+     \-\-sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts+                            (default)+     \-\-valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of+                            period\-end historical balances (caused by deposits,+                            withdrawals, market price fluctuations)+     \-\-gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital+                            gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost+                            basis)+     \-\-count                calculation mode: show the count of postings+     \-\-change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column+                            start to column end (in multicolumn reports)+                            (default)+     \-\-cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report+                            start (specified by e.g. \-b/\-\-begin) to column end+  \-H \-\-historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from+                            journal start to column end (includes postings+                            before report start date)+  \-l \-\-flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list+                            (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,+                            except where the account is depth\-clipped.+  \-t \-\-tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts+                            include subaccount amounts.+     \-\-drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts+     \-\-declared             include non\-parent declared accounts (best used+                            with \-E)+  \-A \-\-average              show a row average column (in multicolumn+                            reports)+  \-T \-\-row\-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)+     \-\-summary\-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,+                            average) (in multicolumn reports)+  \-N \-\-no\-total             omit the final total row+     \-\-no\-elide             in tree mode, don\(aqt squash boring parent accounts+     \-\-format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)+  \-S \-\-sort\-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name+  \-% \-\-percent              express values in percentage of each column\(aqs+                            total+     \-\-layout=ARG           how to show multi\-commodity amounts:+                            \(aqwide[,WIDTH]\(aq: all commodities on one line+                            \(aqtall\(aq        : each commodity on a new line+                            \(aqbare\(aq        : bare numbers, symbols in a column+     \-\-base\-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate hyperlinks to+                            hledger\-web, with this prefix. (Usually the base+                            url shown by hledger\-web; can also be relative.)+  \-O \-\-output\-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:+                            txt, html, csv, tsv, json.+  \-o \-\-output\-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching+                            one of the above formats selects that format.+.EE+.PP+This report shows accounts declared with the \f[CR]Cash\f[R] type (see+account types).+Or if no such accounts are declared, it shows accounts+.IP \(bu 2+under a top\-level account named \f[CR]asset\f[R] (case insensitive,+plural allowed)+.IP \(bu 2+whose name contains some variation of \f[CR]cash\f[R], \f[CR]bank\f[R],+\f[CR]checking\f[R] or \f[CR]saving\f[R].+.PP+More precisely: all accounts matching this case insensitive regular+expression:+.PP+\f[CR]\(haassets?(:.+)?:(cash|bank|che(ck|que?)(ing)?|savings?|currentcash)(:|$)\f[R]+.PP+and their subaccounts.+.PP+An example cashflow report:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger cashflow+Cashflow Statement 2008++                    || 2008 +====================++======+ Cash flows         ||      +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-+ assets:bank:saving ||   $1 + assets:cash        ||  $\-2 +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-+                    ||  $\-1 +.EE+.PP+This command is a higher\-level variant of the \f[CR]balance\f[R]+command, and supports many of that command\(aqs features, such as+multi\-period reports.+It is similar to+\f[CR]hledger balance assets not:fixed not:investment not:receivable\f[R],+but with smarter account detection.+.PP+This command also supports the output destination and output format+options The output formats supported are \f[CR]txt\f[R], \f[CR]csv\f[R],+\f[CR]tsv\f[R] (\f[I]Added in 1.32\f[R]), \f[CR]html\f[R], and+\f[CR]json\f[R].+.SS incomestatement+(is)+.PP+Show revenue inflows and expense outflows during the report period.+Amounts are shown with normal positive sign, as in conventional+financial statements.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+     \-\-sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts+                            (default)+     \-\-valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of+                            period\-end historical balances (caused by deposits,+                            withdrawals, market price fluctuations)+     \-\-gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital+                            gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost+                            basis)+     \-\-count                calculation mode: show the count of postings+     \-\-change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column+                            start to column end (in multicolumn reports)+                            (default)+     \-\-cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report+                            start (specified by e.g. \-b/\-\-begin) to column end+  \-H \-\-historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from+                            journal start to column end (includes postings+                            before report start date)+  \-l \-\-flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list+                            (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,+                            except where the account is depth\-clipped.+  \-t \-\-tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts+                            include subaccount amounts.+     \-\-drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts+     \-\-declared             include non\-parent declared accounts (best used+                            with \-E)+  \-A \-\-average              show a row average column (in multicolumn+                            reports)+  \-T \-\-row\-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)+     \-\-summary\-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,+                            average) (in multicolumn reports)+  \-N \-\-no\-total             omit the final total row+     \-\-no\-elide             in tree mode, don\(aqt squash boring parent accounts+     \-\-format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)+  \-S \-\-sort\-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name+  \-% \-\-percent              express values in percentage of each column\(aqs+                            total+     \-\-layout=ARG           how to show multi\-commodity amounts:+                            \(aqwide[,WIDTH]\(aq: all commodities on one line+                            \(aqtall\(aq        : each commodity on a new line+                            \(aqbare\(aq        : bare numbers, symbols in a column+     \-\-base\-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate hyperlinks to+                            hledger\-web, with this prefix. (Usually the base+                            url shown by hledger\-web; can also be relative.)+  \-O \-\-output\-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:+                            txt, html, csv, tsv, json.+  \-o \-\-output\-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching+                            one of the above formats selects that format.+.EE+.PP+This command displays an income statement, showing revenues and expenses+during one or more periods.+.PP+It shows accounts declared with the \f[CR]Revenue\f[R] or+\f[CR]Expense\f[R] type (see account types).+Or if no such accounts are declared, it shows top\-level accounts named+\f[CR]revenue\f[R] or \f[CR]income\f[R] or \f[CR]expense\f[R] (case+insensitive, plurals allowed) and their subaccounts.+.PP+Example:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger incomestatement+Income Statement 2008++                   || 2008 +===================++======+ Revenues          ||      +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-+ income:gifts      ||   $1 + income:salary     ||   $1 +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-+                   ||   $2 +===================++======+ Expenses          ||      +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-+ expenses:food     ||   $1 + expenses:supplies ||   $1 +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-+                   ||   $2 +===================++======+ Net:              ||    0 +.EE+.PP+This command is a higher\-level variant of the \f[CR]balance\f[R]+command, and supports many of that command\(aqs features, such as+multi\-period reports.+It is similar to+\f[CR]hledger balance \(aq(revenues|income)\(aq expenses\f[R], but with+smarter account detection, and revenues/income displayed with their sign+flipped.+.PP+This command also supports the output destination and output format+options The output formats supported are \f[CR]txt\f[R], \f[CR]csv\f[R],+\f[CR]tsv\f[R] (\f[I]Added in 1.32\f[R]), \f[CR]html\f[R], and+\f[CR]json\f[R].+.SH Advanced report commands+.SS balance+(bal)+.PP+A flexible, general purpose \(dqsumming\(dq report that shows accounts+with some kind of numeric data.+This can be balance changes per period, end balances, budget+performance, unrealised capital gains, etc.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+     \-\-sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts+                            (default)+     \-\-valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of+                            period\-end historical balances (caused by deposits,+                            withdrawals, market price fluctuations)+     \-\-gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital+                            gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost+                            basis)+     \-\-budget[=DESCPAT]     calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts+                            together with budget goals defined by periodic+                            transactions. With a DESCPAT argument (must be+                            separated by = not space),+                            use only periodic transactions with matching+                            description+                            (case insensitive substring match).+     \-\-count                calculation mode: show the count of postings+     \-\-change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column+                            start to column end (in multicolumn reports,+                            default)+     \-\-cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report+                            start (specified by e.g. \-b/\-\-begin) to column end+  \-H \-\-historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from+                            journal start to column end (includes postings+                            before report start date)+  \-l \-\-flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list+                            (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,+                            except where the account is depth\-clipped.+  \-t \-\-tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts+                            include subaccount amounts.+     \-\-drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts+     \-\-declared             include non\-parent declared accounts (best used+                            with \-E)+  \-A \-\-average              show a row average column (in multicolumn+                            reports)+  \-T \-\-row\-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)+     \-\-summary\-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,+                            average) (in multicolumn reports)+  \-N \-\-no\-total             omit the final total row+     \-\-no\-elide             in tree mode, don\(aqt squash boring parent accounts+     \-\-format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)+  \-S \-\-sort\-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name (in+                            flat mode). With multiple columns, sorts by the row+                            total, or by row average if that is displayed.+  \-% \-\-percent              express values in percentage of each column\(aqs+                            total+  \-r \-\-related              show the other accounts transacted with, instead+     \-\-invert               display all amounts with reversed sign+     \-\-transpose            switch rows and columns (use vertical time axis)+     \-\-layout=ARG           how to lay out multi\-commodity amounts and the+                            overall table:+                            \(aqwide[,W]\(aq: commodities on same line, up to W wide+                            \(aqtall\(aq    : commodities on separate lines+                            \(aqbare\(aq    : commodity symbols in a separate column+                            \(aqtidy\(aq    : each data field in its own column+     \-\-base\-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate links to hledger\-web,+                            with this prefix. (Usually the base url shown by+                            hledger\-web; can also be relative.)+  \-O \-\-output\-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:+                            txt, html, csv, tsv, json, fods.+  \-o \-\-output\-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching+                            one of the above formats selects that format.+.EE+.PP+\f[CR]balance\f[R] is one of hledger\(aqs oldest and most versatile+commands, for listing account balances, balance changes, values, value+changes and more, during one time period or many.+Generally it shows a table, with rows representing accounts, and columns+representing periods.+.PP+Note there are some variants of the \f[CR]balance\f[R] command with+convenient defaults, which are simpler to use: \f[CR]balancesheet\f[R],+\f[CR]balancesheetequity\f[R], \f[CR]cashflow\f[R] and+\f[CR]incomestatement\f[R].+When you need more control, then use \f[CR]balance\f[R].+.SS balance features+Here\(aqs a quick overview of the \f[CR]balance\f[R] command\(aqs+features, followed by more detailed descriptions and examples.+Many of these work with the other balance\-like commands as well+(\f[CR]bs\f[R], \f[CR]cf\f[R], \f[CR]is\f[R]..).+.PP+\f[CR]balance\f[R] can show..+.IP \(bu 2+accounts as a list (\f[CR]\-l\f[R]) or a tree (\f[CR]\-t\f[R])+.IP \(bu 2+optionally depth\-limited (\f[CR]\-[1\-9]\f[R])+.IP \(bu 2+sorted by declaration order and name, or by amount+.PP+\&..and their..+.IP \(bu 2+balance changes (the default)+.IP \(bu 2+or actual and planned balance changes (\f[CR]\-\-budget\f[R])+.IP \(bu 2+or value of balance changes (\f[CR]\-V\f[R])+.IP \(bu 2+or change of balance values (\f[CR]\-\-valuechange\f[R])+.IP \(bu 2+or unrealised capital gain/loss (\f[CR]\-\-gain\f[R])+.IP \(bu 2+or balance changes from sibling postings+(\f[CR]\-\-related\f[R]/\f[CR]\-r\f[R])+.IP \(bu 2+or postings count (\f[CR]\-\-count\f[R])+.PP+\&..in..+.IP \(bu 2+one time period (the whole journal period by default)+.IP \(bu 2+or multiple periods (\f[CR]\-D\f[R], \f[CR]\-W\f[R], \f[CR]\-M\f[R],+\f[CR]\-Q\f[R], \f[CR]\-Y\f[R], \f[CR]\-p INTERVAL\f[R])+.PP+\&..either..+.IP \(bu 2+per period (the default)+.IP \(bu 2+or accumulated since report start date (\f[CR]\-\-cumulative\f[R])+.IP \(bu 2+or accumulated since account creation (\f[CR]\-\-historical/\-H\f[R])+.PP+\&..possibly converted to..+.IP \(bu 2+cost+(\f[CR]\-\-value=cost[,COMM]\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-cost\f[R]/\f[CR]\-B\f[R])+.IP \(bu 2+or market value, as of transaction dates+(\f[CR]\-\-value=then[,COMM]\f[R])+.IP \(bu 2+or at period ends (\f[CR]\-\-value=end[,COMM]\f[R])+.IP \(bu 2+or now (\f[CR]\-\-value=now\f[R])+.IP \(bu 2+or at some other date (\f[CR]\-\-value=YYYY\-MM\-DD\f[R])+.PP+\&..with..+.IP \(bu 2+totals (\f[CR]\-T\f[R]), averages (\f[CR]\-A\f[R]), percentages+(\f[CR]\-%\f[R]), inverted sign (\f[CR]\-\-invert\f[R])+.IP \(bu 2+rows and columns swapped (\f[CR]\-\-transpose\f[R])+.IP \(bu 2+another field used as account name (\f[CR]\-\-pivot\f[R])+.IP \(bu 2+custom\-formatted line items (single\-period reports only)+(\f[CR]\-\-format\f[R])+.IP \(bu 2+commodities displayed on the same line or multiple lines+(\f[CR]\-\-layout\f[R])+.PP+This command supports the output destination and output format options,+with output formats \f[CR]txt\f[R], \f[CR]csv\f[R], \f[CR]tsv\f[R]+(\f[I]Added in 1.32\f[R]), \f[CR]json\f[R], and (multi\-period reports+only:) \f[CR]html\f[R], \f[CR]fods\f[R] (\f[I]Added in 1.40\f[R]).+In \f[CR]txt\f[R] output in a colour\-supporting terminal, negative+amounts are shown in red.+.SS Simple balance report+With no arguments, \f[CR]balance\f[R] shows a list of all accounts and+their change of balance \- ie, the sum of posting amounts, both inflows+and outflows \- during the entire period of the journal.+(\(dqSimple\(dq here means just one column of numbers, covering a single+period.+You can also have multi\-period reports, described later.)+.PP+For real\-world accounts, these numbers will normally be their end+balance at the end of the journal period; more on this below.+.PP+Accounts are sorted by declaration order if any, and then alphabetically+by account name.+For instance (using examples/sample.journal):+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f examples/sample.journal bal+                  $1  assets:bank:saving+                 $\-2  assets:cash+                  $1  expenses:food+                  $1  expenses:supplies+                 $\-1  income:gifts+                 $\-1  income:salary+                  $1  liabilities:debts+\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+                   0  +.EE+.PP+Accounts with a zero balance (and no non\-zero subaccounts, in tree mode+\- see below) are hidden by default.+Use \f[CR]\-E/\-\-empty\f[R] to show them (revealing+\f[CR]assets:bank:checking\f[R] here):+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f examples/sample.journal bal  \-E+                   0  assets:bank:checking+                  $1  assets:bank:saving+                 $\-2  assets:cash+                  $1  expenses:food+                  $1  expenses:supplies+                 $\-1  income:gifts+                 $\-1  income:salary+                  $1  liabilities:debts+\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+                   0  +.EE+.PP+The total of the amounts displayed is shown as the last line, unless+\f[CR]\-N\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-no\-total\f[R] is used.+.SS Balance report line format+For single\-period balance reports displayed in the terminal (only), you+can use \f[CR]\-\-format FMT\f[R] to customise the format and content of+each line.+Eg:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f examples/sample.journal balance \-\-format \(dq%20(account) %12(total)\(dq+              assets          $\-1+         bank:saving           $1+                cash          $\-2+            expenses           $2+                food           $1+            supplies           $1+              income          $\-2+               gifts          $\-1+              salary          $\-1+   liabilities:debts           $1+\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+                                0+.EE+.PP+The FMT format string specifies the formatting applied to each+account/balance pair.+It may contain any suitable text, with data fields interpolated like so:+.PP+\f[CR]%[MIN][.MAX](FIELDNAME)\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+MIN pads with spaces to at least this width (optional)+.IP \(bu 2+MAX truncates at this width (optional)+.IP \(bu 2+FIELDNAME must be enclosed in parentheses, and can be one of:+.RS 2+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]depth_spacer\f[R] \- a number of spaces equal to the account\(aqs+depth, or if MIN is specified, MIN * depth spaces.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]account\f[R] \- the account\(aqs name+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]total\f[R] \- the account\(aqs balance/posted total, right+justified+.RE+.PP+Also, FMT can begin with an optional prefix to control how+multi\-commodity amounts are rendered:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]%_\f[R] \- render on multiple lines, bottom\-aligned (the default)+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]%\(ha\f[R] \- render on multiple lines, top\-aligned+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]%,\f[R] \- render on one line, comma\-separated+.PP+There are some quirks.+Eg in one\-line mode, \f[CR]%(depth_spacer)\f[R] has no effect, instead+\f[CR]%(account)\f[R] has indentation built in.+\ Experimentation may be needed to get pleasing results.+.PP+Some example formats:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]%(total)\f[R] \- the account\(aqs total+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]%\-20.20(account)\f[R] \- the account\(aqs name, left justified,+padded to 20 characters and clipped at 20 characters+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]%,%\-50(account)  %25(total)\f[R] \- account name padded to 50+characters, total padded to 20 characters, with multiple commodities+rendered on one line+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]%20(total)  %2(depth_spacer)%\-(account)\f[R] \- the default+format for the single\-column balance report+.SS Filtered balance report+You can show fewer accounts, a different time period, totals from+cleared transactions only, etc.+by using query arguments or options to limit the postings being matched.+Eg:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f examples/sample.journal bal \-\-cleared assets date:200806+                 $\-2  assets:cash+\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+                 $\-2  +.EE+.SS List or tree mode+By default, or with \f[CR]\-l/\-\-flat\f[R], accounts are shown as a+flat list with their full names visible, as in the examples above.+.PP+With \f[CR]\-t/\-\-tree\f[R], the account hierarchy is shown, with+subaccounts\(aq \(dqleaf\(dq names indented below their parent:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f examples/sample.journal balance+                 $\-1  assets+                  $1    bank:saving+                 $\-2    cash+                  $2  expenses+                  $1    food+                  $1    supplies+                 $\-2  income+                 $\-1    gifts+                 $\-1    salary+                  $1  liabilities:debts+\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+                   0+.EE+.PP+Notes:+.IP \(bu 2+\(dqBoring\(dq accounts are combined with their subaccount for more+compact output, unless \f[CR]\-\-no\-elide\f[R] is used.+Boring accounts have no balance of their own and just one subaccount (eg+\f[CR]assets:bank\f[R] and \f[CR]liabilities\f[R] above).+.IP \(bu 2+All balances shown are \(dqinclusive\(dq, ie including the balances from+all subaccounts.+Note this means some repetition in the output, which requires+explanation when sharing reports with non\-plaintextaccounting\-users.+A tree mode report\(aqs final total is the sum of the top\-level+balances shown, not of all the balances shown.+.IP \(bu 2+Each group of sibling accounts (ie, under a common parent) is sorted+separately.+.SS Depth limiting+With a \f[CR]depth:NUM\f[R] query, or \f[CR]\-\-depth NUM\f[R] option,+or just \f[CR]\-NUM\f[R] (eg: \f[CR]\-3\f[R]) balance reports will show+accounts only to the specified depth, hiding the deeper subaccounts.+This can be useful for getting an overview without too much detail.+.PP+Account balances at the depth limit always include the balances from any+deeper subaccounts (even in list mode).+Eg, limiting to depth 1:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f examples/sample.journal balance \-1+                 $\-1  assets+                  $2  expenses+                 $\-2  income+                  $1  liabilities+\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+                   0  +.EE+.SS Dropping top\-level accounts+You can also hide one or more top\-level account name parts, using+\f[CR]\-\-drop NUM\f[R].+This can be useful for hiding repetitive top\-level account names:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f examples/sample.journal bal expenses \-\-drop 1+                  $1  food+                  $1  supplies+\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+                  $2  +.EE+.PP+.SS Showing declared accounts+With \f[CR]\-\-declared\f[R], accounts which have been declared with an+account directive will be included in the balance report, even if they+have no transactions.+(Since they will have a zero balance, you will also need+\f[CR]\-E/\-\-empty\f[R] to see them.)+.PP+More precisely, \f[I]leaf\f[R] declared accounts (with no subaccounts)+will be included, since those are usually the more useful in reports.+.PP+The idea of this is to be able to see a useful \(dqcomplete\(dq balance+report, even when you don\(aqt have transactions in all of your declared+accounts yet.+.SS Sorting by amount+With \f[CR]\-S/\-\-sort\-amount\f[R], accounts with the largest (most+positive) balances are shown first.+Eg: \f[CR]hledger bal expenses \-MAS\f[R] shows your biggest averaged+monthly expenses first.+When more than one commodity is present, they will be sorted by the+alphabetically earliest commodity first, and then by subsequent+commodities (if an amount is missing a commodity, it is treated as 0).+.PP+Revenues and liability balances are typically negative, however, so+\f[CR]\-S\f[R] shows these in reverse order.+To work around this, you can add \f[CR]\-\-invert\f[R] to flip the+signs.+Or you could use one of the higher\-level balance reports+(\f[CR]bs\f[R], \f[CR]is\f[R]..), which flip the sign automatically (eg:+\f[CR]hledger is \-MAS\f[R]).+.PP+.SS Percentages+With \f[CR]\-%/\-\-percent\f[R], balance reports show each account\(aqs+value expressed as a percentage of the (column) total.+.PP+Note it is not useful to calculate percentages if the amounts in a+column have mixed signs.+In this case, make a separate report for each sign, eg:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger bal \-% amt:\(ga>0\(ga+$ hledger bal \-% amt:\(ga<0\(ga+.EE+.PP+Similarly, if the amounts in a column have mixed commodities, convert+them to one commodity with \f[CR]\-B\f[R], \f[CR]\-V\f[R],+\f[CR]\-X\f[R] or \f[CR]\-\-value\f[R], or make a separate report for+each commodity:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger bal \-% cur:\(rs\(rs$+$ hledger bal \-% cur:€+.EE+.SS Multi\-period balance report+With a report interval (set by the \f[CR]\-D/\-\-daily\f[R],+\f[CR]\-W/\-\-weekly\f[R], \f[CR]\-M/\-\-monthly\f[R],+\f[CR]\-Q/\-\-quarterly\f[R], \f[CR]\-Y/\-\-yearly\f[R], or+\f[CR]\-p/\-\-period\f[R] flag), \f[CR]balance\f[R] shows a tabular+report, with columns representing successive time periods (and a title):+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f examples/sample.journal bal \-\-quarterly income expenses \-E+Balance changes in 2008:++                   ||  2008q1  2008q2  2008q3  2008q4 +===================++=================================+ expenses:food     ||       0      $1       0       0 + expenses:supplies ||       0      $1       0       0 + income:gifts      ||       0     $\-1       0       0 + income:salary     ||     $\-1       0       0       0 +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+                   ||     $\-1      $1       0       0 +.EE+.PP+Notes:+.IP \(bu 2+The report\(aqs start/end dates will be expanded, if necessary, to fully+encompass the displayed subperiods (so that the first and last+subperiods have the same duration as the others).+.IP \(bu 2+Leading and trailing periods (columns) containing all zeroes are not+shown, unless \f[CR]\-E/\-\-empty\f[R] is used.+.IP \(bu 2+Accounts (rows) containing all zeroes are not shown, unless+\f[CR]\-E/\-\-empty\f[R] is used.+.IP \(bu 2+Amounts with many commodities are shown in abbreviated form, unless+\f[CR]\-\-no\-elide\f[R] is used.+.IP \(bu 2+Average and/or total columns can be added with the+\f[CR]\-A/\-\-average\f[R] and \f[CR]\-T/\-\-row\-total\f[R] flags.+.IP \(bu 2+The \f[CR]\-\-transpose\f[R] flag can be used to exchange rows and+columns.+.IP \(bu 2+The \f[CR]\-\-pivot FIELD\f[R] option causes a different transaction+field to be used as \(dqaccount name\(dq.+See PIVOTING.+.IP \(bu 2+The \f[CR]\-\-summary\-only\f[R] flag (\f[CR]\-\-summary\f[R] also+works) hides all but the Total and Average columns (those should be+enabled with \f[CR]\-\-row\-total\f[R] and \f[CR]\-A/\-\-average\f[R]).+.PP+Multi\-period reports with many periods can be too wide for easy viewing+in the terminal.+Here are some ways to handle that:+.IP \(bu 2+Hide the totals row with \f[CR]\-N/\-\-no\-total\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+Filter to a single currency with \f[CR]cur:\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+Convert to a single currency with+\f[CR]\-V [\-\-infer\-market\-price]\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+Use a more compact layout like \f[CR]\-\-layout=bare\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+Maximize the terminal window+.IP \(bu 2+Reduce the terminal\(aqs font size+.IP \(bu 2+View with a pager like less, eg:+\f[CR]hledger bal \-D \-\-color=yes | less \-RS\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+Output as CSV and use a CSV viewer like visidata+(\f[CR]hledger bal \-D \-O csv | vd \-f csv\f[R]), Emacs\(aq csv\-mode+(\f[CR]M\-x csv\-mode, C\-c C\-a\f[R]), or a spreadsheet+(\f[CR]hledger bal \-D \-o a.csv && open a.csv\f[R])+.IP \(bu 2+Output as HTML and view with a browser:+\f[CR]hledger bal \-D \-o a.html && open a.html\f[R]+.SS Balance change, end balance+It\(aqs important to be clear on the meaning of the numbers shown in+balance reports.+Here is some terminology we use:+.PP+A \f[B]\f[BI]balance change\f[B]\f[R] is the net amount added to, or+removed from, an account during some period.+.PP+An \f[B]\f[BI]end balance\f[B]\f[R] is the amount accumulated in an+account as of some date (and some time, but hledger doesn\(aqt store+that; assume end of day in your timezone).+It is the sum of previous balance changes.+.PP+We call it a \f[B]\f[BI]historical end balance\f[B]\f[R] if it includes+all balance changes since the account was created.+For a real world account, this means it will match the \(dqhistorical+record\(dq, eg the balances reported in your bank statements or bank web+UI.+(If they are correct!)+.PP+In general, balance changes are what you want to see when reviewing+revenues and expenses, and historical end balances are what you want to+see when reviewing or reconciling asset, liability and equity accounts.+.PP+\f[CR]balance\f[R] shows balance changes by default.+To see accurate historical end balances:+.IP "1." 3+Initialise account starting balances with an \(dqopening balances\(dq+transaction (a transfer from equity to the account), unless the journal+covers the account\(aqs full lifetime.+.IP "2." 3+Include all of of the account\(aqs prior postings in the report, by not+specifying a report start date, or by using the+\f[CR]\-H/\-\-historical\f[R] flag.+(\f[CR]\-H\f[R] causes report start date to be ignored when summing+postings.)+.SS Balance report modes+The balance command is quite flexible; here is the full detail on how to+control what it reports.+If the following seems complicated, don\(aqt worry \- this is for+advanced reporting, and it does take time and experimentation to get+familiar with all the report modes.+.PP+There are three important option groups:+.PP+\f[CR]hledger balance [CALCULATIONMODE] [ACCUMULATIONMODE] [VALUATIONMODE] ...\f[R]+.SS Calculation mode+The basic calculation to perform for each table cell.+It is one of:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-sum\f[R] : sum the posting amounts (\f[B]default\f[R])+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-budget\f[R] : sum the amounts, but also show the budget goal+amount (for each account/period)+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-valuechange\f[R] : show the change in period\-end historical+balance values (caused by deposits, withdrawals, and/or market price+fluctuations)+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-gain\f[R] : show the unrealised capital gain/loss, (the+current valued balance minus each amount\(aqs original cost)+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-count\f[R] : show the count of postings+.SS Accumulation mode+How amounts should accumulate across a report\(aqs subperiods/columns.+Another way to say it: which time period\(aqs postings should contribute+to each cell\(aqs calculation.+It is one of:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-change\f[R] : calculate with postings from column start to+column end, ie \(dqjust this column\(dq.+Typically used to see revenues/expenses.+(\f[B]default for balance, cashflow, incomestatement\f[R])+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-cumulative\f[R] : calculate with postings from report start to+column end, ie \(dqprevious columns plus this column\(dq.+Typically used to show changes accumulated since the report\(aqs start+date.+Not often used.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-historical/\-H\f[R] : calculate with postings from journal+start to column end, ie \(dqall postings from before report start date+until this column\(aqs end\(dq.+Typically used to see historical end balances of+assets/liabilities/equity.+(\f[B]default for balancesheet, balancesheetequity\f[R])+.SS Valuation mode+Which kind of value or cost conversion should be applied, if any, before+displaying the report.+See Cost reporting and Value reporting for more about conversions.+.PP+A valuation (or cost) mode can be selected with the \-\-value option:+.IP \(bu 2+no conversion : don\(aqt convert to cost or value (\f[B]default\f[R])+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-value=cost[,COMM]\f[R] : convert amounts to cost (then+optionally to some other commodity)+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-value=then[,COMM]\f[R] : convert amounts to market value on+transaction dates+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-value=end[,COMM]\f[R] : convert amounts to market value on+period end date(s)+.PD 0+.P+.PD+(\f[B]default with \f[CB]\-\-valuechange\f[B], \f[CB]\-\-gain\f[B]\f[R])+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-value=now[,COMM]\f[R] : convert amounts to market value on+today\(aqs date+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-value=YYYY\-MM\-DD[,COMM]\f[R] : convert amounts to market+value on another date+.PP+or with the legacy \-B/\-V/\-X options, which are equivalent and easier+to type:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-B\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-cost\f[R] : like \-\-value=cost+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-V\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-market\f[R] : like \-\-value=end+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-X COMM\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-exchange COMM\f[R] : like+\-\-value=end,COMM+.PP+Note that \-\-value can also convert to cost, as a convenience; but+actually \-\-cost and \-\-value are independent options, and could be+used together.+.SS Combining balance report modes+Most combinations of these modes should produce reasonable reports, but+if you find any that seem wrong or misleading, let us know.+The following restrictions are applied:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-valuechange\f[R] implies \f[CR]\-\-value=end\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-valuechange\f[R] makes \f[CR]\-\-change\f[R] the default when+used with the \f[CR]balancesheet\f[R]/\f[CR]balancesheetequity\f[R]+commands+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-cumulative\f[R] or \f[CR]\-\-historical\f[R] disables+\f[CR]\-\-row\-total/\-T\f[R]+.PP+For reference, here is what the combinations of accumulation and+valuation show:+.PP+.TS+tab(@);+lw(7.9n) lw(16.4n) lw(16.9n) lw(15.1n) lw(13.7n).+T{+Valuation:> Accumulation:v+T}@T{+no valuation+T}@T{+\f[CR]\-\-value= then\f[R]+T}@T{+\f[CR]\-\-value= end\f[R]+T}@T{+\f[CR]\-\-value= YYYY\-MM\-DD /now\f[R]+T}+_+T{+\f[CR]\-\-change\f[R]+T}@T{+change in period+T}@T{+sum of posting\-date market values in period+T}@T{+period\-end value of change in period+T}@T{+DATE\-value of change in period+T}+T{+\f[CR]\-\-cumulative\f[R]+T}@T{+change from report start to period end+T}@T{+sum of posting\-date market values from report start to period end+T}@T{+period\-end value of change from report start to period end+T}@T{+DATE\-value of change from report start to period end+T}+T{+\f[CR]\-\-historical /\-H\f[R]+T}@T{+change from journal start to period end (historical end balance)+T}@T{+sum of posting\-date market values from journal start to period end+T}@T{+period\-end value of change from journal start to period end+T}@T{+DATE\-value of change from journal start to period end+T}+.TE+.SS Budget report+The \f[CR]\-\-budget\f[R] report is like a regular balance report, but+with two main differences:+.IP \(bu 2+Budget goals and performance percentages are also shown, in brackets+.IP \(bu 2+Accounts which don\(aqt have budget goals are hidden by default.+.PP+This is useful for comparing planned and actual income, expenses, time+usage, etc.+.PP+Periodic transaction rules are used to define budget goals.+For example, here\(aqs a periodic rule defining monthly goals for bus+travel and food expenses:+.IP+.EX+;; Budget+\(ti monthly+  (expenses:bus)              $30+  (expenses:food)            $400+.EE+.PP+After recording some actual expenses,+.IP+.EX+;; Two months worth of expenses+2017\-11\-01+  income                   $\-1950+  expenses:bus                $35+  expenses:food:groceries    $310+  expenses:food:dining        $42+  expenses:movies             $38+  assets:bank:checking++2017\-12\-01+  income                   $\-2100+  expenses:bus                $53+  expenses:food:groceries    $380+  expenses:food:dining        $32+  expenses:gifts             $100+  assets:bank:checking+.EE+.PP+we can see a budget report like this:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger bal \-M \-\-budget+Budget performance in 2017\-11\-01..2017\-12\-31:++               ||                  Nov                   Dec +===============++============================================+ <unbudgeted>  || $\-425                 $\-565                + expenses      ||  $425 [ 99% of $430]   $565 [131% of $430] + expenses:bus  ||   $35 [117% of  $30]    $53 [177% of  $30] + expenses:food ||  $352 [ 88% of $400]   $412 [103% of $400] +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+               ||     0 [  0% of $430]      0 [  0% of $430] +.EE+.PP+This is \(dqgoal\-based budgeting\(dq; you define goals for accounts and+periods, often recurring, and hledger shows performance relative to the+goals.+This contrasts with \(dqenvelope budgeting\(dq, which is more detailed+and strict \- useful when cash is tight, but also quite a bit more work.+https://plaintextaccounting.org/Budgeting has more on this topic.+.SS Using the budget report+Historically this report has been confusing and fragile.+hledger\(aqs version should be relatively robust and intuitive, but you+may still find surprises.+Here are more notes to help with learning and troubleshooting.+.IP \(bu 2+In the above example, \f[CR]expenses:bus\f[R] and+\f[CR]expenses:food\f[R] are shown because they have budget goals during+the report period.+.IP \(bu 2+Their parent \f[CR]expenses\f[R] is also shown, with budget goals+aggregated from the children.+.IP \(bu 2+The subaccounts \f[CR]expenses:food:groceries\f[R] and+\f[CR]expenses:food:dining\f[R] are not shown since they have no budget+goal of their own, but they contribute to \f[CR]expenses:food\f[R]\(aqs+actual amount.+.IP \(bu 2+Unbudgeted accounts \f[CR]expenses:movies\f[R] and+\f[CR]expenses:gifts\f[R] are also not shown, but they contribute to+\f[CR]expenses\f[R]\(aqs actual amount.+.IP \(bu 2+The other unbudgeted accounts \f[CR]income\f[R] and+\f[CR]assets:bank:checking\f[R] are grouped as \f[CR]<unbudgeted>\f[R].+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-depth\f[R] or \f[CR]depth:\f[R] can be used to limit report+depth in the usual way (but will not reveal unbudgeted subaccounts).+.IP \(bu 2+Amounts are always inclusive of subaccounts (even in+\f[CR]\-l/\-\-list\f[R] mode).+.IP \(bu 2+Numbers displayed in a \-\-budget report will not always agree with the+totals, because of hidden unbudgeted accounts; this is normal.+\f[CR]\-E/\-\-empty\f[R] can be used to reveal the hidden accounts.+.IP \(bu 2+In the periodic rules used for setting budget goals, unbalanced postings+are convenient.+.IP \(bu 2+You can filter budget reports with the usual queries, eg to focus on+particular accounts.+It\(aqs common to restrict them to just expenses.+(The \f[CR]<unbudgeted>\f[R] account is occasionally hard to exclude;+this is because of date surprises, discussed below.)+.IP \(bu 2+When you have multiple currencies, you may want to convert them to one+(\f[CR]\-X COMM \-\-infer\-market\-prices\f[R]) and/or show just one at+a time (\f[CR]cur:COMM\f[R]).+If you do need to show multiple currencies at once,+\f[CR]\-\-layout bare\f[R] can be helpful.+.IP \(bu 2+You can \(dqroll over\(dq amounts (actual and budgeted) to the next+period with \f[CR]\-\-cumulative\f[R].+.PP+See also: https://hledger.org/budgeting.html.+.SS Budget date surprises+With small data, or when starting out, some of the generated budget goal+transaction dates might fall outside the report periods.+Eg with the following journal and report, the first period appears to+have no \f[CR]expenses:food\f[R] budget.+(Also the \f[CR]<unbudgeted>\f[R] account should be excluded by the+\f[CR]expenses\f[R] query, but isn\(aqt.):+.IP+.EX+\(ti monthly in 2020+  (expenses:food)  $500++2020\-01\-15+  expenses:food    $400+  assets:checking+.EE+.IP+.EX+$ hledger bal \-\-budget expenses+Budget performance in 2020\-01\-15:++               ||         2020\-01\-15 +===============++====================+ <unbudgeted>  || $400               + expenses:food ||    0 [ 0% of $500] +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+               || $400 [80% of $500] +.EE+.PP+In this case, the budget goal transactions are generated on first days+of of month (this can be seen with+\f[CR]hledger print \-\-forecast tag:generated expenses\f[R]).+Whereas the report period defaults to just the 15th day of january (this+can be seen from the report table\(aqs column headings).+.PP+To fix this kind of thing, be more explicit about the report period+(and/or the periodic rules\(aq dates).+In this case, adding \f[CR]\-b 2020\f[R] does the trick.+.SS Selecting budget goals+By default, the budget report uses all available periodic transaction+rules to generate goals.+This includes rules with a different report interval from your report.+Eg if you have daily, weekly and monthly periodic rules, all of these+will contribute to the goals in a monthly budget report.+.PP+You can select a subset of periodic rules by providing an argument to+the \f[CR]\-\-budget\f[R] flag.+\f[CR]\-\-budget=DESCPAT\f[R] will match all periodic rules whose+description contains DESCPAT, a case\-insensitive substring (not a+regular expression or query).+This means you can give your periodic rules descriptions (remember that+two spaces are needed between period expression and description), and+then select from multiple budgets defined in your journal.+.SS Budgeting vs forecasting+\f[CR]\-\-forecast\f[R] and \f[CR]\-\-budget\f[R] both use the periodic+transaction rules in the journal to generate temporary transactions for+reporting purposes.+However they are separate features \- though you can use both at the+same time if you want.+Here are some differences between them:+.PP+.TS+tab(@);+lw(38.2n) lw(31.8n).+T{+\-\-forecast+T}@T{+\-\-budget+T}+_+T{+is a general option; it enables forecasting with all reports+T}@T{+is a balance command option; it selects the balance report\(aqs budget+mode+T}+T{+generates visible transactions which appear in reports+T}@T{+generates invisible transactions which produce goal amounts+T}+T{+generates forecast transactions from after the last regular transaction,+to the end of the report period; or with an argument+\f[CR]\-\-forecast=PERIODEXPR\f[R] generates them throughout the+specified period, both optionally restricted by periods specified in the+periodic transaction rules+T}@T{+generates budget goal transactions throughout the report period,+optionally restricted by periods specified in the periodic transaction+rules+T}+T{+uses all periodic rules+T}@T{+uses all periodic rules; or with an argument+\f[CR]\-\-budget=DESCPAT\f[R] uses just the rules matched by DESCPAT+T}+.TE+.SS Balance report layout+The \f[CR]\-\-layout\f[R] option affects how \f[CR]balance\f[R] and the+other balance\-like commands show multi\-commodity amounts and commodity+symbols.+It can improve readability, for humans and/or machines (other software).+It has four possible values:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-layout=wide[,WIDTH]\f[R]: commodities are shown on a single+line, optionally elided to WIDTH+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-layout=tall\f[R]: each commodity is shown on a separate line+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-layout=bare\f[R]: commodity symbols are in their own column,+amounts are bare numbers+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]\-\-layout=tidy\f[R]: data is normalised to easily\-consumed+\(dqtidy\(dq form, with one row per data value.+(This one is currently supported only by the \f[CR]balance\f[R]+command.)+.PP+Here are the \f[CR]\-\-layout\f[R] modes supported by each output format+Only CSV output supports all of them:+.PP+.TS+tab(@);+l l l l l l.+T{+\-+T}@T{+txt+T}@T{+csv+T}@T{+html+T}@T{+json+T}@T{+sql+T}+_+T{+wide+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}+T{+tall+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}+T{+bare+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}+T{+tidy+T}@T{+T}@T{+Y+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}@T{+T}+.TE+.PP+Examples:+.SS Wide layout+With many commodities, reports can be very wide:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade \-3 \-T \-Y \-\-layout=wide+Balance changes in 2012\-01\-01..2014\-12\-31:++                  ||                                          2012                                                     2013                                             2014                                                      Total +==================++====================================================================================================================================================================================================================+ Assets:US:ETrade || 10.00 ITOT, 337.18 USD, 12.00 VEA, 106.00 VHT  70.00 GLD, 18.00 ITOT, \-98.12 USD, 10.00 VEA, 18.00 VHT  \-11.00 ITOT, 4881.44 USD, 14.00 VEA, 170.00 VHT  70.00 GLD, 17.00 ITOT, 5120.50 USD, 36.00 VEA, 294.00 VHT +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+                  || 10.00 ITOT, 337.18 USD, 12.00 VEA, 106.00 VHT  70.00 GLD, 18.00 ITOT, \-98.12 USD, 10.00 VEA, 18.00 VHT  \-11.00 ITOT, 4881.44 USD, 14.00 VEA, 170.00 VHT  70.00 GLD, 17.00 ITOT, 5120.50 USD, 36.00 VEA, 294.00 VHT +.EE+.PP+A width limit reduces the width, but some commodities will be hidden:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade \-3 \-T \-Y \-\-layout=wide,32+Balance changes in 2012\-01\-01..2014\-12\-31:++                  ||                             2012                             2013                   2014                            Total +==================++===========================================================================================================================+ Assets:US:ETrade || 10.00 ITOT, 337.18 USD, 2 more..  70.00 GLD, 18.00 ITOT, 3 more..  \-11.00 ITOT, 3 more..  70.00 GLD, 17.00 ITOT, 3 more.. +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+                  || 10.00 ITOT, 337.18 USD, 2 more..  70.00 GLD, 18.00 ITOT, 3 more..  \-11.00 ITOT, 3 more..  70.00 GLD, 17.00 ITOT, 3 more.. +.EE+.SS Tall layout+Each commodity gets a new line (may be different in each column), and+account names are repeated:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade \-3 \-T \-Y \-\-layout=tall+Balance changes in 2012\-01\-01..2014\-12\-31:++                  ||       2012        2013         2014        Total +==================++==================================================+ Assets:US:ETrade || 10.00 ITOT   70.00 GLD  \-11.00 ITOT    70.00 GLD + Assets:US:ETrade || 337.18 USD  18.00 ITOT  4881.44 USD   17.00 ITOT + Assets:US:ETrade ||  12.00 VEA  \-98.12 USD    14.00 VEA  5120.50 USD + Assets:US:ETrade || 106.00 VHT   10.00 VEA   170.00 VHT    36.00 VEA + Assets:US:ETrade ||              18.00 VHT                294.00 VHT +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+                  || 10.00 ITOT   70.00 GLD  \-11.00 ITOT    70.00 GLD +                  || 337.18 USD  18.00 ITOT  4881.44 USD   17.00 ITOT +                  ||  12.00 VEA  \-98.12 USD    14.00 VEA  5120.50 USD +                  || 106.00 VHT   10.00 VEA   170.00 VHT    36.00 VEA +                  ||              18.00 VHT                294.00 VHT +.EE+.SS Bare layout+Commodity symbols are kept in one column, each commodity has its own+row, amounts are bare numbers, account names are repeated:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade \-3 \-T \-Y \-\-layout=bare+Balance changes in 2012\-01\-01..2014\-12\-31:++                  || Commodity    2012    2013     2014    Total +==================++=============================================+ Assets:US:ETrade || GLD             0   70.00        0    70.00 + Assets:US:ETrade || ITOT        10.00   18.00   \-11.00    17.00 + Assets:US:ETrade || USD        337.18  \-98.12  4881.44  5120.50 + Assets:US:ETrade || VEA         12.00   10.00    14.00    36.00 + Assets:US:ETrade || VHT        106.00   18.00   170.00   294.00 +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+                  || GLD             0   70.00        0    70.00 +                  || ITOT        10.00   18.00   \-11.00    17.00 +                  || USD        337.18  \-98.12  4881.44  5120.50 +                  || VEA         12.00   10.00    14.00    36.00 +                  || VHT        106.00   18.00   170.00   294.00 +.EE+.PP+Bare layout also affects CSV output, which is useful for producing data+that is easier to consume, eg for making charts:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade \-3 \-O csv \-\-layout=bare+\(dqaccount\(dq,\(dqcommodity\(dq,\(dqbalance\(dq+\(dqAssets:US:ETrade\(dq,\(dqGLD\(dq,\(dq70.00\(dq+\(dqAssets:US:ETrade\(dq,\(dqITOT\(dq,\(dq17.00\(dq+\(dqAssets:US:ETrade\(dq,\(dqUSD\(dq,\(dq5120.50\(dq+\(dqAssets:US:ETrade\(dq,\(dqVEA\(dq,\(dq36.00\(dq+\(dqAssets:US:ETrade\(dq,\(dqVHT\(dq,\(dq294.00\(dq+\(dqTotal:\(dq,\(dqGLD\(dq,\(dq70.00\(dq+\(dqTotal:\(dq,\(dqITOT\(dq,\(dq17.00\(dq+\(dqTotal:\(dq,\(dqUSD\(dq,\(dq5120.50\(dq+\(dqTotal:\(dq,\(dqVEA\(dq,\(dq36.00\(dq+\(dqTotal:\(dq,\(dqVHT\(dq,\(dq294.00\(dq+.EE+.PP+Bare layout will sometimes display an extra row for the no\-symbol+commodity, because of zero amounts (hledger treats zeroes as+commodity\-less, usually).+This can break \f[CR]hledger\-bar\f[R] confusingly (workaround: add a+\f[CR]cur:\f[R] query to exclude the no\-symbol row).+.SS Tidy layout+This produces normalised \(dqtidy data\(dq (see+https://cran.r\-project.org/web/packages/tidyr/vignettes/tidy\-data.html)+where every variable has its own column and each row represents a single+data point.+This is the easiest kind of data for other software to consume:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade \-3 \-Y \-O csv \-\-layout=tidy+\(dqaccount\(dq,\(dqperiod\(dq,\(dqstart_date\(dq,\(dqend_date\(dq,\(dqcommodity\(dq,\(dqvalue\(dq+\(dqAssets:US:ETrade\(dq,\(dq2012\(dq,\(dq2012\-01\-01\(dq,\(dq2012\-12\-31\(dq,\(dqGLD\(dq,\(dq0\(dq+\(dqAssets:US:ETrade\(dq,\(dq2012\(dq,\(dq2012\-01\-01\(dq,\(dq2012\-12\-31\(dq,\(dqITOT\(dq,\(dq10.00\(dq+\(dqAssets:US:ETrade\(dq,\(dq2012\(dq,\(dq2012\-01\-01\(dq,\(dq2012\-12\-31\(dq,\(dqUSD\(dq,\(dq337.18\(dq+\(dqAssets:US:ETrade\(dq,\(dq2012\(dq,\(dq2012\-01\-01\(dq,\(dq2012\-12\-31\(dq,\(dqVEA\(dq,\(dq12.00\(dq+\(dqAssets:US:ETrade\(dq,\(dq2012\(dq,\(dq2012\-01\-01\(dq,\(dq2012\-12\-31\(dq,\(dqVHT\(dq,\(dq106.00\(dq+\(dqAssets:US:ETrade\(dq,\(dq2013\(dq,\(dq2013\-01\-01\(dq,\(dq2013\-12\-31\(dq,\(dqGLD\(dq,\(dq70.00\(dq+\(dqAssets:US:ETrade\(dq,\(dq2013\(dq,\(dq2013\-01\-01\(dq,\(dq2013\-12\-31\(dq,\(dqITOT\(dq,\(dq18.00\(dq+\(dqAssets:US:ETrade\(dq,\(dq2013\(dq,\(dq2013\-01\-01\(dq,\(dq2013\-12\-31\(dq,\(dqUSD\(dq,\(dq\-98.12\(dq+\(dqAssets:US:ETrade\(dq,\(dq2013\(dq,\(dq2013\-01\-01\(dq,\(dq2013\-12\-31\(dq,\(dqVEA\(dq,\(dq10.00\(dq+\(dqAssets:US:ETrade\(dq,\(dq2013\(dq,\(dq2013\-01\-01\(dq,\(dq2013\-12\-31\(dq,\(dqVHT\(dq,\(dq18.00\(dq+\(dqAssets:US:ETrade\(dq,\(dq2014\(dq,\(dq2014\-01\-01\(dq,\(dq2014\-12\-31\(dq,\(dqGLD\(dq,\(dq0\(dq+\(dqAssets:US:ETrade\(dq,\(dq2014\(dq,\(dq2014\-01\-01\(dq,\(dq2014\-12\-31\(dq,\(dqITOT\(dq,\(dq\-11.00\(dq+\(dqAssets:US:ETrade\(dq,\(dq2014\(dq,\(dq2014\-01\-01\(dq,\(dq2014\-12\-31\(dq,\(dqUSD\(dq,\(dq4881.44\(dq+\(dqAssets:US:ETrade\(dq,\(dq2014\(dq,\(dq2014\-01\-01\(dq,\(dq2014\-12\-31\(dq,\(dqVEA\(dq,\(dq14.00\(dq+\(dqAssets:US:ETrade\(dq,\(dq2014\(dq,\(dq2014\-01\-01\(dq,\(dq2014\-12\-31\(dq,\(dqVHT\(dq,\(dq170.00\(dq+.EE+.SS Balance report output+As noted in Output format, if you choose HTML output (by using+\f[CR]\-O html\f[R] or \f[CR]\-o somefile.html\f[R]), you can create a+\f[CR]hledger.css\f[R] file in the same directory to customise the+report\(aqs appearance.+.PP+The HTML and FODS output formats can generate hyperlinks to a+\f[CR]hledger\-web\f[R] register view for each account and period.+E.g.+if your \f[CR]hledger\-web\f[R] server is reachable at+\f[CR]http://localhost:5000\f[R] then you might run the+\f[CR]balance\f[R] command with the extra option+\f[CR]\-\-base\-url=http://localhost:5000\f[R].+You can also produce relative links, like+\f[CR]\-\-base\-url=\(dqsome/path\(dq\f[R] or+\f[CR]\-\-base\-url=\(dq\(dq\f[R].)+.SS Some useful balance reports+Some frequently used \f[CR]balance\f[R] options/reports are:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]bal \-M revenues expenses\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Show revenues/expenses in each month.+Also available as the \f[CR]incomestatement\f[R] command.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]bal \-M \-H assets liabilities\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Show historical asset/liability balances at each month end.+Also available as the \f[CR]balancesheet\f[R] command.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]bal \-M \-H assets liabilities equity\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Show historical asset/liability/equity balances at each month end.+Also available as the \f[CR]balancesheetequity\f[R] command.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]bal \-M assets not:receivable\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Show changes to liquid assets in each month.+Also available as the \f[CR]cashflow\f[R] command.+.PP+Also:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]bal \-M expenses \-2 \-SA\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Show monthly expenses summarised to depth 2 and sorted by average+amount.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]bal \-M \-\-budget expenses\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Show monthly expenses and budget goals.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]bal \-M \-\-valuechange investments\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Show monthly change in market value of investment assets.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]bal investments \-\-valuechange \-D date:lastweek amt:\(aq>1000\(aq \-STA [\-\-invert]\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Show top gainers [or losers] last week+.SS roi+Shows the time\-weighted (TWR) and money\-weighted (IRR) rate of return+on your investments.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+     \-\-cashflow                 show all amounts that were used to compute+                                returns+     \-\-investment=QUERY         query to select your investment transactions+     \-\-profit\-loss=QUERY \-\-pnl  query to select profit\-and\-loss or+                                appreciation/valuation transactions+.EE+.PP+At a minimum, you need to supply a query (which could be just an account+name) to select your investment(s) with \f[CR]\-\-inv\f[R], and another+query to identify your profit and loss transactions with+\f[CR]\-\-pnl\f[R].+.PP+If you do not record changes in the value of your investment manually,+or do not require computation of time\-weighted return (TWR),+\f[CR]\-\-pnl\f[R] could be an empty query (\f[CR]\-\-pnl \(dq\(dq\f[R]+or \f[CR]\-\-pnl STR\f[R] where \f[CR]STR\f[R] does not match any of+your accounts).+.PP+This command will compute and display the internalized rate of return+(IRR, also known as money\-weighted rate of return) and time\-weighted+rate of return (TWR) for your investments for the time period requested.+IRR is always annualized due to the way it is computed, but TWR is+reported both as a rate over the chosen reporting period and as an+annual rate.+.PP+Price directives will be taken into account if you supply appropriate+\f[CR]\-\-cost\f[R] or \f[CR]\-\-value\f[R] flags (see VALUATION).+.PP+Note, in some cases this report can fail, for these reasons:+.IP \(bu 2+Error (NotBracketed): No solution for Internal Rate of Return (IRR).+Possible causes: IRR is huge (>1000000%), balance of investment becomes+negative at some point in time.+.IP \(bu 2+Error (SearchFailed): Failed to find solution for Internal Rate of+Return (IRR).+Either search does not converge to a solution, or converges too slowly.+.PP+Examples:+.IP \(bu 2+Using roi to compute total return of investment in stocks:+https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/blob/master/examples/investing/roi\-unrealised.ledger+.IP \(bu 2+Cookbook > Return on Investment: https://hledger.org/roi.html+.SS Spaces and special characters in \f[CR]\-\-inv\f[R] and \f[CR]\-\-pnl\f[R]+Note that \f[CR]\-\-inv\f[R] and \f[CR]\-\-pnl\f[R]\(aqs argument is a+query, and queries could have several space\-separated terms (see+QUERIES).+.PP+To indicate that all search terms form single command\-line argument,+you will need to put them in quotes (see Special characters):+.IP+.EX+$ hledger roi \-\-inv \(aqterm1 term2 term3 ...\(aq+.EE+.PP+If any query terms contain spaces themselves, you will need an extra+level of nested quoting, eg:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger roi \-\-inv=\(dq\(aqAssets:Test 1\(aq\(dq \-\-pnl=\(dq\(aqEquity:Unrealized Profit and Loss\(aq\(dq+.EE+.SS Semantics of \f[CR]\-\-inv\f[R] and \f[CR]\-\-pnl\f[R]+Query supplied to \f[CR]\-\-inv\f[R] has to match all transactions that+are related to your investment.+Transactions not matching \f[CR]\-\-inv\f[R] will be ignored.+.PP+In these transactions, ROI will conside postings that match+\f[CR]\-\-inv\f[R] to be \(dqinvestment postings\(dq and other postings+(not matching \f[CR]\-\-inv\f[R]) will be sorted into two categories:+\(dqcash flow\(dq and \(dqprofit and loss\(dq, as ROI needs to know+which part of the investment value is your contributions and which is+due to the return on investment.+.IP \(bu 2+\(dqCash flow\(dq is depositing or withdrawing money, buying or selling+assets, or otherwise converting between your investment commodity and+any other commodity.+Example:+.RS 2+.IP+.EX+2019\-01\-01 Investing in Snake Oil+  assets:cash          \-$100+  investment:snake oil++2020\-01\-01 Selling my Snake Oil+  assets:cash           $10+  investment:snake oil  = 0+.EE+.RE+.IP \(bu 2+\(dqProfit and loss\(dq is change in the value of your investment:+.RS 2+.IP+.EX+2019\-06\-01 Snake Oil falls in value+  investment:snake oil  = $57+  equity:unrealized profit or loss+.EE+.RE+.PP+All non\-investment postings are assumed to be \(dqcash flow\(dq, unless+they match \f[CR]\-\-pnl\f[R] query.+Changes in value of your investment due to \(dqprofit and loss\(dq+postings will be considered as part of your investment return.+.PP+Example: if you use \f[CR]\-\-inv snake \-\-pnl equity:unrealized\f[R],+then postings in the example below would be classifed as:+.IP+.EX+2019\-01\-01 Snake Oil #1+  assets:cash          \-$100   ; cash flow posting+  investment:snake oil         ; investment posting++2019\-03\-01 Snake Oil #2+  equity:unrealized pnl  \-$100 ; profit and loss posting+  snake oil                    ; investment posting++2019\-07\-01 Snake Oil #3+  equity:unrealized pnl        ; profit and loss posting+  cash          \-$100          ; cash flow posting+  snake oil     $50            ; investment posting+.EE+.SS IRR and TWR explained+\(dqROI\(dq stands for \(dqreturn on investment\(dq.+Traditionally this was computed as a difference between current value of+investment and its initial value, expressed in percentage of the initial+value.+.PP+However, this approach is only practical in simple cases, where+investments receives no in\-flows or out\-flows of money, and where rate+of growth is fixed over time.+For more complex scenarios you need different ways to compute rate of+return, and this command implements two of them: IRR and TWR.+.PP+Internal rate of return, or \(dqIRR\(dq (also called \(dqmoney\-weighted+rate of return\(dq) takes into account effects of in\-flows and+out\-flows, and the time between them.+Investment at a particular fixed interest rate is going to give you more+interest than the same amount invested at the same interest rate, but+made later in time.+If you are withdrawing from your investment, your future gains would be+smaller (in absolute numbers), and will be a smaller percentage of your+initial investment, so your IRR will be smaller.+And if you are adding to your investment, you will receive bigger+absolute gains, which will be a bigger percentage of your initial+investment, so your IRR will be larger.+.PP+As mentioned before, in\-flows and out\-flows would be any cash that you+personally put in or withdraw, and for the \(dqroi\(dq command, these+are the postings that match the query in the\f[CR]\-\-inv\f[R] argument+and NOT match the query in the\f[CR]\-\-pnl\f[R] argument.+.PP+If you manually record changes in the value of your investment as+transactions that balance them against \(dqprofit and loss\(dq (or+\(dqunrealized gains\(dq) account or use price directives, then in order+for IRR to compute the precise effect of your in\-flows and out\-flows+on the rate of return, you will need to record the value of your+investement on or close to the days when in\- or out\-flows occur.+.PP+In technical terms, IRR uses the same approach as computation of net+present value, and tries to find a discount rate that makes net present+value of all the cash flows of your investment to add up to zero.+This could be hard to wrap your head around, especially if you+haven\(aqt done discounted cash flow analysis before.+Implementation of IRR in hledger should produce results that match the+\f[CR]=XIRR\f[R] formula in Excel.+.PP+Second way to compute rate of return that \f[CR]roi\f[R] command+implements is called \(dqtime\-weighted rate of return\(dq or+\(dqTWR\(dq.+Like IRR, it will account for the effect of your in\-flows and+out\-flows, but unlike IRR it will try to compute the true rate of+return of the underlying asset, compensating for the effect that+deposits and withdrawas have on the apparent rate of growth of your+investment.+.PP+TWR represents your investment as an imaginary \(dqunit fund\(dq where+in\-flows/ out\-flows lead to buying or selling \(dqunits\(dq of your+investment and changes in its value change the value of \(dqinvestment+unit\(dq.+Change in \(dqunit price\(dq over the reporting period gives you rate of+return of your investment, and make TWR less sensitive than IRR to the+effects of cash in\-flows and out\-flows.+.PP+References:+.IP \(bu 2+Explanation of rate of return+.IP \(bu 2+Explanation of IRR+.IP \(bu 2+Explanation of TWR+.IP \(bu 2+IRR vs TWR+.IP \(bu 2+Examples of computing IRR and TWR and discussion of the limitations of+both metrics+.SH Chart commands+.SS activity+Show an ascii barchart of posting counts per interval.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+no command\-specific flags+.EE+.PP+The activity command displays an ascii histogram showing transaction+counts by day, week, month or other reporting interval (by day is the+default).+With query arguments, it counts only matched transactions.+.PP+Examples:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger activity \-\-quarterly+2008\-01\-01 **+2008\-04\-01 *******+2008\-07\-01 +2008\-10\-01 **+.EE+.SH Data generation commands+.SS close+(equity)+.PP+\f[CR]close\f[R] prints several kinds of \(dqclosing\(dq and/or+\(dqopening\(dq transactions, useful in various situations: migrating+balances to a new journal file, retaining earnings into equity,+consolidating balances, viewing lot costs..+Like \f[CR]print\f[R], it prints valid journal entries.+You can copy these into your journal file(s) when you are happy with how+they look.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+     \-\-clopen[=TAGVAL]      show closing and opening balances transactions,+                            for AL accounts by default+     \-\-close[=TAGVAL]       show just a closing balances transaction+     \-\-open[=TAGVAL]        show just an opening balances transaction+     \-\-assert[=TAGVAL]      show a balance assertions transaction+     \-\-assign[=TAGVAL]      show a balance assignments transaction+     \-\-retain[=TAGVAL]      show a retain earnings transaction, for RX+                            accounts by default+  \-x \-\-explicit             show all amounts explicitly+     \-\-show\-costs           show amounts with different costs separately+     \-\-interleaved          show source and destination postings together+     \-\-assertion\-type=TYPE  =, ==, =* or ==*+     \-\-close\-desc=DESC      set closing transaction\(aqs description+     \-\-close\-acct=ACCT      set closing transaction\(aqs destination account+     \-\-open\-desc=DESC       set opening transaction\(aqs description+     \-\-open\-acct=ACCT       set opening transaction\(aqs source account+     \-\-round=TYPE           how much rounding or padding should be done when+                            displaying amounts ?+                            none \- show original decimal digits,+                                   as in journal (default)+                            soft \- just add or remove decimal zeros+                                   to match precision+                            hard \- round posting amounts to precision+                                   (can unbalance transactions)+                            all  \- also round cost amounts to precision+                                   (can unbalance transactions)+.EE+.PP+\f[CR]close\f[R] has six modes, selected by choosing one of the mode+flags: \f[CR]\-\-clopen\f[R], \f[CR]\-\-close\f[R] (default),+\f[CR]\-\-open\f[R], \f[CR]\-\-assert\f[R], \f[CR]\-\-assign\f[R], or+\f[CR]\-\-retain\f[R].+They are all doing the same kind of operation, but with different+defaults for different situations.+.PP+The journal entries generated by \f[CR]close\f[R] will have a+\f[CR]clopen:\f[R] tag, which is helpful when you want to exclude them+from reports.+If the main journal file name contains a number, the tag\(aqs value will+be that base file name with the number incremented.+Eg if the journal file is 2025.journal, the tag will be+\f[CR]clopen:2026\f[R].+Or you can set the tag value by providing an argument to the mode flag.+Eg \f[CR]\-\-close=foo\f[R] or \f[CR]\-\-clopen=2025\-main\f[R].+.SS close \-\-clopen+This is useful if migrating balances to a new journal file at the start+of a new year.+It prints a \(dqclosing balances\(dq transaction that zeroes out account+balances (Asset and Liability accounts, by default), and an opposite+\(dqopening balances\(dq transaction that restores them again.+Typically, you would run+.IP+.EX+hledger close \-\-clopen \-e NEWYEAR >> $LEDGER_FILE+.EE+.PP+and then move the opening transaction from the old file to the new file+(and probably also update your LEDGER_FILE environment variable).+.PP+Why might you do this ?+If your reports are fast, you may not need it.+But at some point you will probably want to partition your data by time,+for performance or data integrity or regulatory reasons.+A new file or set of files per year is common.+Then, having each file/fileset \(dqbookended\(dq with opening and+closing balance transactions will allow you to freely pick and choose+which files to read \- just the current year, any past year, any+sequence of years, or all of them \- while showing correct account+balances in each case.+The earliest opening balances transaction sets correct starting+balances, and any later closing/opening pairs will harmlessly cancel+each other out.+.PP+The balances will be transferred to and from+\f[CR]equity:opening/closing balances\f[R] by default.+You can override this by using \f[CR]\-\-close\-acct\f[R] and/or+\f[CR]\-\-open\-acct\f[R].+.PP+You can select a different set of accounts to close/open by providing an+account query.+Eg to add Equity accounts, provide arguments like+\f[CR]assets liabilities equity\f[R] or \f[CR]type:ALE\f[R].+When migrating to a new file, you\(aqll usually want to bring along the+AL or ALE accounts, but not the RX accounts (Revenue, Expense).+.PP+Assertions will be added indicating and checking the new balances of the+closed/opened accounts.+.SS close \-\-close+This prints just the closing balances transaction of+\f[CR]\-\-clopen\f[R].+It is the default if you don\(aqt specify a mode.+.PP+More customisation options are described below.+Among other things, you can use \f[CR]close \-\-close\f[R] to generate a+transaction moving the balances from any set of accounts, to a different+account.+(If you need to move just a portion of the balance, see hledger\-move.)+.SS close \-\-open+This prints just the opening balances transaction of+\f[CR]\-\-clopen\f[R].+(It is similar to Ledger\(aqs equity command.)+.SS close \-\-assert+This prints a transaction that asserts the account balances as they are+on the end date (and adds an \f[CR]assert:\f[R] tag).+It could be useful as documention and to guard against changes.+.SS close \-\-assign+This prints a transaction that assigns the account balances as they are+on the end date (and adds an \(dqassign:\(dq tag).+Unlike balance assertions, assignments will post changes to balances as+needed to reach the specified amounts.+.PP+This is another way to set starting balances when migrating to a new+file, and it will set them correctly even in the presence of earlier+files which do not have a closing balances transaction.+However, it can hide errors, and disturb the accounting equation, so+\f[CR]\-\-clopen\f[R] is usually recommended.+.SS close \-\-retain+This is like \f[CR]\-\-close\f[R], but it closes Revenue and Expense+account balances by default.+They will be transferred to \f[CR]equity:retained earnings\f[R], or+another account specified with \f[CR]\-\-close\-acct\f[R].+.PP+Revenues and expenses correspond to changes in equity.+They are categorised separately for reporting purposes, but+traditionally at the end of each accounting period, businesses+consolidate them into equity, This is called \(dqretaining earnings\(dq,+or \(dqclosing the books\(dq.+.PP+In personal accounting, there\(aqs not much reason to do this, and most+people don\(aqt.+(One reason to do it is to help the \f[CR]balancesheetequity\f[R] report+show a zero total, demonstrating that the accounting equation (A\-L=E)+is satisfied.)+.SS close customisation+In all modes, the following things can be overridden:+.IP \(bu 2+the accounts to be closed/opened, with account query arguments+.IP \(bu 2+the closing/opening dates, with \f[CR]\-e OPENDATE\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+the balancing account, with \f[CR]\-\-close\-acct=ACCT\f[R] and/or+\f[CR]\-\-open\-acct=ACCT\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+the transaction descriptions, with \f[CR]\-\-close\-desc=DESC\f[R] and+\f[CR]\-\-open\-desc=DESC\f[R]+.IP \(bu 2+the transactions\(aq \f[CR]clopen\f[R] tag value, with a+\f[CR]TAGVAL\f[R] argument for the mode flag (see above).+.PP+By default, the closing date is yesterday, or the journal\(aqs end date,+whichever is later; and the opening date is always one day after the+closing date.+You can change these by specifying a report end date; the closing date+will be the last day of the report period.+Eg \f[CR]\-e 2024\f[R] means \(dqclose on 2023\-12\-31, open on+2024\-01\-01\(dq.+.PP+With \f[CR]\-\-x/\-\-explicit\f[R], the balancing amount will be shown+explicitly, and if it involves multiple commodities, a separate posting+will be generated for each of them (similar to \f[CR]print \-x\f[R]).+.PP+With \f[CR]\-\-interleaved\f[R], each individual transfer is shown with+source and destination postings next to each other (perhaps useful for+troubleshooting).+.PP+With \f[CR]\-\-show\-costs\f[R], balances\(aq costs are also shown, with+different costs kept separate.+This may generate very large journal entries, if you have many currency+conversions or investment transactions.+\f[CR]close \-\-show\-costs\f[R] is currently the best way to view+investment lots with hledger.+(To move or dispose of lots, see the more capable+\f[CR]hledger\-move\f[R] script.)+.SS close and balance assertions+\f[CR]close\f[R] adds balance assertions verifying that the accounts+have been reset to zero in a closing transaction or restored to their+previous balances in an opening transaction.+These provide useful error checking, but you can ignore them temporarily+with \f[CR]\-I\f[R], or remove them if you prefer.+.PP+Single\-commodity, subaccount\-exclusive balance assertions+(\f[CR]=\f[R]) are generated by default.+This can be changed with \f[CR]\-\-assertion\-type=\(aq==*\(aq\f[R]+(eg).+.PP+When running \f[CR]close\f[R] you should probably avoid using+\f[CR]\-C\f[R], \f[CR]\-R\f[R], \f[CR]status:\f[R] (filtering by status+or realness) or \f[CR]\-\-auto\f[R] (generating postings), since the+generated balance assertions would then require these.+.PP+Transactions with multiple dates (eg posting dates) spanning the file+boundary also can disrupt the balance assertions:+.IP+.EX+2023\-12\-30 a purchase made in december, cleared in january+    expenses:food          5+    assets:bank:checking  \-5  ; date: 2023\-01\-02+.EE+.PP+To solve this you can transfer the money to and from a temporary+account, splitting the multi\-day transaction into two single\-day+transactions:+.IP+.EX+; in 2022.journal:+2022\-12\-30 a purchase made in december, cleared in january+    expenses:food          5+    equity:pending        \-5++; in 2023.journal:+2023\-01\-02 last year\(aqs transaction cleared+    equity:pending         5 = 0+    assets:bank:checking  \-5+.EE+.SS close examples+.SS Retain earnings+Record 2022\(aqs revenues/expenses as retained earnings on 2022\-12\-31,+appending the generated transaction to the journal:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger close \-\-retain \-f 2022.journal \-p 2022 >> 2022.journal+.EE+.PP+After this, to see 2022\(aqs revenues and expenses you must exclude the+retain earnings transaction:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f 2022.journal is not:desc:\(aqretain earnings\(aq+.EE+.SS Migrate balances to a new file+Close assets/liabilities on 2022\-12\-31 and re\-open them on+2023\-01\-01:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger close \-\-clopen \-f 2022.journal \-p 2022+# copy/paste the closing transaction to the end of 2022.journal+# copy/paste the opening transaction to the start of 2023.journal+.EE+.PP+After this, to see 2022\(aqs end\-of\-year balances you must exclude the+closing balances transaction:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger \-f 2022.journal bs not:desc:\(aqclosing balances\(aq+.EE+.PP+For more flexibility, it helps to tag closing and opening transactions+with eg \f[CR]clopen:NEWYEAR\f[R], then you can ensure correct balances+by excluding all opening/closing transactions except the first, like so:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger bs \-Y \-f 2021.j \-f 2022.j \-f 2023.j expr:\(aqtag:clopen=2021 or not tag:clopen\(aq+$ hledger bs \-Y \-f 2021.j \-f 2022.j           expr:\(aqtag:clopen=2021 or not tag:clopen\(aq+$ hledger bs \-Y \-f 2022.j \-f 2023.j           expr:\(aqtag:clopen=2022 or not tag:clopen\(aq+$ hledger bs \-Y \-f 2021.j                     expr:\(aqtag:clopen=2021 or not tag:clopen\(aq+$ hledger bs \-Y \-f 2022.j                     expr:\(aqtag:clopen=2022 or not tag:clopen\(aq+$ hledger bs \-Y \-f 2023.j                     # unclosed file, no query needed+.EE+.SS More detailed close examples+See examples/multi\-year.+.SS rewrite+Print all transactions, rewriting the postings of matched transactions.+For now the only rewrite available is adding new postings, like print+\-\-auto.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+     \-\-add\-posting=\(aqACCT  AMTEXPR\(aq  add a posting to ACCT, which may be+                                    parenthesised. AMTEXPR is either a literal+                                    amount, or *N which means the transaction\(aqs+                                    first matched amount multiplied by N (a+                                    decimal number). Two spaces separate ACCT+                                    and AMTEXPR.+     \-\-diff                         generate diff suitable as an input for+                                    patch tool+.EE+.PP+This is a start at a generic rewriter of transaction entries.+It reads the default journal and prints the transactions, like print,+but adds one or more specified postings to any transactions matching+QUERY.+The posting amounts can be fixed, or a multiplier of the existing+transaction\(aqs first posting amount.+.PP+Examples:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger\-rewrite.hs \(haincome \-\-add\-posting \(aq(liabilities:tax)  *.33  ; income tax\(aq \-\-add\-posting \(aq(reserve:gifts)  $100\(aq+$ hledger\-rewrite.hs expenses:gifts \-\-add\-posting \(aq(reserve:gifts)  *\-1\(dq\(aq+$ hledger\-rewrite.hs \-f rewrites.hledger+.EE+.PP+rewrites.hledger may consist of entries like:+.IP+.EX+= \(haincome amt:<0 date:2017+  (liabilities:tax)  *0.33  ; tax on income+  (reserve:grocery)  *0.25  ; reserve 25% for grocery+  (reserve:)  *0.25  ; reserve 25% for grocery+.EE+.PP+Note the single quotes to protect the dollar sign from bash, and the two+spaces between account and amount.+.PP+More:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger rewrite [QUERY]        \-\-add\-posting \(dqACCT  AMTEXPR\(dq ...+$ hledger rewrite \(haincome        \-\-add\-posting \(aq(liabilities:tax)  *.33\(aq+$ hledger rewrite expenses:gifts \-\-add\-posting \(aq(budget:gifts)  *\-1\(dq\(aq+$ hledger rewrite \(haincome        \-\-add\-posting \(aq(budget:foreign currency)  *0.25 JPY; diversify\(aq+.EE+.PP+Argument for \f[CR]\-\-add\-posting\f[R] option is a usual posting of+transaction with an exception for amount specification.+More precisely, you can use \f[CR]\(aq*\(aq\f[R] (star symbol) before+the amount to indicate that that this is a factor for an amount of+original matched posting.+If the amount includes a commodity name, the new posting amount will be+in the new commodity; otherwise, it will be in the matched posting+amount\(aqs commodity.+.SS Re\-write rules in a file+During the run this tool will execute so called \(dqAutomated+Transactions\(dq found in any journal it process.+I.e instead of specifying this operations in command line you can put+them in a journal file.+.IP+.EX+$ rewrite\-rules.journal+.EE+.PP+Make contents look like this:+.IP+.EX+= \(haincome+    (liabilities:tax)  *.33++= expenses:gifts+    budget:gifts  *\-1+    assets:budget  *1+.EE+.PP+Note that \f[CR]\(aq=\(aq\f[R] (equality symbol) that is used instead of+date in transactions you usually write.+It indicates the query by which you want to match the posting to add new+ones.+.IP+.EX+$ hledger rewrite \-f input.journal \-f rewrite\-rules.journal > rewritten\-tidy\-output.journal+.EE+.PP+This is something similar to the commands pipeline:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger rewrite \-f input.journal \(aq\(haincome\(aq \-\-add\-posting \(aq(liabilities:tax)  *.33\(aq \(rs+  | hledger rewrite \-f \- expenses:gifts      \-\-add\-posting \(aqbudget:gifts  *\-1\(aq       \(rs+                                                \-\-add\-posting \(aqassets:budget  *1\(aq       \(rs+  > rewritten\-tidy\-output.journal+.EE+.PP+It is important to understand that relative order of such entries in+journal is important.+You can re\-use result of previously added postings.+.SS Diff output format+To use this tool for batch modification of your journal files you may+find useful output in form of unified diff.+.IP+.EX+$ hledger rewrite \-\-diff \-f examples/sample.journal \(aq\(haincome\(aq \-\-add\-posting \(aq(liabilities:tax)  *.33\(aq+.EE+.PP+Output might look like:+.IP+.EX+\-\-\- /tmp/examples/sample.journal++++ /tmp/examples/sample.journal+\(at\(at \-18,3 +18,4 \(at\(at+ 2008/01/01 income+\-    assets:bank:checking  $1++    assets:bank:checking            $1+     income:salary++    (liabilities:tax)                0+\(at\(at \-22,3 +23,4 \(at\(at+ 2008/06/01 gift+\-    assets:bank:checking  $1++    assets:bank:checking            $1+     income:gifts++    (liabilities:tax)                0+.EE+.PP+If you\(aqll pass this through \f[CR]patch\f[R] tool you\(aqll get+transactions containing the posting that matches your query be updated.+Note that multiple files might be update according to list of input+files specified via \f[CR]\-\-file\f[R] options and \f[CR]include\f[R]+directives inside of these files.+.PP+Be careful.+Whole transaction being re\-formatted in a style of output from+\f[CR]hledger print\f[R].+.PP+See also:+.PP+https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/99+.SS rewrite vs. print \-\-auto+This command predates print \-\-auto, and currently does much the same+thing, but with these differences:+.IP \(bu 2+with multiple files, rewrite lets rules in any file affect all other+files.+print \-\-auto uses standard directive scoping; rules affect only child+files.+.IP \(bu 2+rewrite\(aqs query limits which transactions can be rewritten; all are+printed.+print \-\-auto\(aqs query limits which transactions are printed.+.IP \(bu 2+rewrite applies rules specified on command line or in the journal.+print \-\-auto applies rules specified in the journal.+.SH Maintenance commands+.SS check+Check for various kinds of errors in your data.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+no command\-specific flags+.EE+.PP+hledger provides a number of built\-in correctness checks to help+validate your data and prevent errors.+Some are run automatically, some when you enable \f[CR]\-\-strict\f[R]+mode; or you can run any of them on demand by providing them as+arguments to the \f[CR]check\f[R] command.+\f[CR]check\f[R] produces no output and a zero exit code if all is well.+Eg:+.IP+.EX+hledger check                      # run basic checks+hledger check \-s                   # run basic and strict checks+hledger check ordereddates payees  # run basic checks and two others+.EE+.PP+If you are an Emacs user, you can also configure flycheck\-hledger to+run these checks, providing instant feedback as you edit the journal.+.PP+Here are the checks currently available.+They are generally checked in the order they are shown here, and only+the first failure will be reported.+.SS Basic checks+These important checks are performed by default, by almost all hledger+commands:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[B]parseable\f[R] \- data files are in a supported format, with no+syntax errors and no invalid include directives.+This ensures that all files exist and are readable.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[B]autobalanced\f[R] \- all transactions are balanced, after+automatically inferring missing amounts and conversion rates and then+converting amounts to cost.+This ensures that each transaction\(aqs journal entry is well formed.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[B]assertions\f[R] \- all balance assertions in the journal are+passing.+Balance assertions are a strong defense against errors, catching many+problems.+This check is on by default, but if it gets in your way, you can disable+it temporarily with \f[CR]\-I\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-ignore\-assertions\f[R], or+as a default by adding that flag to your config file.+(Then use \f[CR]\-s\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-strict\f[R] or+\f[CR]hledger check assertions\f[R] when you want to enable it).+.SS Strict checks+When the \f[CR]\-s\f[R]/\f[CR]\-\-strict\f[R] flag is used (AKA strict+mode), all commands will perform the following additional checks (and+\f[CR]assertions\f[R], above).+These provide extra error\-catching power to help you keep your data+clean and correct:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[B]balanced\f[R] \- like \f[CR]autobalanced\f[R], but implicit+conversions between commodities are not allowed; all conversion+transactions must use cost notation or equity postings.+This prevents wrong conversions caused by typos.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[B]commodities\f[R] \- all commodity symbols used must be declared.+This guards against mistyping or omitting commodity symbols.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[B]accounts\f[R] \- all account names used must be declared.+This prevents the use of mis\-spelled or outdated account names.+.SS Other checks+These are not wanted by everyone, but can be run using the+\f[CR]check\f[R] command:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[B]tags\f[R] \- all tags used must be declared.+This prevents mis\-spelled tag names.+Note hledger fairly often finds unintended tags in comments.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[B]payees\f[R] \- all payees used in transactions must be declared.+This will force you to declare any new payee name before using it.+Most people will probably find this a bit too strict.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[B]ordereddates\f[R] \- within each file, transactions must be ordered+by date.+This is a simple and effective error catcher.+It\(aqs not included in strict mode, but you can add it by running+\f[CR]hledger check \-s ordereddates\f[R].+If enabled, this check is performed before balance assertions.+.IP \(bu 2+\f[B]recentassertions\f[R] \- all accounts with balance assertions must+have one that\(aqs within the 7 days before their latest posting.+This will encourage adding balance assertions for your active+asset/liability accounts, which in turn should encourage you to+reconcile regularly with those real world balances \- another strong+defense against errors.+(\f[CR]hledger close \-\-assert >>$LEDGER_FILE\f[R] is a convenient way+to add new balance assertions.+Later these become quite redundant, and you might choose to remove them+to reduce clutter.)+.IP \(bu 2+\f[B]uniqueleafnames\f[R] \- no two accounts may have the same last+account name part (eg the \f[CR]checking\f[R] in+\f[CR]assets:bank:checking\f[R]).+This ensures each account can be matched by a unique short name, easier+to remember and to type.+.SS Custom checks+You can build your own custom checks with add\-on command scripts.+See also Cookbook > Scripting.+Here are some examples from hledger/bin/:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[B]hledger\-check\-tagfiles\f[R] \- all tag values containing+\f[CR]/\f[R] exist as file paths+.IP \(bu 2+\f[B]hledger\-check\-fancyassertions\f[R] \- more complex balance+assertions are passing+.SS diff+Compares a particular account\(aqs transactions in two input files.+It shows any transactions to this account which are in one file but not+in the other.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+no command\-specific flags+.EE+.PP+More precisely: for each posting affecting this account in either file,+this command looks for a corresponding posting in the other file which+posts the same amount to the same account (ignoring date, description,+etc).+.PP+Since it compares postings, not transactions, this also works when+multiple bank transactions have been combined into a single journal+entry.+.PP+This command is useful eg if you have downloaded an account\(aqs+transactions from your bank (eg as CSV data): when hledger and your bank+disagree about the account balance, you can compare the bank data with+your journal to find out the cause.+.PP+Examples:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger diff \-f $LEDGER_FILE \-f bank.csv assets:bank:giro +These transactions are in the first file only:++2014/01/01 Opening Balances+    assets:bank:giro              EUR ...+    ...+    equity:opening balances       EUR \-...++These transactions are in the second file only:+.EE+.SS setup+Check the status of the hledger installation.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+no command\-specific flags+.EE+.PP+\f[CR]setup\f[R] tests your hledger installation and prints a list of+results, sometimes with helpful hints.+This is a good first command to run after installing hledger.+Also after upgrading, or when something\(aqs not working, or just when+you want a reminder of where things are.+.PP+It makes one network request to detect the latest hledger release+version.+It\(aqs ok if this fails or times out.+It will use ANSI color by default, unless disabled by NO_COLOR or+\-\-color=n.+It does not use a pager or a config file.+.PP+It expects that the hledger version you are running is installed in your+PATH.+If not, it will stop until you have done that (to keep things simple).+.PP+Example:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger setup+Checking your hledger setup..+Legend: good, neutral, unknown, warning++hledger+* is a released version ?                   no  hledger 1.42.99\-gbca4b39c5\-20250425, mac\-aarch64+* is up to date ?                          yes  1.42.99 installed, latest is 1.42.1+* is a native binary for this machine ?    yes  aarch64+* is installed in PATH ?                   yes  /Users/simon/.local/bin/hledger+* has a system text encoding configured ?  yes  UTF\-8, data files should use this encoding+* has a user config file ? (optional)       no  +* current directory has a local config ?   yes  /Users/simon/src/hledger/hledger.conf+* the config file is readable ?            yes  /Users/simon/src/hledger/hledger.conf++terminal+* the NO_COLOR variable is defined ?        no  +* \-\-color is configured by config file ?    no  +* hledger will use color by default ?      yes  +* the PAGER variable is defined ?          yes  less+* \-\-pager is configured by config file ?    no  +* hledger will use a pager when needed ?   yes  /opt/homebrew/bin/less+* the LESS variable is defined ?           yes  +* the HLEDGER_LESS variable is defined ?    no  +* adjusting LESS variable for color etc. ? yes  +* \-\-pretty is enabled by config file ?      no  tables will use ASCII characters+* bash shell completions are installed ?     ?  +* zsh shell completions are installed ?      ?  ++journal+* the LEDGER_FILE variable is defined ?    yes  /Users/simon/finance/2025/2025.journal+* a default journal file is readable ?     yes  /Users/simon/finance/2025/2025.journal+* it includes additional files ?           yes  15+* all commodities are declared ?           yes  10+* all accounts are declared ?              yes  160+* all accounts have types ?                 no  14 untyped+* accounts of each type were detected ?    yes  ALERXCV+* commodities/accounts are checked ?        no  use \-s to check commodities/accounts+* balance assertions are checked ?         yes  use \-I to ignore assertions+.EE+.SS test+Run built\-in unit tests.+.IP+.EX+Flags:+no command\-specific flags+.EE+.PP+This command runs the unit tests built in to hledger and hledger\-lib,+printing the results on stdout.+If any test fails, the exit code will be non\-zero.+.PP+This is mainly used by hledger developers, but you can also use it to+sanity\-check the installed hledger executable on your platform.+All tests are expected to pass \- if you ever see a failure, please+report as a bug!+.PP+Any arguments before a \f[CR]\-\-\f[R] argument will be passed to the+\f[CR]tasty\f[R] test runner as test\-selecting \-p patterns, and any+arguments after \f[CR]\-\-\f[R] will be passed to tasty unchanged.+.PP+Examples:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger test               # run all unit tests+$ hledger test balance       # run tests with \(dqbalance\(dq in their name+$ hledger test \-\- \-h         # show tasty\(aqs options+.EE+.PP+.SH PART 5: COMMON TASKS+Here are some quick examples of how to do some basic tasks with hledger.+.SS Getting help+Here\(aqs how to list commands and view options and command docs:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger                # show available commands+$ hledger \-\-help         # show common options+$ hledger CMD \-\-help     # show CMD\(aqs options, common options and CMD\(aqs documentation+.EE+.PP+You can also view your hledger version\(aqs manual in several formats by+using the help command.+Eg:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger help           # show the hledger manual with info, man or $PAGER (best available)+$ hledger help journal   # show the journal topic in the hledger manual+$ hledger help \-\-help    # find out more about the help command+.EE+.PP+To view manuals and introductory docs on the web, visit+https://hledger.org.+Chat and mail list support and discussion archives can be found at+https://hledger.org/support.+.SS Constructing command lines+hledger has a flexible command line interface.+We strive to keep it simple and ergonomic, but if you run into one of+the sharp edges described in OPTIONS, here are some tips that might+help:+.IP \(bu 2+command\-specific options must go after the command (it\(aqs fine to put+common options there too: \f[CR]hledger CMD OPTS ARGS\f[R])+.IP \(bu 2+you can run addon commands via hledger (\f[CR]hledger ui [ARGS]\f[R]) or+directly (\f[CR]hledger\-ui [ARGS]\f[R])+.IP \(bu 2+enclose \(dqproblematic\(dq arguments in single quotes+.IP \(bu 2+if needed, also add a backslash to hide regular expression+metacharacters from the shell+.IP \(bu 2+to see how a misbehaving command line is being parsed, add+\f[CR]\-\-debug=2\f[R].+.SS Starting a journal file+hledger looks for your accounting data in a journal file,+\f[CR]$HOME/.hledger.journal\f[R] by default:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger stats+The hledger journal file \(dq/Users/simon/.hledger.journal\(dq was not found.+Please create it first, eg with \(dqhledger add\(dq or a text editor.+Or, specify an existing journal file with \-f or LEDGER_FILE.+.EE+.PP+You can override this by setting the \f[CR]LEDGER_FILE\f[R] environment+variable (see below).+It\(aqs a good practice to keep this important file under version+control, and to start a new file each year.+So you could do something like this:+.IP+.EX+$ mkdir \(ti/finance+$ cd \(ti/finance+$ git init+Initialized empty Git repository in /Users/simon/finance/.git/+$ touch 2023.journal+$ echo \(dqexport LEDGER_FILE=$HOME/finance/2023.journal\(dq >> \(ti/.profile+$ source \(ti/.profile+$ hledger stats+Main file                : /Users/simon/finance/2023.journal+Included files           : +Transactions span        :  to  (0 days)+Last transaction         : none+Transactions             : 0 (0.0 per day)+Transactions last 30 days: 0 (0.0 per day)+Transactions last 7 days : 0 (0.0 per day)+Payees/descriptions      : 0+Accounts                 : 0 (depth 0)+Commodities              : 0 ()+Market prices            : 0 ()+.EE+.SS Setting LEDGER_FILE+.SS Set LEDGER_FILE on unix+It depends on your shell, but running these commands in the terminal+will work for many people; adapt if needed:+.IP+.EX+$ echo \(aqexport LEDGER_FILE=\(ti/finance/main.journal\(aq >> \(ti/.profile+$ source \(ti/.profile+.EE+.PP+When correctly configured:+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]env | grep LEDGER_FILE\f[R] will show your new setting+.IP \(bu 2+and so should \f[CR]hledger setup\f[R] and \f[CR]hledger files\f[R].+.SS Set LEDGER_FILE on mac+In a terminal window, follow the unix procedure above.+.PP+Also, this optional step may be helpful for GUI applications:+.IP "1." 3+Add an entry to \f[CR]\(ti/.MacOSX/environment.plist\f[R] like+.RS 4+.IP+.EX+{+  \(dqLEDGER_FILE\(dq : \(dq\(ti/finance/main.journal\(dq+}+.EE+.RE+.IP "2." 3+Run \f[CR]killall Dock\f[R] in a terminal window (or restart the+machine), to complete the change.+.PP+When correctly configured for GUI applications:+.IP \(bu 2+apps started from the dock or a spotlight search, such as a GUI Emacs,+will be aware of the new LEDGER_FILE setting.+.SS Set LEDGER_FILE on Windows+It can be easier to create a default file at+\f[CR]C:\(rsUsers\(rsUSER\(rs.hledger.journal\f[R], and have it include+your other files.+See I\(aqm on Windows, how do I keep my files in AppData?+.PP+Otherwise: using the gui is easiest:+.IP "1." 3+In task bar, search for \f[CR]environment variables\f[R], and choose+\(dqEdit environment variables for your account\(dq.+.IP "2." 3+Create or change a \f[CR]LEDGER_FILE\f[R] setting in the User variables+pane.+A typical value would be+\f[CR]C:\(rsUsers\(rsUSER\(rsfinance\(rsmain.journal\f[R].+.IP "3." 3+Click OK to complete the change.+.IP "4." 3+And open a new powershell window.+(Existing windows won\(aqt see the change.)+.PP+Or at the command line, you can do it this way:+.IP "1." 3+In a powershell window, run+\f[CR][Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable(\(dqLEDGER_FILE\(dq, \(dqC:\(rsUser\(rsUSER\(rsfinance\(rsmain.journal\(dq, [System.EnvironmentVariableTarget]::User)\f[R]+.IP "2." 3+And open a new powershell window.+(Existing windows won\(aqt see the change.)+.PP+Warning, doing this from the Windows command line can be tricky; other+methods you may find online:+.IP \(bu 2+may not affect the current window+.IP \(bu 2+may not be persistent+.IP \(bu 2+may not work unless you are an administrator+.IP \(bu 2+may limit values to 1024 characters+.IP \(bu 2+may break dynamic references to other variables+.IP \(bu 2+may require a new\-enough version of powershell+.IP \(bu 2+or may be intended for the older command window.+.IP \(bu 2+If you still have trouble, see eg Setting Windows PowerShell environment+variables or Adding path permanently to windows using powershell+doesn\(aqt appear to work.+.PP+When correctly configured:+.IP \(bu 2+in a new powershell window, \f[CR]$env:LEDGER_FILE\f[R] will show your+new setting+.IP \(bu 2+and so should \f[CR]hledger setup\f[R] and (once the file exists)+\f[CR]hledger files\f[R].+.SS Setting opening balances+Pick a starting date for which you can look up the balances of some+real\-world assets (bank accounts, wallet..)+and liabilities (credit cards..).+.PP+To avoid a lot of data entry, you may want to start with just one or two+accounts, like your checking account or cash wallet; and pick a recent+starting date, like today or the start of the week.+You can always come back later and add more accounts and older+transactions, eg going back to january 1st.+.PP+Add an opening balances transaction to the journal, declaring the+balances on this date.+Here are two ways to do it:+.IP \(bu 2+The first way: open the journal in any text editor and save an entry+like this:+.RS 2+.IP+.EX+2023\-01\-01 * opening balances+    assets:bank:checking                $1000   = $1000+    assets:bank:savings                 $2000   = $2000+    assets:cash                          $100   = $100+    liabilities:creditcard               $\-50   = $\-50+    equity:opening/closing balances+.EE+.PP+These are start\-of\-day balances, ie whatever was in the account at the+end of the previous day.+.PP+The * after the date is an optional status flag.+Here it means \(dqcleared & confirmed\(dq.+.PP+The currency symbols are optional, but usually a good idea as you\(aqll+be dealing with multiple currencies sooner or later.+.PP+The = amounts are optional balance assertions, providing extra error+checking.+.RE+.IP \(bu 2+The second way: run \f[CR]hledger add\f[R] and follow the prompts to+record a similar transaction:+.RS 2+.IP+.EX+$ hledger add+Adding transactions to journal file /Users/simon/finance/2023.journal+Any command line arguments will be used as defaults.+Use tab key to complete, readline keys to edit, enter to accept defaults.+An optional (CODE) may follow transaction dates.+An optional ; COMMENT may follow descriptions or amounts.+If you make a mistake, enter < at any prompt to go one step backward.+To end a transaction, enter . when prompted.+To quit, enter . at a date prompt or press control\-d or control\-c.+Date [2023\-02\-07]: 2023\-01\-01+Description: * opening balances+Account 1: assets:bank:checking+Amount  1: $1000+Account 2: assets:bank:savings+Amount  2 [$\-1000]: $2000+Account 3: assets:cash+Amount  3 [$\-3000]: $100+Account 4: liabilities:creditcard+Amount  4 [$\-3100]: $\-50+Account 5: equity:opening/closing balances+Amount  5 [$\-3050]: +Account 6 (or . or enter to finish this transaction): .+2023\-01\-01 * opening balances+    assets:bank:checking                      $1000+    assets:bank:savings                       $2000+    assets:cash                                $100+    liabilities:creditcard                     $\-50+    equity:opening/closing balances          $\-3050++Save this transaction to the journal ? [y]: +Saved.+Starting the next transaction (. or ctrl\-D/ctrl\-C to quit)+Date [2023\-01\-01]: .+.EE+.RE+.PP+If you\(aqre using version control, this could be a good time to commit+the journal.+Eg:+.IP+.EX+$ git commit \-m \(aqinitial balances\(aq 2023.journal+.EE+.SS Recording transactions+As you spend or receive money, you can record these transactions using+one of the methods above (text editor, hledger add) or by using the+hledger\-iadd or hledger\-web add\-ons, or by using the import command+to convert CSV data downloaded from your bank.+.PP+Here are some simple transactions, see the hledger_journal(5) manual and+hledger.org for more ideas:+.IP+.EX+2023/1/10 * gift received+  assets:cash   $20+  income:gifts++2023.1.12 * farmers market+  expenses:food    $13+  assets:cash++2023\-01\-15 paycheck+  income:salary+  assets:bank:checking    $1000+.EE+.SS Reconciling+Periodically you should reconcile \- compare your hledger\-reported+balances against external sources of truth, like bank statements or your+bank\(aqs website \- to be sure that your ledger accurately represents+the real\-world balances (and, that the real\-world institutions have+not made a mistake!).+This gets easy and fast with (1) practice and (2) frequency.+If you do it daily, it can take 2\-10 minutes.+If you let it pile up, expect it to take longer as you hunt down errors+and discrepancies.+.PP+A typical workflow:+.IP "1." 3+Reconcile cash.+Count what\(aqs in your wallet.+Compare with what hledger reports (\f[CR]hledger bal cash\f[R]).+If they are different, try to remember the missing transaction, or look+for the error in the already\-recorded transactions.+A register report can be helpful (\f[CR]hledger reg cash\f[R]).+If you can\(aqt find the error, add an adjustment transaction.+Eg if you have $105 after the above, and can\(aqt explain the missing+$2, it could be:+.RS 4+.IP+.EX+2023\-01\-16 * adjust cash+    assets:cash    $\-2 = $105+    expenses:misc+.EE+.RE+.IP "2." 3+Reconcile checking.+Log in to your bank\(aqs website.+Compare today\(aqs (cleared) balance with hledger\(aqs cleared balance+(\f[CR]hledger bal checking \-C\f[R]).+If they are different, track down the error or record the missing+transaction(s) or add an adjustment transaction, similar to the above.+Unlike the cash case, you can usually compare the transaction history+and running balance from your bank with the one reported by+\f[CR]hledger reg checking \-C\f[R].+This will be easier if you generally record transaction dates quite+similar to your bank\(aqs clearing dates.+.IP "3." 3+Repeat for other asset/liability accounts.+.PP+Tip: instead of the register command, use hledger\-ui to see a+live\-updating register while you edit the journal:+\f[CR]hledger\-ui \-\-watch \-\-register checking \-C\f[R]+.PP+After reconciling, it could be a good time to mark the reconciled+transactions\(aq status as \(dqcleared and confirmed\(dq, if you want to+track that, by adding the \f[CR]*\f[R] marker.+Eg in the paycheck transaction above, insert \f[CR]*\f[R] between+\f[CR]2023\-01\-15\f[R] and \f[CR]paycheck\f[R]+.PP+If you\(aqre using version control, this can be another good time to+commit:+.IP+.EX+$ git commit \-m \(aqtxns\(aq 2023.journal+.EE+.SS Reporting+Here are some basic reports.+.PP+Show all transactions:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger print+2023\-01\-01 * opening balances+    assets:bank:checking                      $1000+    assets:bank:savings                       $2000+    assets:cash                                $100+    liabilities:creditcard                     $\-50+    equity:opening/closing balances          $\-3050++2023\-01\-10 * gift received+    assets:cash              $20+    income:gifts++2023\-01\-12 * farmers market+    expenses:food             $13+    assets:cash++2023\-01\-15 * paycheck+    income:salary+    assets:bank:checking           $1000++2023\-01\-16 * adjust cash+    assets:cash               $\-2 = $105+    expenses:misc+.EE+.PP+Show account names, and their hierarchy:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger accounts \-\-tree+assets+  bank+    checking+    savings+  cash+equity+  opening/closing balances+expenses+  food+  misc+income+  gifts+  salary+liabilities+  creditcard+.EE+.PP+Show all account totals:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger balance+               $4105  assets+               $4000    bank+               $2000      checking+               $2000      savings+                $105    cash+              $\-3050  equity:opening/closing balances+                 $15  expenses+                 $13    food+                  $2    misc+              $\-1020  income+                $\-20    gifts+              $\-1000    salary+                $\-50  liabilities:creditcard+\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+                   0+.EE+.PP+Show only asset and liability balances, as a flat list, limited to depth+2:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger bal assets liabilities \-2+               $4000  assets:bank+                $105  assets:cash+                $\-50  liabilities:creditcard+\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+               $4055+.EE+.PP+Show the same thing without negative numbers, formatted as a simple+balance sheet:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger bs \-2+Balance Sheet 2023\-01\-16++                        || 2023\-01\-16 +========================++============+ Assets                 ||            +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+ assets:bank            ||      $4000 + assets:cash            ||       $105 +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+                        ||      $4105 +========================++============+ Liabilities            ||            +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+ liabilities:creditcard ||        $50 +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+                        ||        $50 +========================++============+ Net:                   ||      $4055 +.EE+.PP+The final total is your \(dqnet worth\(dq on the end date.+(Or use \f[CR]bse\f[R] for a full balance sheet with equity.)+.PP+Show income and expense totals, formatted as an income statement:+.IP+.EX+hledger is +Income Statement 2023\-01\-01\-2023\-01\-16++               || 2023\-01\-01\-2023\-01\-16 +===============++=======================+ Revenues      ||                       +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+ income:gifts  ||                   $20 + income:salary ||                 $1000 +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+               ||                 $1020 +===============++=======================+ Expenses      ||                       +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+ expenses:food ||                   $13 + expenses:misc ||                    $2 +\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-++\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-+               ||                   $15 +===============++=======================+ Net:          ||                 $1005 +.EE+.PP+The final total is your net income during this period.+.PP+Show transactions affecting your wallet, with running total:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger register cash+2023\-01\-01 opening balances     assets:cash                   $100          $100+2023\-01\-10 gift received        assets:cash                    $20          $120+2023\-01\-12 farmers market       assets:cash                   $\-13          $107+2023\-01\-16 adjust cash          assets:cash                    $\-2          $105+.EE+.PP+Show weekly posting counts as a bar chart:+.IP+.EX+$ hledger activity \-W+2019\-12\-30 *****+2023\-01\-06 ****+2023\-01\-13 ****+.EE+.SS Migrating to a new file+At the end of the year, you may want to continue your journal in a new+file, so that old transactions don\(aqt slow down or clutter your+reports, and to help ensure the integrity of your accounting history.+See the close command.+.PP+If using version control, don\(aqt forget to \f[CR]git add\f[R] the new+file.+.SH BUGS+We welcome bug reports in the hledger issue tracker+(https://bugs.hledger.org), or on the hledger chat or mail list+(https://hledger.org/support).+.PP+Some known issues and limitations:+.PP+hledger uses the system\(aqs text encoding when reading non\-ascii text.+If no system encoding is configured, or if the data\(aqs encoding is+different, hledger will give an error.+(See Text encoding, Troubleshooting.)+.PP+On Microsoft Windows, depending what kind of terminal window you use,+non\-ascii characters, ANSI text formatting, and/or the add command\(aqs+TAB key, may not be fully supported.+(For best results, try a powershell window.)+.PP+When processing large data files, hledger uses more memory than Ledger.+.SS Troubleshooting+Here are some common issues you might encounter when you run hledger,+and how to resolve them (and remember also you can usually get quick+Support):+.PP+\f[B]PATH issues: I get an error like \(dqNo command \(aqhledger\(aq+found\(dq\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Depending how you installed hledger, the executables may not be in your+shell\(aqs PATH.+Eg on unix systems, stack installs hledger in \f[CR]\(ti/.local/bin\f[R]+and cabal installs it in \f[CR]\(ti/.cabal/bin\f[R].+You may need to add one of these directories to your shell\(aqs PATH,+and/or open a new terminal window.+.PP+\f[B]LEDGER_FILE issues: I configured LEDGER_FILE but hledger is not+using it\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+.IP \(bu 2+\f[CR]LEDGER_FILE\f[R] should be a real environment variable, not just a+shell variable.+Eg on unix, the command \f[CR]env | grep LEDGER_FILE\f[R] should show+it.+You may need to use \f[CR]export\f[R] (see+https://stackoverflow.com/a/7411509).+On Windows, \f[CR]$env:LEDGER_FILE\f[R] should show it.+.IP \(bu 2+You may need to force your shell to see the new configuration.+A simple way is to close your terminal window and open a new one.+.PP+\f[B]Text decoding issues: I get errors like \(dqIllegal byte+sequence\(dq or \(dqInvalid or incomplete multibyte or wide+character\(dq or \(dqcommitAndReleaseBuffer: invalid argument (invalid+character)\(dq\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+hledger usually needs its input to be decodable with the system+locale\(aqs text encoding.+See Text encoding and Install: Text encoding.+.PP+\f[B]COMPATIBILITY ISSUES: hledger gives an error with my Ledger+file\f[R]+.PD 0+.P+.PD+Not all of Ledger\(aqs journal file syntax or feature set is supported. See hledger and Ledger for full details.
embeddedfiles/hledger.info view
@@ -1,13726 +1,13895 @@-This is hledger.info, produced by makeinfo version 7.2 from stdin.--INFO-DIR-SECTION User Applications-START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY-* hledger: (hledger).  Command-line plain text accounting tool.-END-INFO-DIR-ENTRY---File: hledger.info,  Node: Top,  Next: PART 1 USER INTERFACE,  Up: (dir)--hledger(1)-**********--hledger - a robust, friendly plain text accounting app (command line-version).--   'hledger'-or-'hledger COMMAND [OPTS] [ARGS]'--   hledger is a robust, user-friendly, cross-platform set of programs-for tracking money, time, or any other commodity, using double-entry-accounting and a simple, editable file format.  hledger is inspired by-and largely compatible with ledger(1), and largely interconvertible with-beancount(1).--   This manual is for hledger's command line interface, version 1.51.2.-It also describes the common options, file formats and concepts used by-all hledger programs.  It might accidentally teach you some-bookkeeping/accounting as well!  You don't need to know everything in-here to use hledger productively, but when you have a question about-functionality, this doc should answer it.  It is detailed, so do skip-ahead or skim when needed.  You can read it on hledger.org, or as an-info manual or man page on your system.  You can also open a built-in-copy, at a point of interest, by running-'hledger --man [CMD]', 'hledger --info [CMD]' or 'hledger help [TOPIC]'.--   (And for shorter help, try 'hledger --tldr [CMD]'.)--   The main function of the hledger CLI is to read plain text files-describing financial transactions, crunch the numbers, and print a-useful report on the terminal (or save it as HTML, CSV, JSON or SQL).-Many reports are available, as subcommands.  hledger will also detect-other 'hledger-*' executables as extra subcommands.--   hledger usually reads from (and appends to) a journal file specified-by the 'LEDGER_FILE' environment variable (defaulting to-'$HOME/.hledger.journal'); or you can specify files with '-f' options.-It can also read timeclock files, timedot files, or any CSV/SSV/TSV file-with a date field.--   Here is a small journal file describing one transaction:--2015-10-16 bought food-  expenses:food          $10-  assets:cash--   Transactions are dated movements of money (etc.)  between two or more-_accounts_: bank accounts, your wallet, revenue/expense categories,-people, etc.  You can choose any account names you wish, using ':' to-indicate subaccounts.  There must be at least two spaces between account-name and amount.  Positive amounts are inflow to that account (_debit_),-negatives are outflow from it (_credit_).  (Some reports show revenue,-liability and equity account balances as negative numbers as a result;-this is normal.)--   hledger's add command can help you add transactions, or you can-install other data entry UIs like hledger-web or hledger-iadd.  For more-extensive/efficient changes, use a text editor: Emacs + ledger-mode, VIM-+ vim-ledger, or VS Code + hledger-vscode are some good choices (see-https://hledger.org/editors.html).--   To get started, run 'hledger add' and follow the prompts, or save-some entries like the above in '$HOME/.hledger.journal', then try-commands like:--$ hledger print -x-$ hledger aregister assets-$ hledger balance-$ hledger balancesheet-$ hledger incomestatement--   Run 'hledger' to list the commands.  See also the "Starting a journal-file" and "Setting opening balances" sections in PART 5: COMMON TASKS.--* Menu:--* PART 1 USER INTERFACE::-* Input::-* Commands::-* Options::-* Output::-* Environment::-* PART 2 DATA FORMATS::-* Journal::-* CSV::-* Timeclock::-* Timedot::-* PART 3 REPORTING CONCEPTS::-* Time periods::-* Depth::-* Queries::-* Pivoting::-* Generating data::-* Forecasting::-* Budgeting::-* Amount formatting::-* Cost reporting::-* Value reporting::-* PART 4 COMMANDS::-* Help commands::-* User interface commands::-* Data entry commands::-* Basic report commands::-* Standard report commands::-* Advanced report commands::-* Chart commands::-* Data generation commands::-* Maintenance commands::-* PART 5 COMMON TASKS::-* BUGS::---File: hledger.info,  Node: PART 1 USER INTERFACE,  Next: Input,  Prev: Top,  Up: Top--1 PART 1: USER INTERFACE-************************---File: hledger.info,  Node: Input,  Next: Commands,  Prev: PART 1 USER INTERFACE,  Up: Top--2 Input-*******--hledger reads one or more data files, each time you run it.  You can-specify a file with '-f', like so--$ hledger -f FILE [-f FILE2 ...] print--   Files are most often in hledger's journal format, with the '.journal'-file extension ('.hledger' or '.j' also work); these files describe-transactions, like an accounting general journal.--   When no file is specified, hledger looks for '.hledger.journal' in-your home directory.--   But most people prefer to keep financial files in a dedicated folder,-perhaps with version control.  Also, starting a new journal file each-year is common (it's not required, but helps keep things fast and-organised).  So we usually configure a different journal file, by-setting the 'LEDGER_FILE' environment variable, to something like-'~/finance/2023.journal'.  For more about how to do that on your system,-see Common tasks > Setting LEDGER_FILE.--* Menu:--* Text encoding::-* Data formats::-* Standard input::-* Multiple files::-* Strict mode::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Text encoding,  Next: Data formats,  Up: Input--2.1 Text encoding-=================--hledger expects non-ascii input to be decodable with the system locale's-text encoding.  (For CSV/SSV/TSV files, this can be overridden by the-'encoding' CSV rule.)--   So, trying to read non-ascii files which have the wrong text-encoding, or when no system locale is configured, will fail.  To fix-this, configure your system locale appropriately, and/or convert the-files to your system's text encoding (using 'iconv' on unix, or-powershell or notepad on Windows).  See Install: Text encoding for more-tips.--   hledger's output will use the system locale's encoding.--   hledger's docs and example files mostly use UTF-8 encoding.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Data formats,  Next: Standard input,  Prev: Text encoding,  Up: Input--2.2 Data formats-================--Usually the data file is in hledger's journal format, but it can be in-any of the supported file formats, which currently are:--Reader:        Reads:                             Automatically used for-                                                  files with extensions:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------'journal'      hledger journal files and some     '.journal' '.j'-               Ledger journals, for               '.hledger' '.ledger'-               transactions-'timeclock'    timeclock files, for precise       '.timeclock'-               time logging-'timedot'      timedot files, for approximate     '.timedot'-               time logging-'csv'          Comma- or other                    '.csv'-               delimiter-separated values, for-               data import-'ssv'          Semicolon separated values         '.ssv'-'tsv'          Tab separated values               '.tsv'-'rules'        CSV/SSV/TSV/other separated        '.rules'-               values, alternate way--   These formats are described in more detail below.--   hledger detects the format automatically based on the file extensions-shown above.  If it can't recognise the file extension, it assumes-'journal' format.  So for non-journal files, it's important to use a-recognised file extension, so as to either read successfully or to show-relevant error messages.--   You can also force a specific reader/format by prefixing the file-path with the format and a colon.  Eg, to read a .dat file containing-tab separated values:--$ hledger -f tsv:/some/file.dat stats---File: hledger.info,  Node: Standard input,  Next: Multiple files,  Prev: Data formats,  Up: Input--2.3 Standard input-==================--The file name '-' means standard input:--$ cat FILE | hledger -f- print--   If reading non-journal data in this way, you'll need to write the-format as a prefix, like 'timeclock:' here:--$ echo 'i 2009/13/1 08:00:00' | hledger print -f timeclock:----File: hledger.info,  Node: Multiple files,  Next: Strict mode,  Prev: Standard input,  Up: Input--2.4 Multiple files-==================--You can specify multiple '-f' options, to read multiple files as one big-journal.  When doing this, note that certain features (described below)-will be affected:--   * Balance assertions will not see the effect of transactions in-     previous files.  (Usually this doesn't matter as each file will set-     the corresponding opening balances.)-   * Some directives will not affect previous or subsequent files.--   If needed, you can work around these by using a single parent file-which includes the others, or concatenating the files into one, eg: 'cat-a.journal b.journal | hledger -f- CMD'.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Strict mode,  Prev: Multiple files,  Up: Input--2.5 Strict mode-===============--hledger checks input files for valid data.  By default, the most-important errors are detected, while still accepting easy journal files-without a lot of declarations:--   * Are the input files parseable, with valid syntax ?-   * Are all transactions balanced ?-   * Do all balance assertions pass ?--   With the '-s'/'--strict' flag, additional checks are performed:--   * Are all accounts posted to, declared with an 'account' directive ?-     (Account error checking)-   * Are all commodities declared with a 'commodity' directive ?-     (Commodity error checking)-   * Are all commodity conversions declared explicitly ?--   You can use the check command to run individual checks - the ones-listed above and some more.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Commands,  Next: Options,  Prev: Input,  Up: Top--3 Commands-**********--hledger provides various subcommands for getting things done.  Most of-these commands do not change the journal file; they just read it and-output a report.  A few commands assist with adding data and file-management.  Some often-used commands are 'add', 'print', 'register',-'balancesheet' and 'incomestatement'.--   To show a summary of commands, run 'hledger' with no arguments.  You-can see the same commands summary at the start of PART 4: COMMANDS-below.--   To use a particular command, run 'hledger CMD [CMDOPTS] [CMDARGS]',--   * CMD is the full command name, or its standard abbreviation shown in-     the commands list, or any unambiguous prefix of the name.--   * CMDOPTS are command-specific options, if any.  Command-specific-     options must be written after the command name.  Eg: 'hledger print-     -x'.--   * CMDARGS are additional arguments to the command, if any.  Most-     hledger commands accept arguments representing a query, to limit-     the data in some way.  Eg: 'hledger reg assets:checking'.--   To list a command's options, arguments, and documentation in the-terminal, run 'hledger CMD -h'.  Eg: 'hledger bal -h'.--* Menu:--* Add-on commands::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Add-on commands,  Up: Commands--3.1 Add-on commands-===================--In addition to the built-in commands, you can install _add-on commands_,-which will also appear in hledger's commands list.  Some of these can be-installed as separate packages; others can be found in hledger's bin/-directory, documented at https://hledger.org/scripts.html.--   Add-on commands are programs or scripts in your shell's PATH, whose-name starts with "hledger-" and ends with no extension or a recognised-extension (".bat", ".com", ".exe", ".hs", ".js", ".lhs", ".lua", ".php",-".pl", ".py", ".rb", ".rkt", or ".sh"), and (on unix and mac) which has-executable permission for the current user.--   You can run add-on commands directly: 'hledger-ui --watch'.--   Or you can run them with hledger, like built-in commands: 'hledger ui---watch'.  In this case hledger's config file will be used, so you can-set custom options for the addon there.  (Before hledger 1.50, an '--'-argument was needed before addon options, but not any more.)---File: hledger.info,  Node: Options,  Next: Output,  Prev: Commands,  Up: Top--4 Options-*********--Run 'hledger -h' to see general command line help.  Options can be-written either before or after the command name.  These options are-specific to the 'hledger' CLI:--Flags:-     --conf=CONFFILE        Use extra options defined in this config file. If-                            not specified, searches upward and in XDG config-                            dir for hledger.conf (or .hledger.conf in $HOME).-  -n --no-conf              ignore any config file--   And the following general options are common to most hledger-commands:--General input/data transformation flags:-  -f --file=[FMT:]FILE      Read data from FILE, or from stdin if FILE is -,-                            inferring format from extension or a FMT: prefix.-                            Can be specified more than once. If not specified,-                            reads from $LEDGER_FILE or $HOME/.hledger.journal.-     --rules=RULESFILE      Use rules defined in this rules file for-                            converting subsequent CSV/SSV/TSV files. If not-                            specified, uses FILE.csv.rules for each FILE.csv.-     --alias=A=B|/RGX/=RPL  transform account names from A to B, or by-                            replacing regular expression matches-     --auto                 generate extra postings by applying auto posting-                            rules ("=") to all transactions-     --forecast[=PERIOD]    Generate extra transactions from periodic rules-                            ("~"), from after the latest ordinary transaction-                            until 6 months from now. Or, during the specified-                            PERIOD (the equals is required). Auto posting rules-                            will also be applied to these transactions. In-                            hledger-ui, also make future-dated transactions-                            visible at startup.-  -I --ignore-assertions    don't check balance assertions by default-     --txn-balancing=...    how to check that transactions are balanced:-                            'old':   use global display precision-                            'exact': use transaction precision (default)-     --infer-costs          infer conversion equity postings from costs-     --infer-equity         infer costs from conversion equity postings-     --infer-market-prices  infer market prices from costs-     --pivot=TAGNAME        use a different field or tag as account names-  -s --strict               do extra error checks (and override -I)-     --verbose-tags         add tags indicating generated/modified data--General output/reporting flags (supported by some commands):-  -b --begin=DATE           include postings/transactions on/after this date-  -e --end=DATE             include postings/transactions before this date-                            (with a report interval, will be adjusted to-                            following subperiod end)-  -D --daily                multiperiod report with 1 day interval-  -W --weekly               multiperiod report with 1 week interval-  -M --monthly              multiperiod report with 1 month interval-  -Q --quarterly            multiperiod report with 1 quarter interval-  -Y --yearly               multiperiod report with 1 year interval-  -p --period=PERIODEXP     set begin date, end date, and/or report interval,-                            with more flexibility-     --today=DATE           override today's date (affects relative dates)-     --date2                match/use secondary dates instead (deprecated)-  -U --unmarked             include only unmarked postings/transactions-  -P --pending              include only pending postings/transactions-  -C --cleared              include only cleared postings/transactions-                            (-U/-P/-C can be combined)-  -R --real                 include only non-virtual postings-  -E --empty                Show zero items, which are normally hidden.-                            In hledger-ui & hledger-web, do the opposite.-     --depth=DEPTHEXP       if a number (or -NUM): show only top NUM levels-                            of accounts. If REGEXP=NUM, only apply limiting to-                            accounts matching the regular expression.-  -B --cost                 show amounts converted to their cost/sale amount-  -V --market               Show amounts converted to their value at period-                            end(s) in their default valuation commodity.-                            Equivalent to --value=end.-  -X --exchange=COMM        Show amounts converted to their value at period-                            end(s) in the specified commodity.-                            Equivalent to --value=end,COMM.-     --value=WHEN[,COMM]    show amounts converted to their value on the-                            specified date(s) in their default valuation-                            commodity or a specified commodity. WHEN can be:-                            'then':     value on transaction dates-                            'end':      value at period end(s)-                            'now':      value today-                            YYYY-MM-DD: value on given date-  -c --commodity-style=S    Override a commodity's display style.-                            Eg: -c '.' or -c '1.000,00 EUR'-     --pretty[=YN]          Use box-drawing characters in text output? Can be-                            'y'/'yes' or 'n'/'no'.-                            If YN is specified, the equals is required.--General help flags:-  -h --help                 show command line help-     --tldr                 show command examples with tldr-     --info                 show the manual with info-     --man                  show the manual with man-     --version              show version information-     --debug=[1-9]          show this much debug output (default: 1)-     --pager=YN             use a pager when needed ? y/yes (default) or n/no-     --color=YNA --colour   use ANSI color ? y/yes, n/no, or auto (default)--   Usually hledger accepts any unambiguous flag prefix, eg you can write-'--tl' instead of '--tldr' or '--dry' instead of '--dry-run'.--   You can combine short flags which don't take arguments, eg you can-write '-MAST' instead of '-M -A -S -T'.  Flags requiring an argument-can't be combined in this way ('-If FILE' won't work).--   If the same option appears more than once in a command line, usually-the last (right-most) wins.  Similarly, if mutually exclusive flags are-used together, the right-most wins.  (When flags are mutually exclusive,-they'll usually have a group prefix in -help.)--   With most commands, arguments are interpreted as a hledger query-which filter the data.  Some queries can be expressed either with-options or with arguments.--   Below are more tips for using the command line interface - feel free-to skip these until you need them.--* Menu:--* Special characters::-* Unicode characters::-* Regular expressions::-* Argument files::-* Config files::-* Shell completions::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Special characters,  Next: Unicode characters,  Up: Options--4.1 Special characters-======================--In commands you type at the command line, certain characters have-special meaning and sometimes need to be "escaped" or "quoted", by-prefixing backslashes or enclosing in quotes.--   If you are able to minimise the use of special characters in your-data, you won't have to deal with this as much.  For example, you could-use hyphen '-' or underscore '_' instead of spaces in account names, and-you could use the 'USD' currency code instead of the '$' currency symbol-in amounts.--   But if you prefer to use spaced account names and '$', it's fine.-Just be aware of this topic so you can check this doc when needed.-(These examples are mostly tested on unix; some details might need to be-adapted if you're on Windows.)--* Menu:--* Escaping shell special characters::-* Escaping regular expression special characters::-* Escaping in other situations::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Escaping shell special characters,  Next: Escaping regular expression special characters,  Up: Special characters--4.1.1 Escaping shell special characters------------------------------------------These are some characters which may have special meaning to your shell-(the program which interprets command lines):--   * SPACE, '<', '>', '(', ')', '|', '\', '%'-   * '$' if followed by a word character--   So for example, to match an account name containing spaces, like-"credit card", don't write:--$ hledger register credit card--   Instead, enclose the name in single quotes:--$ hledger register 'credit card'--   On unix or in Windows powershell, if you use double quotes your shell-will silently treat '$' as variable interpolation.  So you should-probably avoid double quotes, unless you want that behaviour, eg in a-script:--$ hledger register "assets:$SOMEACCT"--   But in an older Windows CMD.EXE window, you must use double quotes:--C:\Users\Me> hledger register "credit card"--   On unix or in Windows powershell, as an alternative to quotes you can-write a backslash before each special character:--$ hledger register credit\ card--   Finally, since hledger's query arguments are regular expressions-(described below), you could also fill that gap with '.' which matches-any character:--$ hledger register credit.card---File: hledger.info,  Node: Escaping regular expression special characters,  Next: Escaping in other situations,  Prev: Escaping shell special characters,  Up: Special characters--4.1.2 Escaping regular expression special characters-------------------------------------------------------Some characters also have special meaning in regular expressions, which-hledger's arguments often are.  Those include:--   * '.', '^', '$', '[', ']', '(', ')', '|', '\'--   To escape one of these, write '\' before it.  But note this is in-addition to the shell escaping above.  So for characters which are-special to both shell and regular expressions, like '\' and '$', you-will sometimes need two levels of escaping.--   For example, a balance report that uses a 'cur:' query restricting it-to just the $ currency, should be written like this:--$ hledger balance cur:\\$--   Explanation:--  1. Add a backslash '\' before the dollar sign '$' to protect it from-     regular expressions (so it will be matched literally with no-     special meaning).-  2. Add another backslash before that backslash, to protect it from the-     shell (so the shell won't consume it).-  3. '$' doesn't need to be protected from the shell in this case,-     because it's not followed by a word character; but it would be-     harmless to do so.--   But here's another way to write that, which tends to be easier: add-backslashes to escape from regular expressions, then enclose with quotes-to escape from the shell:--$ hledger balance cur:'\$'---File: hledger.info,  Node: Escaping in other situations,  Prev: Escaping regular expression special characters,  Up: Special characters--4.1.3 Escaping in other situations-------------------------------------hledger options and arguments are sometimes used in places other than-the command line, where the escaping/quoting rules are different.  For-example, backslash-quoting may not be available.  Here's a quick-reference:--In unix shell      Use single quotes and/or backslash (or double quotes-                   for variable interpolation)-In Windows         Use single quotes (or double quotes for variable-'powershell'       interpolation)-In Windows 'cmd'   Use double quotes-In hledger-ui's    Use single or double quotes-filter prompt-In hledger-web's   Use single or double quotes-search form-In an argument     Don't use spaces, don't shell-escape, do-file               regex-escape, write one argument/option per line-In a config file   Use single or double quotes, and enclose the whole-                   argument (''desc:a b'' not 'desc:'a b'')-In 'ghci' (the     Use double quotes, and enclose the whole argument-Haskell REPL)---File: hledger.info,  Node: Unicode characters,  Next: Regular expressions,  Prev: Special characters,  Up: Options--4.2 Unicode characters-======================--hledger is expected to handle non-ascii characters correctly:--   * they should be parsed correctly in input files and on the command-     line, by all hledger tools (add, iadd, hledger-web's-     search/add/edit forms, etc.)--   * they should be displayed correctly by all hledger tools, and-     on-screen alignment should be preserved.--   This requires a well-configured environment.  Here are some tips:--   * A system locale must be configured, which can decode the characters-     being used.  This is essential - see Text encoding and Install:-     Text encoding.--   * Your terminal software (eg Terminal.app, iTerm, CMD.exe, xterm..)-     must support unicode.  On Windows, you may need to use Windows-     Terminal.--   * The terminal must be using a font which includes the required-     unicode glyphs.--   * The terminal should be configured to display wide characters as-     double width (for report alignment).--   * On Windows, for best results you should run hledger in the same-     kind of environment in which it was built.  Eg hledger built in the-     standard CMD.EXE environment (like the binaries on our download-     page) might show display problems when run in a cygwin or msys-     terminal, and vice versa.  (See eg #961).---File: hledger.info,  Node: Regular expressions,  Next: Argument files,  Prev: Unicode characters,  Up: Options--4.3 Regular expressions-=======================--A regular expression (regexp) is a small piece of text where certain-characters (like '.', '^', '$', '+', '*', '()', '|', '[]', '\') have-special meanings, forming a tiny language for matching text precisely --very useful in hledger and elsewhere.  To learn all about them, visit-regular-expressions.info.--   hledger supports regexps whenever you are entering a pattern to match-something, eg in query arguments, account aliases, CSV if rules,-hledger-web's search form, hledger-ui's '/' search, etc.  You may need-to wrap them in quotes, especially at the command line (see Special-characters above).  Here are some examples:--   Account name queries (quoted for command line use):--Regular expression:  Matches:--------------------  -------------------------------------------------------------bank                 assets:bank, assets:bank:savings, expenses:art:banksy, ...-:bank                assets:bank:savings, expenses:art:banksy-:bank:               assets:bank:savings-'^bank'              none of those ( ^ matches beginning of text )-'bank$'              assets:bank   ( $ matches end of text )-'big \$ bank'        big $ bank    ( \ disables following character's special meaning )-'\bbank\b'           assets:bank, assets:bank:savings  ( \b matches word boundaries )-'(sav|check)ing'     saving or checking  ( (|) matches either alternative )-'saving|checking'    saving or checking  ( outer parentheses are not needed )-'savings?'           saving or savings   ( ? matches 0 or 1 of the preceding thing )-'my +bank'           my bank, my  bank, ... ( + matches 1 or more of the preceding thing )-'my *bank'           mybank, my bank, my  bank, ... ( * matches 0 or more of the preceding thing )-'b.nk'               bank, bonk, b nk, ... ( . matches any character )--   Some other queries:--desc:'amazon|amzn|audible'  Amazon transactions-cur:EUR              amounts with commodity symbol containing EUR-cur:'\$'             amounts with commodity symbol containing $-cur:'^\$$'           only $ amounts, not eg AU$ or CA$-cur:....?            amounts with 4-or-more-character symbols-tag:.=202[1-3]       things with any tag whose value contains 2021, 2022 or 2023--   Account name aliases: accept '.' instead of ':' as account separator:--alias /\./=:         replaces all periods in account names with colons--   Show multiple top-level accounts combined as one:----alias='/^[^:]+/=combined'  ( [^:] matches any character other than : )--   Show accounts with the second-level part removed:----alias '/^([^:]+):[^:]+/ = \1'-                     match a top-level account and a second-level account-                     and replace those with just the top-level account-                     ( \1 in the replacement text means "whatever was matched-                     by the first parenthesised part of the regexp"--   CSV rules: match CSV records containing dining-related MCC codes:--if \?MCC581[124]--   Match CSV records with a specific amount around the end/start of-month:--if %amount \b3\.99-&  %date   (29|30|31|01|02|03)$--* Menu:--* hledger's regular expressions::---File: hledger.info,  Node: hledger's regular expressions,  Up: Regular expressions--4.3.1 hledger's regular expressions--------------------------------------hledger's regular expressions come from the regex-tdfa library.  If-they're not doing what you expect, it's important to know exactly what-they support:--  1. they are case insensitive-  2. they are infix matching (they do not need to match the entire thing-     being matched)-  3. they are POSIX ERE (extended regular expressions)-  4. they also support GNU word boundaries ('\b', '\B', '\<', '\>')-  5. backreferences are supported when doing text replacement in account-     aliases or CSV rules, where backreferences can be used in the-     replacement string to reference capturing groups in the search-     regexp.  Otherwise, if you write '\1', it will match the digit '1'.-  6. they do not support mode modifiers ('(?s)'), character classes-     ('\w', '\d'), or anything else not mentioned above.-  7. they may not (I'm guessing not) properly support right-to-left or-     bidirectional text.--   Some things to note:--   * In the 'alias' directive and '--alias' option, regular expressions-     must be enclosed in forward slashes ('/REGEX/').  Elsewhere in-     hledger, these are not required.--   * In queries, to match a regular expression metacharacter like '$' as-     a literal character, prepend a backslash.  Eg to search for amounts-     with the dollar sign in hledger-web, write 'cur:\$'.--   * On the command line, some metacharacters like '$' have a special-     meaning to the shell and so must be escaped at least once more.-     See Special characters.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Argument files,  Next: Config files,  Prev: Regular expressions,  Up: Options--4.4 Argument files-==================--You can save a set of command line options and arguments in a file, and-then use them by writing '@FILE.args' as a hledger command argument.-The '.args' file extension is conventional, but not required.  In an-argument file,--   * Each line can contain one argument, flag, or option.-   * Blank lines or lines beginning with '#' are ignored.-   * An option's flag and value should be joined by '='.-   * An option value or an argument may contain spaces.  Don't use-     single or double quotes.-   * And generally, use one less level of quoting/escaping than at the-     command line.  Eg 'cur:\$', not 'cur:\\$' as on the command line.--   For example:--# cash.args--assets:cash-assets:charles schwab:sweep-cur:\$--c=$1.--$ hledger bal @cash.args---File: hledger.info,  Node: Config files,  Next: Shell completions,  Prev: Argument files,  Up: Options--4.5 Config files-================--With hledger 1.40+, you can save extra command line options and-arguments in a more featureful hledger config file.  Here's a small-example:--# General options are listed first, and used with hledger commands that support them.---pretty--# Options following a `[COMMAND]` heading are used with that hledger command only.-[print]---explicit --infer-costs--   To use a config file, specify it with the '--conf' option.  Its-options will be inserted near the start of your command line, so you can-override them with command line options if needed.--   Or, you can set up an automatic config file that is used whenever you-run hledger, by creating 'hledger.conf' in the current directory or-above, or '.hledger.conf' in your home directory ('~/.hledger.conf'), or-'hledger.conf' in your XDG config directory-('~/.config/hledger/hledger.conf').--   Here is another example config you could start with:-https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/blob/master/hledger.conf.sample--   You can put not only options, but also arguments in a config file.-If the first word in a config file's top (general) section does not-begin with a dash (eg: 'print'), it is treated as the command argument-(overriding any argument on the command line).--   On unix machines, you can add a shebang line at the top of a config-file, set executable permission on the file, and use it like a script.-Eg (the '-S' is needed on some operating systems):--#!/usr/bin/env -S hledger --conf--   You can ignore config files by adding the '-n'/'--no-conf' flag to-the command line.  This is useful when using hledger in scripts, or when-troubleshooting.  When both '--conf' and '--no-conf' options are used,-the right-most wins.--   To inspect the processing of config files, use '--debug' or-'--debug=8'.  Or, run the 'setup' command, which will display any active-config files.  ('setup' is not affected by config files itself, unlike-other commands.)--   *Warning!*--   There aren't many hledger features that need a warning, but this is-one!--   Automatic config files, while convenient, also make hledger less-predictable and dependable.  It's easy to make a config file that-changes a report's behaviour, or breaks your hledger-using-scripts/applications, in ways that will surprise you later.--   If you don't want this,--  1. Just don't create a hledger.conf file on your machine.-  2. Also be alert to downloaded directories which may contain a-     hledger.conf file.-  3. Also if you are sharing scripts or examples or support, consider-     that others may have a hledger.conf file.--   Conversely, once you decide to use this feature, try to remember:--  1. Whenever a hledger command does not work as expected, try it again-     with '-n' ('--no-conf') to see if a config file was to blame.-  2. Whenever you call hledger from a script, consider whether that call-     should use '-n' or not.-  3. Be conservative about what you put in your config file; try to-     consider the effect on all your reports.-  4. To troubleshoot the effect of config files, run with '--debug' or-     '--debug 8'.--   The config file feature was added in hledger 1.40.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Shell completions,  Prev: Config files,  Up: Options--4.6 Shell completions-=====================--If you use the bash or zsh shells, you can optionally set up-context-sensitive autocompletion for hledger command lines.  Try-pressing 'hledger<SPACE><TAB><TAB>' (should list all hledger commands)-or 'hledger reg acct:<TAB><TAB>' (should list your top-level account-names).  If completions aren't working, or for more details, see Install-> Shell completions.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Output,  Next: Environment,  Prev: Options,  Up: Top--5 Output-********--* Menu:--* Output destination::-* Output format::-* Commodity styles::-* Debug output::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Output destination,  Next: Output format,  Up: Output--5.1 Output destination-======================--hledger commands send their output to the terminal by default.  You can-of course redirect this, eg into a file, using standard shell syntax:--$ hledger print > foo.txt--   Some commands (print, register, stats, the balance commands) also-provide the '-o'/'--output-file' option, which does the same thing-without needing the shell.  Eg:--$ hledger print -o foo.txt-$ hledger print -o -        # write to stdout (the default)---File: hledger.info,  Node: Output format,  Next: Commodity styles,  Prev: Output destination,  Up: Output--5.2 Output format-=================--Some commands offer other kinds of output, not just text on the-terminal.  Here are those commands and the formats currently supported:--command               txt   html   csv/tsv   fods   beancount    sql   json--------------------------------------------------------------------------------aregister             Y     Y      Y         Y                         Y-balance               Y     Y      Y         Y                         Y-balancesheet          Y     Y      Y         Y                         Y-balancesheetequity    Y     Y      Y         Y                         Y-cashflow              Y     Y      Y         Y                         Y-incomestatement       Y     Y      Y         Y                         Y-print                 Y     Y      Y         Y      Y            Y     Y-register              Y     Y      Y         Y                         Y--   You can also see which output formats a command supports by running-'hledger CMD -h' and looking for the '-O'/'--output-format=FMT' option,--   You can select the output format by using that option:--$ hledger print -O csv    # print CSV to standard output--   or by choosing a suitable filename extension with the-'-o'/'--output-file=FILE.FMT' option:--$ hledger balancesheet -o foo.csv    # write CSV to foo.csv--   The '-O' option can be combined with '-o' to override the file-extension if needed:--$ hledger balancesheet -o foo.txt -O csv    # write CSV to foo.txt--   Here are some notes about the various output formats.--* Menu:--* Text output::-* HTML output::-* CSV / TSV output::-* FODS output::-* Beancount output::-* SQL output::-* JSON output::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Text output,  Next: HTML output,  Up: Output format--5.2.1 Text output--------------------This is the default: human readable, plain text report output, suitable-for viewing with a monospace font in a terminal.  If your data contains-unicode or wide characters, you'll need a terminal and font that render-those correctly.  (This can be challenging on MS Windows.)--   Some reports ('register', 'aregister') will normally use the full-window width.  If this isn't working or you want to override it, you can-use the '-w'/'--width' option.--   Balance reports ('balance', 'balancesheet', 'incomestatement'...)-use whatever width they need.  Multi-period multi-currency reports can-often be wider than the window.  Besides using a pager, helpful-techniques for this situation include '--layout=bare', '-X COMM',-'cur:', '--transpose', '--tree', '--depth', '--drop', switching to html-output, etc.--* Menu:--* Box-drawing characters::-* Colour::-* Paging::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Box-drawing characters,  Next: Colour,  Up: Text output--5.2.1.1 Box-drawing characters-..............................--hledger draws simple table borders by default, to minimise the risk of-display problems caused by a terminal/font not supporting box-drawing-characters.--   But your terminal and font probably do support them, so we recommend-using the '--pretty' flag to show prettier tables in the terminal.  This-is a good flag to add to your hledger config file.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Colour,  Next: Paging,  Prev: Box-drawing characters,  Up: Text output--5.2.1.2 Colour-..............--hledger tries to automatically detect ANSI colour and text styling-support and use it when appropriate.  (Currently, it is used rather-minimally: some reports show negative numbers in red, and help output-uses bold text for emphasis.)--   You can override this by setting the 'NO_COLOR' environment variable-to disable it, or by using the '--color/--colour' option, perhaps in-your config file, with a 'y'/'yes' or 'n'/'no' value to force it on or-off.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Paging,  Prev: Colour,  Up: Text output--5.2.1.3 Paging-..............--In unix-like environments, when displaying large output (in any output-format) in the terminal, hledger tries to use a pager when appropriate.-(You can disable this with the '--pager=no' option, perhaps in your-config file.)--   The pager shows one page of text at a time, and lets you scroll-around to see more.  While it is active, usually 'SPACE' shows the next-page, 'h' shows help, and 'q' quits.  The home/end/page up/page-down/cursor keys, and mouse scrolling, may also work.--   hledger will use the pager specified by the 'PAGER' environment-variable, otherwise 'less' if available, otherwise 'more' if available.-(With one exception: 'hledger help -p TOPIC' will always use 'less', so-that it can scroll to the topic.)--   The pager is expected to display hledger's ANSI colour and text-styling.  If you see junk characters, you might need to configure your-pager to handle ANSI codes.  Or you could disable colour as described-above.--   If you are using the 'less' pager, hledger automatically appends a-number of options to the 'LESS' variable to enable ANSI colour and a-number of other conveniences.  (At the time of writing: -chop-long-lines--hilite-unread -ignore-case -no-init -quit-at-eof -quit-if-one-screen--RAW-CONTROL-CHARS -shift=8 -squeeze-blank-lines -use-backslash ).  If-these don't work well, you can set your preferred options in the-'HLEDGER_LESS' variable, which will be used instead.---File: hledger.info,  Node: HTML output,  Next: CSV / TSV output,  Prev: Text output,  Up: Output format--5.2.2 HTML output--------------------HTML output can be styled by an optional 'hledger.css' file in the same-directory.--   HTML output will be a HTML fragment, not a complete HTML document.-Like other hledger output, for non-ascii characters it will use the-system locale's text encoding (see Text encoding).---File: hledger.info,  Node: CSV / TSV output,  Next: FODS output,  Prev: HTML output,  Up: Output format--5.2.3 CSV / TSV output-------------------------In CSV or TSV output, digit group marks (such as thousands separators)-are disabled automatically.---File: hledger.info,  Node: FODS output,  Next: Beancount output,  Prev: CSV / TSV output,  Up: Output format--5.2.4 FODS output--------------------FODS is the OpenDocument Spreadsheet format as plain XML, as accepted by-LibreOffice and OpenOffice.  If you use their spreadsheet applications,-this is better than CSV because it works across locales (decimal point-vs.  decimal comma, character encoding stored in XML header, thus no-problems with umlauts), it supports fixed header rows and columns, cell-types (string vs.  number vs.  date), separation of number and currency-(currency is displayed but the cell type is still a number accessible-for computation), styles (bold), borders.  Btw.  you can still extract-CSV from FODS/ODS using various utilities like 'libreoffice --headless'-or ods2csv.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Beancount output,  Next: SQL output,  Prev: FODS output,  Up: Output format--5.2.5 Beancount output-------------------------This is Beancount's journal format.  You can use this to export your-hledger data to Beancount, eg to use the Fava web app.--   hledger will try to adjust your data to suit Beancount,-automatically.  Be cautious and check the conversion until you are-confident it is good.  If you plan to export to Beancount often, you may-want to follow its conventions, for a cleaner conversion:--   * use Beancount-friendly account names-   * use currency codes instead of currency symbols-   * use cost notation instead of equity conversion postings-   * avoid virtual postings, balance assignments, and secondary dates.--   There is one big adjustment you must handle yourself: for Beancount,-the top level account names must be 'Assets', 'Liabilities', 'Equity',-'Income', and/or 'Expenses'.  You can use account aliases to rewrite-your account names temporarily, if needed, as in this-hledger2beancount.conf config file.--   2024-12-20: Some more things not yet handled for you:--   * P directives are not converted automatically - convert those-     yourself.-   * Balance assignments are not converted (Beancount doesn't support-     them) - replace those with explicit amounts.--* Menu:--* Beancount account names::-* Beancount commodity names::-* Beancount virtual postings::-* Beancount metadata::-* Beancount costs::-* Beancount operating currency::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Beancount account names,  Next: Beancount commodity names,  Up: Beancount output--5.2.5.1 Beancount account names-...............................--Aside from the top-level names, hledger will adjust your account names-to make valid Beancount account names, by capitalising each part,-replacing spaces with '-', replacing other unsupported characters with-'C<HEXBYTES>', prepending 'A' to account name parts which don't begin-with a letter or digit, and appending ':A' to account names which have-only one part.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Beancount commodity names,  Next: Beancount virtual postings,  Prev: Beancount account names,  Up: Beancount output--5.2.5.2 Beancount commodity names-.................................--hledger will adjust your commodity names to make valid Beancount-commodity/currency names, which must be 2-24 uppercase letters, digits,-or ''', '.', '_', '-', beginning with a letter and ending with a letter-or digit.  hledger will convert known currency symbols to ISO 4217-currency codes, capitalise letters, replace spaces with '-', replace-other unsupported characters with 'C<HEXBYTES>', and prepend or append-'C' if needed.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Beancount virtual postings,  Next: Beancount metadata,  Prev: Beancount commodity names,  Up: Beancount output--5.2.5.3 Beancount virtual postings-..................................--Beancount doesn't allow virtual postings; if you have any, they will be-omitted from beancount output.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Beancount metadata,  Next: Beancount costs,  Prev: Beancount virtual postings,  Up: Beancount output--5.2.5.4 Beancount metadata-..........................--hledger tags will be converted to Beancount metadata (except for tags-whose name begins with '_').  Metadata names will be adjusted to be-Beancount-compatible: beginning with a lowercase letter, at least two-characters long, and with unsupported characters encoded.  Metadata-values will use Beancount's string type.--   In hledger, objects can have the same tag repeated with multiple-values.  Eg an 'assets:cash' account might have both 'type:Asset' and-'type:Cash' tags.  For Beancount these will be combined into one, with-the values combined, comma separated.  Eg: 'type: "Asset, Cash"'.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Beancount costs,  Next: Beancount operating currency,  Prev: Beancount metadata,  Up: Beancount output--5.2.5.5 Beancount costs-.......................--Beancount doesn't allow redundant costs and conversion postings as-hledger does.  If you have any of these, the conversion postings will be-omitted.  Currently we support at most one cost + conversion postings-group per transaction.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Beancount operating currency,  Prev: Beancount costs,  Up: Beancount output--5.2.5.6 Beancount operating currency-....................................--Declaring an operating currency (or several) improves Beancount and Fava-reports.  Currently hledger will declare each currency used in cost-amounts as an operating currency.  If needed, replace these with your-own declaration, like--option "operating_currency" "USD"---File: hledger.info,  Node: SQL output,  Next: JSON output,  Prev: Beancount output,  Up: Output format--5.2.6 SQL output-------------------SQL output is expected to work at least with SQLite, MySQL and Postgres.--   The SQL statements are expected to be executed in the empty database.-If you already have tables created via SQL output of hledger, you would-probably want to either clear data from these (via 'delete' or-'truncate' SQL statements) or 'drop' the tables completely before-import; otherwise your postings would be duplicated.--   For SQLite, it is more useful if you modify the generated 'id' field-to be a PRIMARY KEY. Eg:--$ hledger print -O sql | sed 's/id serial/id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT NOT NULL/g' | ...--   This is not yet much used; feedback is welcome.---File: hledger.info,  Node: JSON output,  Prev: SQL output,  Up: Output format--5.2.7 JSON output--------------------Our JSON is rather large and verbose, since it is a faithful-representation of hledger's internal data types.  To understand its-structure, read the Haskell type definitions, which are mostly in-https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/blob/master/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs.-hledger-web's OpenAPI specification may also be relevant.--   hledger stores numbers with sometimes up to 255 significant digits.-This is too many digits for most JSON consumers, so in JSON output we-round numbers to at most 10 decimal places.  (We don't limit the number-of integer digits.)  If you find this causing problems, please let us-know.  Related: #1195--   This is not yet much used; feedback is welcome.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Commodity styles,  Next: Debug output,  Prev: Output format,  Up: Output--5.3 Commodity styles-====================--When displaying amounts, hledger infers a standard display style for-each commodity/currency, as described below in Commodity display style.--   If needed, this can be overridden by a '-c/--commodity-style' option-(except for cost amounts and amounts displayed by the 'print' command,-which are always displayed with all decimal digits).  For example, the-following will force dollar amounts to be displayed as shown:--$ hledger print -c '$1.000,0'--   This option can be repeated to set the display style for multiple-commodities/currencies.  Its argument is as described in the commodity-directive.  Note that omitting the commodity symbol will set the display-style for just the no-symbol commodity, not all commodities.--   In some cases hledger will adjust number formatting to improve their-parseability (such as adding trailing decimal marks when needed).---File: hledger.info,  Node: Debug output,  Prev: Commodity styles,  Up: Output--5.4 Debug output-================--We intend hledger to be relatively easy to troubleshoot, introspect and-develop.  You can add '--debug[=N]' to any hledger command line to see-additional debug output.  N ranges from 1 (least output, the default) to-9 (maximum output).  Typically you would start with 1 and increase until-you are seeing enough.  Debug output goes to stderr, and is not affected-by '-o/--output-file' (unless you redirect stderr to stdout, eg:-'2>&1').  It will be interleaved with normal output, which can help-reveal when parts of the code are evaluated.  To capture debug output in-a log file instead, you can usually redirect stderr, eg:--hledger bal --debug=3 2>hledger.log--   (This option doesn't work in a config file yet.)---File: hledger.info,  Node: Environment,  Next: PART 2 DATA FORMATS,  Prev: Output,  Up: Top--6 Environment-*************--These environment variables affect hledger:--   *HLEDGER_LESS* If 'less' is your pager, this variable specifies the-'less' options hledger should use.  (Otherwise, 'LESS' + custom options-are used.)--   *LEDGER_FILE* The default journal file, to be used when no-'-f/--file' option is provided.  For example, it could be-'~/finance/main.journal'.  This can also be a glob pattern, eg-'./2???.journal'.  (If the glob matches multiple files, only the-alphanumerically first one is used.)  If LEDGER_FILE points to a-non-existent file, an error will be raised.  If the value is the empty-string, it is ignored.--   If LEDGER_FILE is not set and '-f' is not provided, the default-journal file is '$HOME/.hledger.journal' (or if a home directory can't-be detected, './.hledger.journal').--   See also Common tasks > Setting LEDGER_FILE.--   *NO_COLOR* If this environment variable exists (with any value,-including empty), hledger will not use ANSI color codes in terminal-output, unless overridden by an explicit '--color=y' or '--colour=y'-option.---File: hledger.info,  Node: PART 2 DATA FORMATS,  Next: Journal,  Prev: Environment,  Up: Top--7 PART 2: DATA FORMATS-**********************---File: hledger.info,  Node: Journal,  Next: CSV,  Prev: PART 2 DATA FORMATS,  Up: Top--8 Journal-*********--hledger's usual data source is a plain text file containing journal-entries in hledger 'journal' format.  If you're looking for a quick-reference, jump ahead to the journal cheatsheet (or use the table of-contents at https://hledger.org/hledger.html).--   This file represents an accounting General Journal.  The '.journal'-file extension is most often used, though not strictly required.  The-journal file contains a number of transaction entries, each describing a-transfer of money (or any commodity) between two or more named accounts,-in a simple format readable by both hledger and humans.--   hledger's journal format is compatible with most of Ledger's journal-format, but not all of it.  The differences and interoperation tips are-described at hledger and Ledger.  With some care, and by avoiding-incompatible features, you can keep your hledger journal readable by-Ledger and vice versa.  This can useful eg for comparing the behaviour-of one app against the other.--   You can use hledger without learning any more about this file; just-use the add or web or import commands to create and update it.--   Many users, though, edit the journal file with a text editor, and-track changes with a version control system such as git.  Editor add-ons-such as ledger-mode or hledger-mode for Emacs, vim-ledger for Vim, and-hledger-vscode for Visual Studio Code, make this easier, adding colour,-formatting, tab completion, and useful commands.  See Editors at-hledger.org for the full list.--   A hledger journal file can contain three kinds of thing: comment-lines, transactions, and/or directives (including periodic transaction-rules and auto posting rules).  Understanding the journal file format-will also give you a good understanding of hledger's data model.  Here's-a quick cheatsheet/overview, followed by detailed descriptions of each-part.--* Menu:--* Journal cheatsheet::-* Comments::-* Transactions::-* Dates::-* Status::-* Code::-* Description::-* Transaction comments::-* Postings::-* Account names::-* Amounts::-* Balance assertions::-* Posting comments::-* Transaction balancing::-* Tags::-* Directives::-* account directive::-* alias directive::-* commodity directive::-* decimal-mark directive::-* include directive::-* P directive::-* payee directive::-* tag directive::-* Periodic transactions::-* Auto postings::-* Other syntax::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Journal cheatsheet,  Next: Comments,  Up: Journal--8.1 Journal cheatsheet-======================--# Here is the main syntax of hledger's journal format-# (omitting extra Ledger compatibility syntax).--###############################################################################--# 1. These are comment lines, for notes or temporarily disabling things.-; They begin with # or ;--comment-Or, lines can be enclosed within "comment" / "end comment".-This is a block of -commented lines.-end comment--# Some journal entries can have semicolon comments at end of line  ; like this-# Some of them require 2 or more spaces before the semicolon.--###############################################################################--# 2. Directives customise processing or output in some way.-# You don't need any directives to get started.-# But they can add more error checking, or change how things are displayed.-# They begin with a word, letter, or symbol. -# They are most often placed at the top, before transactions.--account assets             ; Declare valid account names and display order.-account assets:savings     ; A subaccount. This one represents a bank account.-account assets:checking    ; Another. Note, 2+ spaces after the account name.-account assets:receivable  ; Accounting type is inferred from english names,-account passifs            ; or declared with a "type" tag, type:L-account expenses           ; type:X-                           ; A follow-on comment line, indented.-account expenses:rent      ; Expense and revenue categories are also accounts.-                           ; Subaccounts inherit their parent's type.--commodity $0.00         ; Declare valid commodities and their display styles.-commodity 1.000,00 EUR--decimal-mark .          ; The decimal mark used in this file (if ambiguous).--payee Whole Foods       ; Declare a valid payee name.--tag trip                ; Declare a valid tag name.--P 2024-03-01 AAPL $179  ; Declare a market price for AAPL in $ on this date.--include other.journal   ; Include another journal file here.--# Declare a recurring "periodic transaction", for budget/forecast reports-~ monthly  set budget goals  ; <- Note, 2+ spaces before the description.-    (expenses:rent)      $1000-    (expenses:food)       $500--# Declare an auto posting rule, to modify existing transactions in reports-= revenues:consulting-    liabilities:tax:2024:us          *0.25  ; Add a tax liability & expense-    expenses:tax:2024:us            *-0.25  ; for 25% of the revenue.--###############################################################################--# 3. Transactions are what it's all about.-# They are dated events, usually movements of money between 2 or more accounts.-# They begin with a numeric date.-# Here is their basic shape:-#-# DATE DESCRIPTION    ; The transaction's date and optional description.-#   ACCOUNT1  AMOUNT  ; A posting of an amount to/from this account, indented.-#   ACCOUNT2  AMOUNT  ; A second posting, balancing the first.-#   ...               ; More if needed. Amounts must sum to zero.-#                     ; Note, 2+ spaces between account names and amounts.--2024-01-01 opening balances         ; At the start, declare pre-existing balances this way.-    assets:savings          $10000  ; Account names can be anything. lower case is easy to type.-    assets:checking          $1000  ; assets, liabilities, equity, revenues, expenses are common.-    liabilities:credit card  $-500  ; liabilities, equity, revenues balances are usually negative.-    equity:start                    ; One amount can be left blank. $-10500 is inferred here.-                                    ; Some of these accounts we didn't declare above,-                                    ; so -s/--strict would complain.--2024-01-03 ! (12345) pay rent-    ; Additional transaction comment lines, indented.-    ; There can be a ! or * after the date meaning "pending" or "cleared".-    ; There can be a parenthesised (code) after the date/status.-                                    ; Amounts' sign shows direction of flow.-    assets:checking          $-500  ; Minus means removed from this account (credit).-    expenses:rent             $500  ; Plus means added to this account (debit).--; Keeping transactions in date order is optional (but helps error checking).--2024-01-02 Gringott's Bank | withdrawal  ; Description can be PAYEE | NOTE-    assets:bank:gold       -10 gold-    assets:pouch            10 gold--2024-01-02 shopping-    expenses:clothing        1 gold-    expenses:wands           5 gold-    assets:pouch            -6 gold--2024-01-02 receive gift-    revenues:gifts          -3 "Chocolate Frogs"  ; Complex commodity symbols-    assets:pouch             3 "Chocolate Frogs"  ; must be in double quotes.--2024-01-15 buy some shares, in two lots                 ; Cost can be noted.-    assets:investments:2024-01-15     2.0 AAAA @ $1.50  ; @  means per-unit cost-    assets:investments:2024-01-15-02  3.0 AAAA @@ $4    ; @@ means total cost-                      ; ^ Per-lot subaccounts are sometimes useful.-    assets:checking                 $-7--2024-01-15 assert some account balances on this date-    ; Balances can be asserted in any transaction, with =, for extra error checking.-    ; Assertion txns like this one can be made with hledger close --assert --show-costs-    ;-    assets:savings                    $0                   = $10000-    assets:checking                   $0                   =   $493-    assets:bank:gold                   0 gold              =    -10 gold-    assets:pouch                       0 gold              =      4 gold-    assets:pouch                       0 "Chocolate Frogs" =      3 "Chocolate Frogs"-    assets:investments:2024-01-15      0.0 AAAA            =      2.0 AAAA @  $1.50-    assets:investments:2024-01-15-02   0.0 AAAA            =      3.0 AAAA @@ $4-    liabilities:credit card           $0                   =  $-500--2024-02-01 note some event, or a transaction not yet fully entered, on this date-    ; Postings are not required.--# Consistent YYYY-MM-DD date format is recommended,-# but you can use . or / and omit leading zeros if you prefer.-2024.01.01-2024/1/1---File: hledger.info,  Node: Comments,  Next: Transactions,  Prev: Journal cheatsheet,  Up: Journal--8.2 Comments-============--Lines in the journal will be ignored if they begin with a hash ('#') or-a semicolon (';').  (See also Other syntax.)  hledger will also ignore-regions beginning with a 'comment' line and ending with an 'end comment'-line (or file end).  Here's a suggestion for choosing between them:--   * '#' for top-level notes-   * ';' for commenting out things temporarily-   * 'comment' for quickly commenting large regions (remember it's-     there, or you might get confused)--   Eg:--# a comment line-; another commentline-comment-A multi-line comment block,-continuing until "end comment" directive-or the end of the current file.-end comment--   Some hledger entries can have same-line comments attached to them,-from ; (semicolon) to end of line.  See Transaction comments, Posting-comments, and Account comments below.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Transactions,  Next: Dates,  Prev: Comments,  Up: Journal--8.3 Transactions-================--Transactions are the main unit of information in a journal file.  They-represent events, typically a movement of some quantity of commodities-between two or more named accounts.--   Each transaction is recorded as a journal entry, beginning with a-simple date in column 0.  This can be followed by any of the following-optional fields, separated by spaces:--   * a status character (empty, '!', or '*')-   * a code (any short number or text, enclosed in parentheses)-   * a description (any remaining text until end of line or a semicolon)-   * a comment (any remaining text following a semicolon until end of-     line, and any following indented lines beginning with a semicolon)-   * 0 or more indented _posting_ lines, describing what was transferred-     and the accounts involved (indented comment lines are also allowed,-     but not blank lines or non-indented lines).--   Here's a simple journal file containing one transaction:--2008/01/01 income-  assets:bank:checking   $1-  income:salary         $-1---File: hledger.info,  Node: Dates,  Next: Status,  Prev: Transactions,  Up: Journal--8.4 Dates-=========--* Menu:--* Simple dates::-* Posting dates::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Simple dates,  Next: Posting dates,  Up: Dates--8.4.1 Simple dates---------------------Dates in the journal file use _simple dates_ format: 'YYYY-MM-DD' or-'YYYY/MM/DD' or 'YYYY.MM.DD', with leading zeros optional.  The year may-be omitted, in which case it will be inferred from the context: the-current transaction, the default year set with a 'Y' directive, or the-current date when the command is run.  Some examples: '2010-01-31',-'2010/01/31', '2010.1.31', '1/31'.--   (The UI also accepts simple dates, as well as the more flexible smart-dates documented in the hledger manual.)---File: hledger.info,  Node: Posting dates,  Prev: Simple dates,  Up: Dates--8.4.2 Posting dates----------------------You can give individual postings a different date from their parent-transaction, by adding a posting comment containing a tag (see below)-like '; date:DATE'.  (There's also a Ledger-compatible syntax, ';-[DATE]', which can be convenient.)--   This is probably the best way to control posting dates precisely.  Eg-in this example the expense should appear in May reports, and the-deduction from checking should be reported on 6/1 for easy bank-reconciliation:--2015/5/30-    expenses:food     $10  ; food purchased on saturday 5/30-    assets:checking        ; bank cleared it on monday, date:6/1--$ hledger -f t.j register food-2015-05-30                      expenses:food                  $10           $10--$ hledger -f t.j register checking-2015-06-01                      assets:checking               $-10          $-10--   DATE should be a simple date; if the year is not specified it will-use the year of the transaction's date.-The 'date:' tag must have a valid simple date value if it is present, eg-a 'date:' tag with no value is not allowed.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Status,  Next: Code,  Prev: Dates,  Up: Journal--8.5 Status-==========--Transactions (or individual postings within a transaction) can have a-status mark, which is a single character before the transaction-description (or posting account name), separated from it by a space,-indicating one of three statuses:--mark  status- -------------------      unmarked-'!'   pending-'*'   cleared--   When reporting, you can filter by status with the '-U/--unmarked',-'-P/--pending', and '-C/--cleared' flags (and you can combine these, eg-'-UP' to match all except cleared things).  Or you can use the-'status:', 'status:!', and 'status:*' queries, or the U, P, C keys in-hledger-ui.--   (Note: in Ledger the "unmarked" state is called "uncleared"; in-hledger we renamed it to "unmarked" for semantic clarity.)--   Status marks are optional, but can be helpful eg for reconciling with-real-world accounts.  Some editor modes provide highlighting and-shortcuts for working with status.  Eg in Emacs ledger-mode, you can-toggle transaction status with C-c C-e, or posting status with C-c C-c.--   What "uncleared", "pending", and "cleared" actually mean is up to-you.  Here's one suggestion:--status     meaning----------------------------------------------------------------------------uncleared  recorded but not yet reconciled; needs review-pending    tentatively reconciled (if needed, eg during a big-           reconciliation)-cleared    complete, reconciled as far as possible, and considered-           correct--   With this scheme, you would use '-PC' to see the current balance at-your bank, '-U' to see things which will probably hit your bank soon-(like uncashed checks), and no flags to see the most up-to-date state of-your finances.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Code,  Next: Description,  Prev: Status,  Up: Journal--8.6 Code-========--After the status mark, but before the description, you can optionally-write a transaction "code", enclosed in parentheses.  This is a good-place to record a check number, or some other important transaction id-or reference number.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Description,  Next: Transaction comments,  Prev: Code,  Up: Journal--8.7 Description-===============--After the date, status mark and/or code fields, the rest of the line (or-until a comment is begun with ';') is the transaction's description.-Here you can describe the transaction (called the "narration" in-traditional bookkeeping), or you can record a payee/payer name, or you-can leave it empty.--   Transaction descriptions show up in print output and in register-reports, and can be listed with the descriptions command.--   You can query by description with 'desc:DESCREGEX', or pivot on-description with '--pivot desc'.--* Menu:--* Payee and note::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Payee and note,  Up: Description--8.7.1 Payee and note-----------------------Sometimes people want a dedicated payee/payer field that can be queried-and checked more strictly.  If you want that, you can write a '|' (pipe)-character in the description.  This divides it into a "payee" field on-the left, and a "note" field on the right.  (Either can be empty.)--   You can query these with 'payee:PAYEEREGEX' and 'note:NOTEREGEX',-list their values with the payees and notes commands, or pivot on-'payee' or 'note'.--   Note: in transactions with no '|' character, description, payee, and-note all have the same value.  Once a '|' is added, they become-distinct.  (If you'd like to change this behaviour, please propose it on-the mail list.)--   If you want more strict error checking, you can declare the valid-payee names with payee directives, and then enforce these with hledger-check payees.  (Note: because of the above, for this you'll need to-ensure every transaction description contains a '|' and therefore a-checkable payee name, even if it's empty.)---File: hledger.info,  Node: Transaction comments,  Next: Postings,  Prev: Description,  Up: Journal--8.8 Transaction comments-========================--Text following ';', after a transaction description, and/or on indented-lines immediately below it, form comments for that transaction.  They-are reproduced by 'print' but otherwise ignored, except they may contain-tags, which are not ignored.--2012-01-01 something  ; a transaction comment-    ; a second line of transaction comment-    expenses   1-    assets---File: hledger.info,  Node: Postings,  Next: Account names,  Prev: Transaction comments,  Up: Journal--8.9 Postings-============--A posting is an addition of some amount to, or removal of some amount-from, an account.  Each posting line begins with at least one space or-tab (2 or 4 spaces is common), followed by:--   * (optional) a status character (empty, '!', or '*'), followed by a-     space-   * (required) an account name (any text, optionally including single-     spaces.  If anything follows the account name on the same line, the-     account name must be ended by *two or more spaces*.)-   * (optional) an amount-   * (optional) a same-line posting comment, beginning with a semicolon-     (';').--   If the amount is positive, it is being added to the account; if-negative, it is being removed from the account.--   The posting amounts in a transaction must sum up to zero, indicating-that the inflows and outflows are equal.  We call this a balanced-transaction.  (You can read more about the details of transaction-balancing below.)--   If no amount is written, it will be calculated automatically from the-other postings in the transaction, so as to balance the transaction.  In-other words, in any transaction you can leave one posting amountless to-save typing.--* Menu:--* Debits and credits::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Debits and credits,  Up: Postings--8.9.1 Debits and credits---------------------------The traditional accounting concepts of debit and credit of course exist-in hledger, but we represent them with numeric sign.  Positive and-negative posting amounts represent debits and credits respectively.--   You don't need to remember that, but if you would like to - eg for-helping newcomers or for talking with your accountant - here's a handy-mnemonic:--   _'debit / plus / left / short words'_-_'credit / minus / right / longer words'_---File: hledger.info,  Node: Account names,  Next: Amounts,  Prev: Postings,  Up: Journal--8.10 Account names-==================--Accounts are the main way of categorising things in hledger.  As in-Double Entry Bookkeeping, they can represent real world accounts (such-as a bank account), or more abstract categories such as "money spent on-food" or "money borrowed from Frank".--   Account names are flexible.  They may be capitalised or not; they may-contain letters, numbers, punctuation, symbols, or single spaces; they-may be in any language.--   Typically we use the five traditional accounting categories as the-starting point for account names.  In english they are:--   'assets', 'liabilities', 'equity', 'revenues', 'expenses'--   These will be discussed more in Account types below.  In hledger docs-you may see them referred to as A, L, E, R, X for short.--* Menu:--* Two space delimiter::-* Account hierarchy::-* Other account name features::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Two space delimiter,  Next: Account hierarchy,  Up: Account names--8.10.1 Two space delimiter-----------------------------Note the *two or more spaces* delimiter that's sometimes required after-account names.  hledger's account names, inherited from Ledger, are very-permissive; they may contain pretty much any kind of text, including-single spaces and semicolons.  Because of this, they must be terminated-by *two or more spaces* if there is anything following them on the same-line.  For example, if an amount, balance assignment, or same-line-comment follows an account name, they must be preceded by two or more-spaces, else they would be considered part of the account name:--bad:     assets:accounts receivable $10        ; <- too close!-good:    assets:accounts receivable  $10--bad:     assets:accounts receivable =$1000     ; <- too close!-good:    assets:accounts receivable  =$1000--bad:     assets:accounts receivable ; comment.   <- too close!-good:    assets:accounts receivable  ; comment--   This two-space delimiter appears in a few places in hledger, such as-after account names in postings or account directives; also after the-period expression in periodic transaction rules.  When you are starting-out, expect it to catch you out at least once.  It's annoying sometimes,-but it lets us use expressive account names while still keeping the-syntax light.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Account hierarchy,  Next: Other account name features,  Prev: Two space delimiter,  Up: Account names--8.10.2 Account hierarchy---------------------------For more precise reporting, we usually divide accounts into more-detailed subaccounts, subsubaccounts, and so on, by writing a full colon-between account name parts.  For example, instead of writing 'assets'-and 'expenses', we might write 'assets:bank:checking' and-'expenses:food'.  From these names hledger will infer this hierarchy of-five accounts:--assets-assets:bank-assets:bank:checking-expenses-expenses:food--   Or as an outline:--assets- bank-  checking-expenses- food--   hledger reports can summarise the account tree to any depth, so you-can make your subcategories as detailed as you like.  But don't go-overboard, especially when getting started; simpler categories can be-less work.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Other account name features,  Prev: Account hierarchy,  Up: Account names--8.10.3 Other account name features-------------------------------------Enclosing the account name in parentheses or brackets, like-'(expenses:food)', enables a non-standard bookkeeping feature: virtual-postings.--   Account names can be rewritten and restructured, temporarily or-permanently, by account aliases.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Amounts,  Next: Balance assertions,  Prev: Account names,  Up: Journal--8.11 Amounts-============--After the account name, there is usually an amount.  (Remember: between-account name and amount, there must be two or more spaces.)--   hledger's amount format is flexible, supporting several international-formats.  Here are some examples.  Amounts have a number (the-"quantity"):--1--   ..and usually a currency symbol or commodity name (more on this-below), to the left or right of the quantity, with or without a-separating space:--$1-4000 AAPL-3 "green apples"--   Amounts can be preceded by a minus sign (or a plus sign, though plus-is the default), The sign can be written before or after a left-side-commodity symbol:---$1-$-1--   One or more spaces between the sign and the number are acceptable-when parsing (but they won't be displayed in output):--+ $1-$-      1--   Scientific E notation is allowed:--1E-6-EUR 1E3--* Menu:--* Decimal marks::-* Digit group marks::-* Commodity::-* Costs::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Decimal marks,  Next: Digit group marks,  Up: Amounts--8.11.1 Decimal marks-----------------------A _decimal mark_ can be written as a period or a comma:--1.23-1,23--   Both of these are common in international number formats, so hledger-is not biased towards one or the other.  Because hledger also supports-digit group marks (eg thousands separators), this means that a number-like '1,000' or '1.000' containing just one period or comma is-ambiguous.  In such cases, hledger by default assumes it is a decimal-mark, and will parse both of those as 1.--   To help hledger parse such ambiguous numbers more accurately, if you-use digit group marks, we recommend declaring the decimal mark-explicitly.  The best way is to add a 'decimal-mark' directive at the-top of each data file, like this:--decimal-mark .--   Or you can declare it per commodity with 'commodity' directives,-described below.--   hledger also accepts numbers like '10.' with no digits after the-decimal mark (and will sometimes display numbers that way to-disambiguate them - see Trailing decimal marks).---File: hledger.info,  Node: Digit group marks,  Next: Commodity,  Prev: Decimal marks,  Up: Amounts--8.11.2 Digit group marks---------------------------In the integer part of the amount quantity (left of the decimal mark),-groups of digits can optionally be separated by a _digit group mark_ - a-comma or period (whichever is not used as decimal mark), or a space-(several Unicode space variants, like no-break space, are also-accepted).  So these are all valid amounts in a journal file:--     $1,000,000.00-  EUR 2.000.000,00-INR 9,99,99,999.00-      1 000 000.00   ; <- ordinary space  -      1 000 000.00   ; <- no-break space---File: hledger.info,  Node: Commodity,  Next: Costs,  Prev: Digit group marks,  Up: Amounts--8.11.3 Commodity-------------------Amounts in hledger have both a "quantity", which is a signed decimal-number, and a "commodity", which is a currency symbol, stock ticker, or-any word or phrase describing something you are tracking.--   If the commodity name contains non-letters (spaces, numbers, or-punctuation), you must always write it inside double quotes ('"green-apples"', '"ABC123"').--   If you write just a bare number, that too will have a commodity, with-name '""'; we call that the "no-symbol commodity".--   Actually, hledger combines these single-commodity amounts into more-powerful multi-commodity amounts, which are what it works with most of-the time.  A multi-commodity amount could be, eg: '1 USD, 2 EUR, 3.456-TSLA'.  In practice, you will only see multi-commodity amounts in-hledger's output; you can't write them directly in the journal file.--   By default, the format of amounts in the journal influences how-hledger displays them in output.  This is explained in Commodity display-style below.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Costs,  Prev: Commodity,  Up: Amounts--8.11.4 Costs---------------After a posting amount, you can note its cost (when buying) or selling-price (when selling) in another commodity, by writing either '@-UNITPRICE' or '@@ TOTALPRICE' after it.  This indicates a conversion-transaction, where one commodity is exchanged for another.--   (You might also see this called "transaction price" in hledger docs,-discussions, or code; that term was directionally neutral and reminded-that it is a price specific to a transaction, but we now just call it-"cost", with the understanding that the transaction could be a purchase-or a sale.)--   Costs are usually written explicitly with '@' or '@@', but can also-be inferred automatically for simple multi-commodity transactions.-Note, if costs are inferred, the order of postings is significant; the-first posting will have a cost attached, in the commodity of the second.--   As an example, here are several ways to record purchases of a foreign-currency in hledger, using the cost notation either explicitly or-implicitly:--  1. Write the price per unit, as '@ UNITPRICE' after the amount:--     2009/1/1-       assets:euros     €100 @ $1.35  ; one hundred euros purchased at $1.35 each-       assets:dollars                 ; balancing amount is -$135.00--  2. Write the total price, as '@@ TOTALPRICE' after the amount:--     2009/1/1-       assets:euros     €100 @@ $135  ; one hundred euros purchased at $135 for the lot-       assets:dollars--  3. Specify amounts for all postings, using exactly two commodities,-     and let hledger infer the price that balances the transaction.-     Note the effect of posting order: the price is added to first-     posting, making it '€100 @@ $135', as in example 2:--     2009/1/1-       assets:euros     €100          ; one hundred euros purchased-       assets:dollars  $-135          ; for $135--   Amounts can be converted to cost at report time using the '-B/--cost'-flag; this is discussed more in the Cost reporting section.--   Note that the cost normally should be a positive amount, though it's-not required to be.  This can be a little confusing, see discussion at--infer-market-prices: market prices from transactions.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Balance assertions,  Next: Posting comments,  Prev: Amounts,  Up: Journal--8.12 Balance assertions-=======================--hledger supports Ledger-style balance assertions in journal files.-These look like, for example, '= EXPECTEDBALANCE' following a posting's-amount.  Eg here we assert the expected dollar balance in accounts a and-b after each posting:--2013/1/1-  a   $1 =  $1-  b      = $-1--2013/1/2-  a   $1 =  $2-  b  $-1 = $-2--   After reading a journal file, hledger will check all balance-assertions and report an error if any of them fail.  Balance assertions-can protect you from, eg, inadvertently disrupting reconciled balances-while cleaning up old entries.  You can disable them temporarily with-the '-I/--ignore-assertions' flag, which can be useful for-troubleshooting or for reading Ledger files.  (Note: this flag currently-does not disable balance assignments, described below).--* Menu:--* Assertions and ordering::-* Assertions and multiple files::-* Assertions and costs::-* Assertions and commodities::-* Assertions and subaccounts::-* Assertions and status::-* Assertions and virtual postings::-* Assertions and auto postings::-* Assertions and precision::-* Assertions and hledger add::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Assertions and ordering,  Next: Assertions and multiple files,  Up: Balance assertions--8.12.1 Assertions and ordering---------------------------------hledger calculates and checks an account's balance assertions in date-order (and when there are multiple assertions on the same day, in parse-order).  Note this is different from Ledger, which checks assertions-always in parse order, ignoring dates.--   This means in hledger you can freely reorder transactions, postings,-or files, and balance assertions will usually keep working.  The-exception is when you reorder multiple postings on the same day, to the-same account, which have balance assertions; those will likely need-updating.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Assertions and multiple files,  Next: Assertions and costs,  Prev: Assertions and ordering,  Up: Balance assertions--8.12.2 Assertions and multiple files---------------------------------------If an account has transactions appearing in multiple files, balance-assertions can still work - but _only if those files are part of a-hierarchy made by include directives_.--   If the same files are specified with two '-f' options on the command-line, the assertions in the second will not see the balances from the-first.--   To work around this, arrange your files in a hierarchy with-'include'.  Or, you could concatenate the files temporarily, and process-them like one big file.--   Why does it work this way ?  It might be related to hledger's goal of-stable predictable reports.  File hierarchy is considered "permanent",-part of your data, while the order of command line options/arguments is-not.  We don't want transient changes to be able to change the meaning-of the data.  Eg it would be frustrating if tomorrow all your balance-assertions broke because you wrote command line arguments in a different-order.  (Discussion welcome.)---File: hledger.info,  Node: Assertions and costs,  Next: Assertions and commodities,  Prev: Assertions and multiple files,  Up: Balance assertions--8.12.3 Assertions and costs------------------------------Balance assertions ignore costs, and should normally be written without-one:--2019/1/1-  (a)     $1 @ €1 = $1--   We do allow costs to be written in balance assertion amounts,-however, and print shows them, but they don't affect whether the-assertion passes or fails.  This is for backward compatibility-(hledger's close command used to generate balance assertions with-costs), and because balance _assignments_ do use costs (see below).---File: hledger.info,  Node: Assertions and commodities,  Next: Assertions and subaccounts,  Prev: Assertions and costs,  Up: Balance assertions--8.12.4 Assertions and commodities------------------------------------The balance assertions described so far are "*single commodity balance-assertions*": they assert and check the balance in one commodity,-ignoring any others that may be present.  This is how balance assertions-work in Ledger also.--   If an account contains multiple commodities, you can assert their-balances by writing multiple postings with balance assertions, one for-each commodity:--2013/1/1-  usd   $-1-  eur   €-1-  both--2013/1/2-  both    0 = $1-  both    0 = €1--   In hledger you can make a stronger "*sole commodity balance-assertion*" by writing two equals signs ('== EXPECTEDBALANCE').  This-also asserts that there are no other commodities in the account besides-the asserted one (or at least, that their current balance is zero):--2013/1/1-  usd   $-1  == $-1  ; these sole commodity assertions succeed-  eur   €-1  == €-1-  both      ;==  $1  ; this one would fail because 'both' contains $ and €--   It's less easy to make a "*sole commodities balance assertion*" (note-the plural) - ie, asserting that an account contains two or more-specified commodities and no others.  It can be done by--  1. isolating each commodity in a subaccount, and asserting those-  2. and also asserting there are no commodities in the parent account-     itself:--2013/1/1-  usd       $-1-  eur       €-1-  both        0 == 0   ; nothing up my sleeve-  both:usd   $1 == $1  ; a dollar here-  both:eur   €1 == €1  ; a euro there---File: hledger.info,  Node: Assertions and subaccounts,  Next: Assertions and status,  Prev: Assertions and commodities,  Up: Balance assertions--8.12.5 Assertions and subaccounts------------------------------------All of the balance assertions above (both '=' and '==') are-"*subaccount-exclusive balance assertions*"; they ignore any balances-that exist in deeper subaccounts.--   In hledger you can make "*subaccount-inclusive balance assertions*"-by adding a star after the equals ('=*' or '==*'):--2019/1/1-  equity:start-  assets:checking  $10-  assets:savings   $10-  assets            $0 ==* $20  ; assets + subaccounts contains $20 and nothing else---File: hledger.info,  Node: Assertions and status,  Next: Assertions and virtual postings,  Prev: Assertions and subaccounts,  Up: Balance assertions--8.12.6 Assertions and status-------------------------------Balance assertions always consider postings of all statuses (unmarked,-pending, or cleared); they are not affected by the '-U'/'--unmarked' /-'-P'/'--pending' / '-C'/'--cleared' flags or the 'status:' query.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Assertions and virtual postings,  Next: Assertions and auto postings,  Prev: Assertions and status,  Up: Balance assertions--8.12.7 Assertions and virtual postings-----------------------------------------Balance assertions always consider both real and virtual postings; they-are not affected by the '--real/-R' flag or 'real:' query.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Assertions and auto postings,  Next: Assertions and precision,  Prev: Assertions and virtual postings,  Up: Balance assertions--8.12.8 Assertions and auto postings--------------------------------------Balance assertions _are_ affected by the '--auto' flag, which generates-auto postings, which can alter account balances.  Because auto postings-are optional in hledger, accounts affected by them effectively have two-balances.  But balance assertions can only test one or the other of-these.  So to avoid making fragile assertions, either:--   * assert the balance calculated with '--auto', and always use-     '--auto' with that file-   * or assert the balance calculated without '--auto', and never use-     '--auto' with that file-   * or avoid balance assertions on accounts affected by auto postings-     (or avoid auto postings entirely).---File: hledger.info,  Node: Assertions and precision,  Next: Assertions and hledger add,  Prev: Assertions and auto postings,  Up: Balance assertions--8.12.9 Assertions and precision----------------------------------Balance assertions compare the exactly calculated amounts, which are not-always what is shown by reports.  Eg a commodity directive may limit the-display precision, but this will not affect balance assertions.  Balance-assertion failure messages show exact amounts.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Assertions and hledger add,  Prev: Assertions and precision,  Up: Balance assertions--8.12.10 Assertions and hledger add-------------------------------------Balance assertions can be included in the amounts given in 'add'.  All-types of assertions are supported, and assertions can be used as in a-normal journal file.--   All transactions, not just those that have an explicit assertion, are-validated against the existing assertions in the journal.  This means it-is possible for an added transaction to fail even if its assertions are-correct as of the transaction date.--   If this assertion checking is not desired, then it can be disabled-with '-I'.--   However, balance assignments are currently not supported.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Posting comments,  Next: Transaction balancing,  Prev: Balance assertions,  Up: Journal--8.13 Posting comments-=====================--Text following ';', at the end of a posting line, and/or on indented-lines immediately below it, form comments for that posting.  They are-reproduced by 'print' but otherwise ignored, except they may contain-tags, which are not ignored.--2012-01-01-    expenses   1  ; a comment for posting 1-    assets-    ; a comment for posting 2-    ; a second comment line for posting 2---File: hledger.info,  Node: Transaction balancing,  Next: Tags,  Prev: Posting comments,  Up: Journal--8.14 Transaction balancing-==========================--How exactly does hledger decide when a transaction is balanced ?-Especially when it involves costs, which often are not exact, because of-repeating decimals, or imperfect data from financial institutions ?  In-each commodity, hledger sums the transaction's posting amounts, after-converting any with costs; then it checks if that sum is zero, when-rounded to a suitable number of decimal digits - which we call the-_balancing precision_.--   Since version 1.50, hledger infers balancing precision in each-transaction from the amounts in that transaction's journal entry (like-Ledger).  Ie, when checking the balance of commodity A, it uses the-highest decimal precision seen for A in the journal entry (excluding-cost amounts).  This makes transaction balancing robust; any imbalances-must be visibly accounted for in the journal entry, display precision-can be freely increased with '-c', and compatibility with Ledger and-Beancount journals is good.--   Note that hledger versions before 1.50 worked differently: they-allowed display precision to override the balancing precision.  This-masked small imbalances and caused fragility (see issue #2402).  As a-result, some journal entries (or CSV rules) that worked with hledger-<1.50, are now rejected with an "unbalanced transaction" error.  If you-hit this problem, it's easy to fix:--   * You can restore the old behaviour, by adding '--txn-balancing=old'-     to the command or to your '~/.hledger.conf' file.  This lets you-     keep using old journals unchanged, though without the above-     benefits.--   * Or you can fix the problem entries (recommended).  There are three-     ways, use whichever seems best:--       1. make cost amounts more precise (add more/better decimal-          digits)-       2. or make non-cost amounts less precise (remove unnecessary-          decimal digits that are raising the precision)-       3. or add a posting to absorb the imbalance (eg-          "expenses:rounding".  Remember that one posting may omit the-          amount; that's convenient here.)---File: hledger.info,  Node: Tags,  Next: Directives,  Prev: Transaction balancing,  Up: Journal--8.15 Tags-=========--Tags are a way to add extra labels or data fields to transactions,-postings, or accounts, which you can match with a 'tag:' query in-reports.  (See queries below.)--   Tags are a single word or hyphenated word, immediately followed by a-full colon, written within a comment.  (Yes, storing data in comments is-slightly weird.)  Here's a transaction with a tag:--2025-01-01 groceries        ; some-tag:-    assets:checking-    expenses:food       $1--   A tag can have a value, a single line of text written after the-colon.  Tag values can't contain newlines.:--2025-01-01 groceries        ; tag1: this is tag1's value--   Multiple tags can be separated by comma.  Tag values can't contain-commas.:--2025-01-01 groceries        ; tag1:value 1, tag2:value 2, comment text--   A tag can have multiple values:--2025-01-01 groceries        ; tag1:value 1, tag1:value 2--   You can write each tag on its own line of you prefer (but they still-can't contain commas):--2025-01-01 groceries-    ; tag1: value 1-    ; tag2: value 2--   Tags can be attached to individual postings, rather than the overall-transaction:--2025-01-01 rent-    assets:checking-    expenses:rent       $1000  ; postingtag:--   Tags can be attached to accounts, in their account directive:--account assets:checking    ; acct-number: 123-45-6789--* Menu:--* Tag propagation::-* Displaying tags::-* When to use tags ?::-* Tag names::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Tag propagation,  Next: Displaying tags,  Up: Tags--8.15.1 Tag propagation-------------------------In addition to what they are attached to, tags also affect related data-in a few ways, allowing more powerful queries:--  1. Accounts -> postings.  Postings inherit tags from their account.-  2. Transactions -> postings.  Postings inherit tags from their-     transaction.-  3. Postings -> transactions.  Transactions also acquire the tags of-     their postings.--   So when you use a 'tag:' query to match whole transactions,-individual postings, or accounts, it's good to understand how tags-behave.  Here's an example showing all three kinds of propagation:--account assets:checking-account expenses:food           ; atag:--2025-01-01 groceries            ; ttag:-    assets:checking             ; p1tag:-    expenses:food           $1  ; p2tag:--data part      has tags       explanation-----------------------------------------------------------------------------assets:checking account       no tags attached-expenses:food  atag           atag: in comment-account-assets:checkingp1tag, ttag    p1tag: in comment, ttag acquired from-posting                       transaction-expenses:food  p2tag, atag,   p2tag: in comment, atag from account, ttag-posting        ttag           from transaction-groceries      ttag, p1tag,   ttag: in comment, p1tag from first-transaction    p2tag, atag    posting, p2tag and atag from second-                              posting---File: hledger.info,  Node: Displaying tags,  Next: When to use tags ?,  Prev: Tag propagation,  Up: Tags--8.15.2 Displaying tags-------------------------You can use the 'tags' command to list tag names or values.--   The 'print' command also shows tags.--   You can use -pivot to display tag values in other reports, in various-ways (eg appended to account names, like pseudo subaccounts).---File: hledger.info,  Node: When to use tags ?,  Next: Tag names,  Prev: Displaying tags,  Up: Tags--8.15.3 When to use tags ?----------------------------Tags provide more dimensions of categorisation, complementing accounts-and transaction descriptions.  When to use each of these is somewhat a-matter of taste.  Accounts have the most built-in support, and regex-queries on descriptions are also quite powerful.  So you may not need-tags at all.  But if you want to track multiple cross-cutting-categories, they can be a good fit.  For example, you could tag-trip-related transactions with 'trip: YEAR:PLACE', without disturbing-your usual account categories.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Tag names,  Prev: When to use tags ?,  Up: Tags--8.15.4 Tag names-------------------What is allowed in a tag name ?  Most non-whitespace characters.  Eg '😀-:' is a valid tag.--   For extra error checking, you can declare valid tag names with the-'tag' directive, and then enforce these with the 'check' command.  But-note that tags are detected quite loosely at present, sometimes where-you didn't intend them.  Eg a comment like '; see https://foo.com' adds-a 'https' tag.--   There are several tag names which have special significance to-hledger.  They are explained elsewhere, but here's a quick reference:-- type                   -- declares an account's type- date                   -- overrides a posting's date- date2                  -- overrides a posting's secondary date- assert                 -- appears on txns generated by close --assert- retain                 -- appears on txns generated by close --retain- start                  -- appears on txns generated by close --migrate/--close/--open/--assign- t                      -- appears on postings generated from timedot letters-- generated-transaction  -- appears on txns generated by a periodic rule- modified-transaction   -- appears on txns which have had auto postings added- generated-posting      -- appears on generated postings- cost-posting           -- appears on postings which have (or could have) a cost,-                           and which have equivalent conversion postings in the transaction- conversion-posting     -- appears on postings which are to a V/Conversion account-                           and which have an equivalent cost posting in the transaction--   The second group above (generated-transaction, etc.)  are normally-hidden, with a '_' prefix added.  This means 'print' doesn't show them-by default; but you can still use them in queries.  You can add the-'--verbose-tags' flag to make them visible, which can be useful for-troubleshooting.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Directives,  Next: account directive,  Prev: Tags,  Up: Journal--8.16 Directives-===============--Besides transactions, there is something else you can put in a 'journal'-file: directives.  These are declarations, beginning with a keyword,-that modify hledger's behaviour.  Some directives can have more specific-subdirectives, indented below them.  hledger's directives are similar to-Ledger's in many cases, but there are also many differences.  Directives-are not required, but can be useful.  Here are the main directives:--purpose                                   directive----------------------------------------------------------------------------*READING DATA:*-Rewrite account names                     'alias'-Comment out sections of the file          'comment'-Declare file's decimal mark, to help      'decimal-mark'-parse amounts accurately-Include other data files                  'include'-*GENERATING DATA:*-Generate recurring transactions or        '~'-budget goals-Generate extra postings on existing       '='-transactions-*CHECKING FOR ERRORS:*-Define valid entities to provide more     'account', 'commodity',-error checking                            'payee', 'tag'-*REPORTING:*-Declare accounts' type and display        'account'-order-Declare commodity display styles          'commodity'-Declare market prices                     'P'--* Menu:--* Directives and multiple files::-* Directive effects::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Directives and multiple files,  Next: Directive effects,  Up: Directives--8.16.1 Directives and multiple files---------------------------------------Directives vary in their scope, ie which journal entries and which input-files they affect.  Most often, a directive will affect the following-entries and included files if any, until the end of the current file --and no further.  You might find this inconvenient!  For example, 'alias'-directives do not affect parent or sibling files.  But there are usually-workarounds; for example, put 'alias' directives in your top-most file,-before including other files.--   The restriction, though it may be annoying at first, is in a good-cause; it allows reports to be stable and deterministic, independent of-the order of input.  Without it, reports could show different numbers-depending on the order of -f options, or the positions of include-directives in your files.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Directive effects,  Prev: Directives and multiple files,  Up: Directives--8.16.2 Directive effects---------------------------Here are all hledger's directives, with their effects and scope-summarised - nine main directives, plus four others which we consider-non-essential:--directivewhat it does                                                   ends-                                                                        at-                                                                        file-                                                                        end?-----------------------------------------------------------------------------*'account'*Declares an account, for checking all entries in all files; andN-     its display order and type.  Subdirectives: any text, ignored.-*'alias'*Rewrites account names, in following entries until end of      Y-     current file or 'end aliases'.  Command line equivalent:-     '--alias'-*'comment'*Ignores part of the journal file, until end of current file orY-     'end comment'.-*'commodity'*Declares up to four things: 1.  a commodity symbol, for checkingN,N,Y,Y-     all amounts in all files 2.  the display style for all amounts-     of this commodity 3.  the decimal mark for parsing amounts of-     this commodity, in the rest of this file and its children, if-     there is no 'decimal-mark' directive 4.  the precision to use-     for balanced-transaction checking in this commodity, in this-     file and its children.  Takes precedence over 'D'.-     Subdirectives: 'format' (ignored).  Command line equivalent:-     '-c/--commodity-style'-*'decimal-mark'*Declares the decimal mark, for parsing amounts of all   Y-     commodities in following entries until next 'decimal-mark' or-     end of current file.  Included files can override.  Takes-     precedence over 'commodity' and 'D'.-*'include'*Includes entries and directives from another file, as if theyN-     were written inline.  Command line alternative: multiple-     '-f/--file'-*'payee'*Declares a payee name, for checking all entries in all files.  N-*'P'*Declares the market price of a commodity on some date, for value   N-     reports.-*'~'*Declares a periodic transaction rule that generates future         N-(tilde)transactions with '--forecast' and budget goals with 'balance-     --budget'.-Other-syntax:-*'applyPrepends a common parent account to all account names, in        Y-account'*following entries until end of current file or 'end apply-     account'.-*'D'*Sets a default commodity to use for no-symbol amounts;and, if      Y,Y,N,N-     there is no 'commodity' directive for this commodity: its-     decimal mark, balancing precision, and display style, as above.-*'Y'*Sets a default year to use for any yearless dates, in following    Y-     entries until end of current file.-*'='*Declares an auto posting rule that generates extra postings on     partly-(equals)matched transactions with '--auto', in current, parent, and-     child files (but not sibling files, see #1212).-*OtherOther directives from Ledger's file format are accepted but-Ledgerignored.-directives*---File: hledger.info,  Node: account directive,  Next: alias directive,  Prev: Directives,  Up: Journal--8.17 'account' directive-========================--'account' directives can be used to declare accounts (ie, the places-that amounts are transferred from and to).  Though not required, these-declarations can provide several benefits:--   * They can document your intended chart of accounts, providing a-     reference.-   * They can store additional account information as comments, or as-     tags which can be used to filter or pivot reports.-   * They can restrict which accounts may be posted to by transactions,-     eg in strict mode, which helps prevent errors.-   * They influence account display order in reports, allowing-     non-alphabetic sorting (eg Revenues to appear above Expenses).-   * They can help hledger know your accounts' types (asset, liability,-     equity, revenue, expense), enabling reports like balancesheet and-     incomestatement.-   * They help with account name completion (in hledger add,-     hledger-web, hledger-iadd, ledger-mode, etc.)--   They are written as the word 'account' followed by a hledger-style-account name.  Eg:--account assets:bank:checking--   Ledger-style indented subdirectives are also accepted, but ignored:--account assets:bank:checking-  format subdirective  ; currently ignored--* Menu:--* Account comments::-* Account error checking::-* Account display order::-* Account types::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Account comments,  Next: Account error checking,  Up: account directive--8.17.1 Account comments--------------------------Text following *two or more spaces* and ';' at the end of an account-directive line, and/or following ';' on indented lines immediately below-it, form comments for that account.  They are ignored except they may-contain tags, which are not ignored.--   The two-space requirement for same-line account comments is because-';' is allowed in account names.--account assets:bank:checking    ; same-line comment, at least 2 spaces before the semicolon-  ; next-line comment-  ; some tags - type:A, acctnum:12345---File: hledger.info,  Node: Account error checking,  Next: Account display order,  Prev: Account comments,  Up: account directive--8.17.2 Account error checking--------------------------------By default, accounts need not be declared; they come into existence when-a posting references them.  This is convenient, but it means hledger-can't warn you when you mis-spell an account name in the journal.-Usually you'll find that error later, as an extra account in balance-reports, or an incorrect balance when reconciling.--   In strict mode, enabled with the '-s'/'--strict' flag, or when you-run 'hledger check accounts', hledger will report an error if any-transaction uses an account name that has not been declared by an-account directive.  Some notes:--   * The declaration is case-sensitive; transactions must use the-     correct account name capitalisation.-   * The account directive's scope is "whole file and below" (see-     directives).  This means it affects all of the current file, and-     any files it includes, but not parent or sibling files.  The-     position of account directives within the file does not matter,-     though it's usual to put them at the top.-   * Accounts can only be declared in 'journal' files, but will affect-     included files of all types.-   * It's currently not possible to declare "all possible subaccounts"-     with a wildcard; every account posted to must be declared.-   * If you use the -infer-equity flag, you will also need declarations-     for the account names it generates.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Account display order,  Next: Account types,  Prev: Account error checking,  Up: account directive--8.17.3 Account display order-------------------------------Account directives also cause hledger to display accounts in a-particular order, not just alphabetically.  Eg, here is a conventional-ordering for the top-level accounts:--account assets-account liabilities-account equity-account revenues-account expenses--   Now hledger displays them in that order:--$ hledger accounts-assets-liabilities-equity-revenues-expenses--   If there are undeclared accounts, those will be displayed last, in-alphabetical order.--   Sorting is done within each group of sibling accounts, at each level-of the account tree.  Eg, a declaration like 'account parent:child'-influences 'child''s position among its siblings.--   Note, it does not affect 'parent''s position; for that, you need an-'account parent' declaration.--   Sibling accounts are always displayed together; hledger won't display-'x:y' in between 'a:b' and 'a:c'.--   An account directive both declares an account as a valid posting-target, and declares its display order; you can't easily do one without-the other.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Account types,  Prev: Account display order,  Up: account directive--8.17.4 Account types-----------------------hledger knows that in accounting there are three main account types:--'Asset'       'A'   things you own-'Liability'   'L'   things you owe-'Equity'      'E'   owner's investment, balances the two above--   and two more representing changes in these:--'Revenue'   'R'   inflows (also known as 'Income')-'Expense'   'X'   outflows--   hledger also uses a couple of subtypes:--'Cash'         'C'   liquid assets-'Conversion'   'V'   commodity conversions equity--   As a convenience, hledger will detect these types automatically from-english account names.  But it's better to declare them explicitly by-adding a 'type:' tag in the account directives.  The tag's value can be-any of the types or one-letter abbreviations above.--   Here is a typical set of account type declarations.  Subaccounts will-inherit their parent's type, or can override it:--account assets             ; type: A-account liabilities        ; type: L-account equity             ; type: E-account revenues           ; type: R-account expenses           ; type: X--account assets:bank        ; type: C-account assets:cash        ; type: C--account equity:conversion  ; type: V--   This enables the easy balancesheet, balancesheetequity, cashflow and-incomestatement reports, and querying by type:.--   Tips:--   * You can list accounts and their types, for troubleshooting:--     $ hledger accounts --types [ACCTPAT] [type:TYPECODES] [-DEPTH] [--locations]--   * It's a good idea to declare at least one account for each account-     type.  Having some types declared and some inferred can disrupt-     certain reports.--   * The rules for inferring types from account names are as follows-     (using Regular expressions).-     If they don't work for you, just ignore them and declare your types-     with 'type:' tags.--     If account's name contains this case insensitive regular expression | its type is-     --------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------     ^assets?(:.+)?:(cash|bank|che(ck|que?)(ing)?|savings?|current)(:|$) | Cash-     ^assets?(:|$)                                                       | Asset-     ^(debts?|liabilit(y|ies))(:|$)                                      | Liability-     ^equity:(trad(e|ing)|conversion)s?(:|$)                             | Conversion-     ^equity(:|$)                                                        | Equity-     ^(income|revenue)s?(:|$)                                            | Revenue-     ^expenses?(:|$)                                                     | Expense--   * As mentioned above, subaccounts will inherit a type from their-     parent account.  To be precise, an account's type is decided by the-     first of these that exists:--       1. A 'type:' declaration for this account.-       2. A 'type:' declaration in the parent accounts above it,-          preferring the nearest.-       3. An account type inferred from this account's name.-       4. An account type inferred from a parent account's name,-          preferring the nearest parent.-       5. Otherwise, it will have no type.--   * Account aliases can disrupt account types.---File: hledger.info,  Node: alias directive,  Next: commodity directive,  Prev: account directive,  Up: Journal--8.18 'alias' directive-======================--You can define account alias rules which rewrite your account names, or-parts of them, before generating reports.  This can be useful for:--   * expanding shorthand account names to their full form, allowing-     easier data entry and a less verbose journal-   * adapting old journals to your current chart of accounts-   * experimenting with new account organisations, like a new hierarchy-   * combining two accounts into one, eg to see their sum or difference-     on one line-   * customising reports--   Account aliases also rewrite account names in account directives.-They do not affect account names being entered via hledger add or-hledger-web.--   Account aliases are very powerful.  They are generally easy to use-correctly, but you can also generate invalid account names with them;-more on this below.--   See also Rewrite account names.--* Menu:--* Basic aliases::-* Regex aliases::-* Combining aliases::-* Aliases and multiple files::-* end aliases directive::-* Aliases can generate bad account names::-* Aliases and account types::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Basic aliases,  Next: Regex aliases,  Up: alias directive--8.18.1 Basic aliases-----------------------To set an account alias, use the 'alias' directive in your journal file.-This affects all subsequent journal entries in the current file or its-included files (but note: not sibling or parent files).  The spaces-around the = are optional:--alias OLD = NEW--   Or, you can use the '--alias 'OLD=NEW'' option on the command line.-This affects all entries.  It's useful for trying out aliases-interactively.--   OLD and NEW are case sensitive full account names.  hledger will-replace any occurrence of the old account name with the new one.-Subaccounts are also affected.  Eg:--alias checking = assets:bank:wells fargo:checking-; rewrites "checking" to "assets:bank:wells fargo:checking", or "checking:a" to "assets:bank:wells fargo:checking:a"---File: hledger.info,  Node: Regex aliases,  Next: Combining aliases,  Prev: Basic aliases,  Up: alias directive--8.18.2 Regex aliases-----------------------There is also a more powerful variant that uses a regular expression,-indicated by wrapping the pattern in forward slashes.  (This is the only-place where hledger requires forward slashes around a regular-expression.)--   Eg:--alias /REGEX/ = REPLACEMENT--   or:--$ hledger --alias '/REGEX/=REPLACEMENT' ...--   Any part of an account name matched by REGEX will be replaced by-REPLACEMENT. REGEX is case-insensitive as usual.--   If you need to match a forward slash, escape it with a backslash, eg-'/\/=:'.--   If REGEX contains parenthesised match groups, these can be referenced-by the usual backslash and number in REPLACEMENT:--alias /^(.+):bank:([^:]+):(.*)/ = \1:\2 \3-; rewrites "assets:bank:wells fargo:checking" to  "assets:wells fargo checking"--   REPLACEMENT continues to the end of line (or on command line, to end-of option argument), so it can contain trailing whitespace.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Combining aliases,  Next: Aliases and multiple files,  Prev: Regex aliases,  Up: alias directive--8.18.3 Combining aliases---------------------------You can define as many aliases as you like, using journal directives-and/or command line options.--   Recursive aliases - where an account name is rewritten by one alias,-then by another alias, and so on - are allowed.  Each alias sees the-effect of previously applied aliases.--   In such cases it can be important to understand which aliases will be-applied and in which order.  For (each account name in) each journal-entry, we apply:--  1. 'alias' directives preceding the journal entry, most recently-     parsed first (ie, reading upward from the journal entry, bottom to-     top)-  2. '--alias' options, in the order they appeared on the command line-     (left to right).--   In other words, for (an account name in) a given journal entry:--   * the nearest alias declaration before/above the entry is applied-     first-   * the next alias before/above that will be be applied next, and so on-   * aliases defined after/below the entry do not affect it.--   This gives nearby aliases precedence over distant ones, and helps-provide semantic stability - aliases will keep working the same way-independent of which files are being read and in which order.--   In case of trouble, adding '--debug=6' to the command line will show-which aliases are being applied when.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Aliases and multiple files,  Next: end aliases directive,  Prev: Combining aliases,  Up: alias directive--8.18.4 Aliases and multiple files------------------------------------As explained at Directives and multiple files, 'alias' directives do not-affect parent or sibling files.  Eg in this command,--hledger -f a.aliases -f b.journal--   account aliases defined in a.aliases will not affect b.journal.-Including the aliases doesn't work either:--include a.aliases--2023-01-01  ; not affected by a.aliases-  foo  1-  bar--   This means that account aliases should usually be declared at the-start of your top-most file, like this:--alias foo=Foo-alias bar=Bar--2023-01-01  ; affected by aliases above-  foo  1-  bar--include c.journal  ; also affected---File: hledger.info,  Node: end aliases directive,  Next: Aliases can generate bad account names,  Prev: Aliases and multiple files,  Up: alias directive--8.18.5 'end aliases' directive---------------------------------You can clear (forget) all currently defined aliases (seen in the-journal so far, or defined on the command line) with this directive:--end aliases---File: hledger.info,  Node: Aliases can generate bad account names,  Next: Aliases and account types,  Prev: end aliases directive,  Up: alias directive--8.18.6 Aliases can generate bad account names------------------------------------------------Be aware that account aliases can produce malformed account names, which-could cause confusing reports or invalid 'print' output.  For example,-you could erase all account names:--2021-01-01-  a:aa     1-  b--$ hledger print --alias '/.*/='-2021-01-01-                   1--   The above 'print' output is not a valid journal.  Or you could insert-an illegal double space, causing 'print' output that would give a-different journal when reparsed:--2021-01-01-  old    1-  other--$ hledger print --alias old="new  USD" | hledger -f- print-2021-01-01-    new             USD 1-    other---File: hledger.info,  Node: Aliases and account types,  Prev: Aliases can generate bad account names,  Up: alias directive--8.18.7 Aliases and account types-----------------------------------If an account with a type declaration (see Declaring accounts > Account-types) is renamed by an alias, normally the account type remains in-effect.--   However, renaming in a way that reshapes the account tree (eg-renaming parent accounts but not their children, or vice versa) could-prevent child accounts from inheriting the account type of their-parents.--   Secondly, if an account's type is being inferred from its name,-renaming it by an alias could prevent or alter that.--   If you are using account aliases and the 'type:' query is not-matching accounts as you expect, try troubleshooting with the accounts-command, eg something like:--$ hledger accounts --types -1 --alias assets=bassetts---File: hledger.info,  Node: commodity directive,  Next: decimal-mark directive,  Prev: alias directive,  Up: Journal--8.19 'commodity' directive-==========================--The 'commodity' directive performs several functions:--  1. It declares which commodity symbols may be used in the journal,-     enabling useful error checking with strict mode or the check-     command.  See Commodity error checking below.--  2. It declares how all amounts in this commodity should be displayed,-     eg how many decimals to show.  See Commodity display style above.--  3. (If no 'decimal-mark' directive is in effect:) It sets the decimal-     mark to expect (period or comma) when parsing amounts in this-     commodity, in this file and files it includes, from the directive-     until end of current file.  See Decimal marks above.--  4. It declares the precision with which this commodity's amounts-     should be compared when checking for balanced transactions,-     anywhere in this file and files it includes, until end of current-     file.--   Declaring commodities solves several common parsing/display problems,-so we recommend it.--   Note that effects 3 and 4 above end at the end of the directive's-file, and will not affect sibling or parent files.  So if you are-relying on them (especially 4) and using multiple files, placing your-commodity directives in a top-level parent file might be important.  Or,-keep your decimal marks unambiguous and your entries well balanced and-precise.--   Omitting the commodity symbol will set the display style for just the-no-symbol commodity, not all commodities.--   Commodity styles can be overridden by the '-c/--commodity-style'-command line option.--   (Related: #793)--* Menu:--* Commodity directive syntax::-* Commodity error checking::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Commodity directive syntax,  Next: Commodity error checking,  Up: commodity directive--8.19.1 Commodity directive syntax------------------------------------A commodity directive is normally the word 'commodity' followed by a-sample amount (and optionally a comment).  Only the amount's symbol and-the number's format is significant.  Eg:--commodity $1000.00-commodity 1.000,00 EUR-commodity 1 000 000.0000   ; the no-symbol commodity--   Commodities do not have tags (tags in the comment will be ignored).--   A commodity directive's sample amount must always include a period or-comma decimal mark (this rule helps disambiguate decimal marks and digit-group marks).  If you don't want to show any decimal digits, write the-decimal mark at the end:--commodity 1000. AAAA       ; show AAAA with no decimals--   Commodity symbols containing spaces, numbers, or punctuation must be-enclosed in double quotes, as usual:--commodity 1.0000 "AAAA 2023"--   Commodity directives normally include a sample amount, but can-declare only a symbol (ie, just function 1 above):--commodity $-commodity INR-commodity "AAAA 2023"-commodity ""               ; the no-symbol commodity--   Commodity directives may also be written with an indented 'format'-subdirective, as in Ledger.  The symbol is repeated and must be the same-in both places.  Other subdirectives are currently ignored:--; display indian rupees with currency name on the left,-; thousands, lakhs and crores comma-separated,-; period as decimal point, and two decimal places.-commodity INR-  format INR 1,00,00,000.00-  an unsupported subdirective  ; ignored by hledger---File: hledger.info,  Node: Commodity error checking,  Prev: Commodity directive syntax,  Up: commodity directive--8.19.2 Commodity error checking----------------------------------In strict mode ('-s'/'--strict') (or when you run 'hledger check-commodities'), hledger will report an error if an undeclared commodity-symbol is used.  (With one exception: zero amounts are always allowed to-have no commodity symbol.)  It works like account error checking-(described above).---File: hledger.info,  Node: decimal-mark directive,  Next: include directive,  Prev: commodity directive,  Up: Journal--8.20 'decimal-mark' directive-=============================--You can use a 'decimal-mark' directive - usually one per file, at the-top of the file - to declare which character represents a decimal mark-when parsing amounts in this file.  It can look like--decimal-mark .--   or--decimal-mark ,--   This prevents any ambiguity when parsing numbers in the file, so we-recommend it, especially if the file contains digit group marks (eg-thousands separators).---File: hledger.info,  Node: include directive,  Next: P directive,  Prev: decimal-mark directive,  Up: Journal--8.21 'include' directive-========================--You can pull in the content of additional files by writing an include-directive, like this:--include SOMEFILE--   This has the same effect as if SOMEFILE's content was inlined at this-point.  (With any include directives in SOMEFILE processed similarly,-recursively.)--   Only journal files can include other files.  They can include-journal, timeclock or timedot files, but not CSV files.--   If the file path begins with a tilde, that means your home directory:-'include ~/main.journal'.--   If it begins with a slash, it is an absolute path: 'include-/home/user/main.journal'.  Otherwise it is relative to the including-file's folder: 'include ../finances/main.journal'.--   Also, the path may have a file type prefix to force a specific file-format, overriding the file extension(s) (as described in Data formats):-'include timedot:notes/2023.md'.--   The path may contain glob patterns to match multiple files.-hledger's globs are similar to zsh's: '?' to match any character;-'[a-z]' to match any character in a range; '*' to match zero or more-characters that aren't a path separator (like '/'); '**' to match zero-or more subdirectories and/or zero or more characters at the start of a-file name; etc.  For convenience, 'include' always excludes the current-file.  So, you can do--   * 'include *.journal' to include all other journal files in the-     current directory (excluding dot files)-   * 'include **.journal' to include all other journal files in this-     directory and below (excluding dot files and top-level dot-     directories)-   * 'include timelogs/2???.timedot' to include all timedot files named-     like a year number.--   Note '*' and '**' usually won't match dot files or dot directories,-with one exception: '**' does search non-top-level dot directories.  If-this causes problems, make your glob pattern more specific (eg-'**.journal' instead of '**').--   If you are using many, or deeply nested, include files, and have an-error that's hard to pinpoint: a good troubleshooting command is-'hledger files --debug=6' (or 7).---File: hledger.info,  Node: P directive,  Next: payee directive,  Prev: include directive,  Up: Journal--8.22 'P' directive-==================--The 'P' directive declares a market price, which is a conversion rate-between two commodities on a certain date.  This allows value reports to-convert amounts of one commodity to their value in another, on or after-that date.  These prices are often obtained from a stock exchange,-cryptocurrency exchange, the or foreign exchange market.--   The format is:--P DATE COMMODITY1SYMBOL COMMODITY2AMOUNT--   DATE is a simple date, COMMODITY1SYMBOL is the symbol of the-commodity being priced, and COMMODITY2AMOUNT is the amount (symbol and-quantity) of commodity 2 that one unit of commodity 1 is worth on this-date.  Examples:--# one euro was worth $1.35 from 2009-01-01 onward:-P 2009-01-01 € $1.35--# and $1.40 from 2010-01-01 onward:-P 2010-01-01 € $1.40--   The '-V', '-X' and '--value' flags use these market prices to show-amount values in another commodity.  See Value reporting.---File: hledger.info,  Node: payee directive,  Next: tag directive,  Prev: P directive,  Up: Journal--8.23 'payee' directive-======================--'payee PAYEE NAME'--   This directive can be used to declare a limited set of payees which-may appear in transaction descriptions.  The "payees" check will report-an error if any transaction refers to a payee that has not been-declared.  Eg:--payee Whole Foods    ; a comment--   Payees do not have tags (tags in the comment will be ignored).--   To declare the empty payee name, use '""'.--payee ""--   Ledger-style indented subdirectives, if any, are currently ignored.---File: hledger.info,  Node: tag directive,  Next: Periodic transactions,  Prev: payee directive,  Up: Journal--8.24 'tag' directive-====================--'tag TAGNAME'--   This directive can be used to declare a limited set of tag names-allowed in tags.  TAGNAME should be a valid tag name (no spaces).  Eg:--tag  item-id--   Any indented subdirectives are currently ignored.--   The "tags" check will report an error if any undeclared tag name is-used.  It is quite easy to accidentally create a tag through normal use-of colons in comments; if you want to prevent this, you can declare and-check your tags .---File: hledger.info,  Node: Periodic transactions,  Next: Auto postings,  Prev: tag directive,  Up: Journal--8.25 Periodic transactions-==========================--The '~' directive declares a "periodic rule" which generates temporary-extra transactions, usually recurring at some interval, when hledger is-run with the '--forecast' flag.  These "forecast transactions" are-useful for forecasting future activity.  They exist only for the-duration of the report, and only when '--forecast' is used; they are not-saved in the journal file by hledger.--   Periodic rules also have a second use: with the '--budget' flag they-set budget goals for budgeting.--   Periodic rules can be a little tricky, so before you use them, read-this whole section, or at least the following tips:--  1. Two spaces accidentally added or omitted will cause you trouble --     read about this below.-  2. For troubleshooting, show the generated transactions with 'hledger-     print --forecast tag:generated' or 'hledger register --forecast-     tag:generated'.-  3. Forecasted transactions will begin only after the last-     non-forecasted transaction's date.-  4. Forecasted transactions will end 6 months from today, by default.-     See below for the exact start/end rules.-  5. period expressions can be tricky.  Their documentation needs-     improvement, but is worth studying.-  6. Some period expressions with a repeating interval must begin on a-     natural boundary of that interval.  Eg in 'weekly from DATE', DATE-     must be a monday.  '~ weekly from 2019/10/1' (a tuesday) will give-     an error.-  7. Other period expressions with an interval are automatically-     expanded to cover a whole number of that interval.  (This is done-     to improve reports, but it also affects periodic transactions.-     Yes, it's a bit inconsistent with the above.)  Eg: '~ every 10th-     day of month from 2023/01', which is equivalent to '~ every 10th-     day of month from 2023/01/01', will be adjusted to start on-     2019/12/10.--* Menu:--* Periodic rule syntax::-* Periodic rules and relative dates::-* Two spaces between period expression and description!::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Periodic rule syntax,  Next: Periodic rules and relative dates,  Up: Periodic transactions--8.25.1 Periodic rule syntax------------------------------A periodic transaction rule looks like a normal journal entry, with the-date replaced by a tilde ('~') followed by a period expression-(mnemonic: '~' looks like a recurring sine wave.):--# every first of month-~ monthly-    expenses:rent          $2000-    assets:bank:checking--# every 15th of month in 2023's first quarter:-~ monthly from 2023-04-15 to 2023-06-16-    expenses:utilities          $400-    assets:bank:checking--   The period expression is the same syntax used for specifying-multi-period reports, just interpreted differently; there, it specifies-report periods; here it specifies recurrence dates (the periods' start-dates).---File: hledger.info,  Node: Periodic rules and relative dates,  Next: Two spaces between period expression and description!,  Prev: Periodic rule syntax,  Up: Periodic transactions--8.25.2 Periodic rules and relative dates-------------------------------------------Partial or relative dates (like '12/31', '25', 'tomorrow', 'last week',-'next quarter') are usually not recommended in periodic rules, since the-results will change as time passes.  If used, they will be interpreted-relative to, in order of preference:--  1. the first day of the default year specified by a recent 'Y'-     directive-  2. or the date specified with '--today'-  3. or the date on which you are running the report.--   They will not be affected at all by report period or forecast period-dates.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Two spaces between period expression and description!,  Prev: Periodic rules and relative dates,  Up: Periodic transactions--8.25.3 Two spaces between period expression and description!---------------------------------------------------------------If the period expression is followed by a transaction description, these-must be separated by *two or more spaces*.  This helps hledger know-where the period expression ends, so that descriptions can not-accidentally alter their meaning, as in this example:--; 2 or more spaces needed here, so the period is not understood as "every 2 months in 2023"-;               ||-;               vv-~ every 2 months  in 2023, we will review-    assets:bank:checking   $1500-    income:acme inc--   So,--   * Do write two spaces between your period expression and your-     transaction description, if any.-   * Don't accidentally write two spaces in the middle of your period-     expression.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Auto postings,  Next: Other syntax,  Prev: Periodic transactions,  Up: Journal--8.26 Auto postings-==================--The '=' directive declares an "auto posting rule", which adds extra-postings to existing transactions.  (Remember, postings are the account-name & amount lines below a transaction's date & description.)--   In the journal, an auto posting rule looks quite like a transaction,-but instead of date and description it has '=' (mnemonic: "match") and a-query, like this:--= QUERY-    ACCOUNT    AMOUNT-    ...--   Queries are just like command line queries; an account name substring-is most common.  Query terms containing spaces should be enclosed in-single or double quotes.--   Each '=' rule works like this: when hledger is run with the '--auto'-flag, wherever the QUERY matches a posting in the journal, the rule's-postings are added to that transaction, immediately below the matched-posting.  Note these generated postings are temporary, existing only for-the duration of the report, and only when '--auto' is used; they are not-saved in the journal file by hledger.--   The postings can contain the special string '%account' which will be-expanded to the account name of the matched account.--   Generated postings' amounts can depend on the matched posting's-amount.  So auto postings can be useful for, eg, adding tax postings-with a standard percentage.  AMOUNT can be:--   * a number with no commodity symbol, like '2'.  The matched posting's-     commodity symbol will be added to this.--   * a normal amount with a commodity symbol, like '$2'.  This will be-     used as-is.--   * an asterisk followed by a number, like '*2'.  This will multiply-     the matched posting's amount (and total price, if any) by the-     number.--   * an asterisk followed by an amount with commodity symbol, like-     '*$2'.  This multiplies and also replaces the commodity symbol with-     this new one.--   Some examples:--; every time I buy food, schedule a dollar donation-= expenses:food-    (liabilities:charity)   $-1--; when I buy a gift, also deduct that amount from a budget envelope subaccount-= expenses:gifts-    assets:checking:gifts  *-1-    assets:checking         *1--2017/12/1-  expenses:food    $10-  assets:checking--2017/12/14-  expenses:gifts   $20-  assets:checking--$ hledger print --auto-2017-12-01-    expenses:food              $10-    assets:checking-    (liabilities:charity)      $-1--2017-12-14-    expenses:gifts             $20-    assets:checking-    assets:checking:gifts     -$20-    assets:checking            $20--   Note that depending fully on generated data such as this has some-drawbacks - it's less portable, less future-proof, less auditable by-others, and less robust (eg your balance assertions will depend on-whether you use or don't use '--auto').  An alternative is to use auto-postings in "one time" fashion - use them to help build a complex-journal entry, view it with 'hledger print --auto', and then copy that-output into the journal file to make it permanent.--* Menu:--* Auto postings and multiple files::-* Auto postings and dates::-* Auto postings and transaction balancing / inferred amounts / balance assertions::-* Auto posting tags::-* Auto postings on forecast transactions only::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Auto postings and multiple files,  Next: Auto postings and dates,  Up: Auto postings--8.26.1 Auto postings and multiple files------------------------------------------An auto posting rule can affect any transaction in the current file, or-in any parent file or child file.  Note, currently it will not affect-sibling files (when multiple '-f'/'--file' are used - see #1212).---File: hledger.info,  Node: Auto postings and dates,  Next: Auto postings and transaction balancing / inferred amounts / balance assertions,  Prev: Auto postings and multiple files,  Up: Auto postings--8.26.2 Auto postings and dates---------------------------------A posting date (or secondary date) in the matched posting, or (taking-precedence) a posting date in the auto posting rule itself, will also be-used in the generated posting.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Auto postings and transaction balancing / inferred amounts / balance assertions,  Next: Auto posting tags,  Prev: Auto postings and dates,  Up: Auto postings--8.26.3 Auto postings and transaction balancing / inferred amounts /----------------------------------------------------------------------balance assertions Currently, auto postings are added:--   * after missing amounts are inferred, and transactions are checked-     for balancedness,-   * but before balance assertions are checked.--   Note this means that journal entries must be balanced both before and-after auto postings are added.  This changed in hledger 1.12+; see #893-for background.--   This also means that you cannot have more than one auto-posting with-a missing amount applied to a given transaction, as it will be unable to-infer amounts.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Auto posting tags,  Next: Auto postings on forecast transactions only,  Prev: Auto postings and transaction balancing / inferred amounts / balance assertions,  Up: Auto postings--8.26.4 Auto posting tags---------------------------Automated postings will have some extra tags:--   * 'generated-posting:= QUERY' - shows this was generated by an auto-     posting rule, and the query-   * '_generated-posting:= QUERY' - a hidden tag, which does not appear-     in hledger's output.  This can be used to match postings generated-     "just now", rather than generated in the past and saved to the-     journal.--   Also, any transaction that has been changed by auto posting rules-will have these tags added:--   * 'modified:' - this transaction was modified-   * '_modified:' - a hidden tag not appearing in the comment; this-     transaction was modified "just now".---File: hledger.info,  Node: Auto postings on forecast transactions only,  Prev: Auto posting tags,  Up: Auto postings--8.26.5 Auto postings on forecast transactions only-----------------------------------------------------Tip: you can can make auto postings that will apply to forecast-transactions but not recorded transactions, by adding-'tag:_generated-transaction' to their QUERY. This can be useful when-generating new journal entries to be saved in the journal.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Other syntax,  Prev: Auto postings,  Up: Journal--8.27 Other syntax-=================--hledger journal format supports quite a few other features, mainly to-make interoperating with or converting from Ledger easier.  Note some of-the features below are powerful and can be useful in special cases, but-in general, features in this section are considered less important or-even not recommended for most users.  Downsides are mentioned to help-you decide if you want to use them.--* Menu:--* Balance assignments::-* Bracketed posting dates::-* D directive::-* apply account directive::-* Y directive::-* Secondary dates::-* Star comments::-* Valuation expressions::-* Virtual postings::-* Other Ledger directives::-* Other cost/lot notations::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Balance assignments,  Next: Bracketed posting dates,  Up: Other syntax--8.27.1 Balance assignments-----------------------------Ledger-style balance assignments are also supported.  These are like-balance assertions, but with no posting amount on the left side of the-equals sign; instead it is calculated automatically so as to satisfy the-assertion.  This can be a convenience during data entry, eg when setting-opening balances:--; starting a new journal, set asset account balances-2016/1/1 opening balances-  assets:checking            = $409.32-  assets:savings             = $735.24-  assets:cash                 = $42-  equity:opening balances--   or when adjusting a balance to reality:--; no cash left; update balance, record any untracked spending as a generic expense-2016/1/15-  assets:cash    = $0-  expenses:misc--   The calculated amount depends on the account's balance in the-commodity at that point (which depends on the previously-dated postings-of the commodity to that account since the last balance assertion or-assignment).--   Downsides: using balance assignments makes your journal less-explicit; to know the exact amount posted, you have to run hledger or do-the calculations yourself, instead of just reading it.  Also balance-assignments' forcing of balances can hide errors.  These things make-your financial data less portable, less future-proof, and less-trustworthy in an audit.--* Menu:--* Balance assignments and costs::-* Balance assignments and multiple files::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Balance assignments and costs,  Next: Balance assignments and multiple files,  Up: Balance assignments--8.27.1.1 Balance assignments and costs-......................................--A cost in a balance assignment will cause the calculated amount to have-that cost attached:--2019/1/1-  (a)             = $1 @ €2--$ hledger print --explicit-2019-01-01-    (a)         $1 @ €2 = $1 @ €2---File: hledger.info,  Node: Balance assignments and multiple files,  Prev: Balance assignments and costs,  Up: Balance assignments--8.27.1.2 Balance assignments and multiple files-...............................................--Balance assignments handle multiple files like balance assertions.  They-see balance from other files previously included from the current file,-but not from previous sibling or parent files.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Bracketed posting dates,  Next: D directive,  Prev: Balance assignments,  Up: Other syntax--8.27.2 Bracketed posting dates---------------------------------For setting posting dates and secondary posting dates, Ledger's-bracketed date syntax is also supported: '[DATE]', '[DATE=DATE2]' or-'[=DATE2]' in posting comments.  hledger will attempt to parse any-square-bracketed sequence of the '0123456789/-.=' characters in this-way.  With this syntax, DATE infers its year from the transaction and-DATE2 infers its year from DATE.--   Downsides: another syntax to learn, redundant with hledger's-'date:'/'date2:' tags, and confusingly similar to Ledger's lot date-syntax.---File: hledger.info,  Node: D directive,  Next: apply account directive,  Prev: Bracketed posting dates,  Up: Other syntax--8.27.3 'D' directive-----------------------'D AMOUNT'--   This directive sets a default commodity, to be used for any-subsequent commodityless amounts (ie, plain numbers) seen while parsing-the journal.  This effect lasts until the next 'D' directive, or the end-of the current file.--   For compatibility/historical reasons, 'D' also acts like a-'commodity' directive (setting the commodity's decimal mark for parsing-and display style for output).  So its argument is not just a commodity-symbol, but a full amount demonstrating the style.  The amount must-include a decimal mark (either period or comma).  Eg:--; commodity-less amounts should be treated as dollars-; (and displayed with the dollar sign on the left, thousands separators and two decimal places)-D $1,000.00--1/1-  a     5  ; <- commodity-less amount, parsed as $5 and displayed as $5.00-  b--   Interactions with other directives:--   For setting a commodity's display style, a 'commodity' directive has-highest priority, then a 'D' directive.--   For detecting a commodity's decimal mark during parsing,-'decimal-mark' has highest priority, then 'commodity', then 'D'.--   For checking commodity symbols with the check command, a 'commodity'-directive is required ('hledger check commodities' ignores 'D'-directives).--   Downsides: omitting commodity symbols makes your financial data less-explicit, less portable, and less trustworthy in an audit.  It is-usually an unsustainable shortcut; sooner or later you will want to-track multiple commodities.  D is overloaded with functions redundant-with 'commodity' and 'decimal-mark'.  And it works differently from-Ledger's 'D'.---File: hledger.info,  Node: apply account directive,  Next: Y directive,  Prev: D directive,  Up: Other syntax--8.27.4 'apply account' directive-----------------------------------This directive sets a default parent account, which will be prepended to-all accounts in following entries, until an 'end apply account'-directive or end of current file.  Eg:--apply account home--2010/1/1-    food    $10-    cash--end apply account--   is equivalent to:--2010/01/01-    home:food           $10-    home:cash          $-10--   'account' directives are also affected, and so is any 'include'd-content.--   Account names entered via hledger add or hledger-web are not-affected.--   Account aliases, if any, are applied after the parent account is-prepended.--   Downsides: this can make your financial data less explicit, less-portable, and less trustworthy in an audit.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Y directive,  Next: Secondary dates,  Prev: apply account directive,  Up: Other syntax--8.27.5 'Y' directive-----------------------'Y YEAR'--   or (deprecated backward-compatible forms):--   'year YEAR' 'apply year YEAR'--   The space is optional.  This sets a default year to be used for-subsequent dates which don't specify a year.  Eg:--Y2009  ; set default year to 2009--12/15  ; equivalent to 2009/12/15-  expenses  1-  assets--year 2010  ; change default year to 2010--2009/1/30  ; specifies the year, not affected-  expenses  1-  assets--1/31   ; equivalent to 2010/1/31-  expenses  1-  assets--   Downsides: omitting the year (from primary transaction dates, at-least) makes your financial data less explicit, less portable, and less-trustworthy in an audit.  Such dates can get separated from their-corresponding Y directive, eg when evaluating a region of the journal in-your editor.  A missing Y directive makes reports dependent on today's-date.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Secondary dates,  Next: Star comments,  Prev: Y directive,  Up: Other syntax--8.27.6 Secondary dates-------------------------A secondary date is written after the primary date, following an equals-sign: 'DATE1=DATE2'.  If the year is omitted, the primary date's year is-assumed.  When running reports, the primary (left side) date is used by-default, but with the '--date2' flag ('--aux-date' or'--effective' also-work, for Ledger users), the secondary (right side) date will be used-instead.--   The meaning of secondary dates is up to you.  Eg it could be "primary-is the bank's clearing date, secondary is the date the transaction was-initiated, if different".--   In practice, this feature usually adds confusion:--   * You have to remember the primary and secondary dates' meaning, and-     follow that consistently.-   * It splits your bookkeeping into two modes, and you have to remember-     which mode is appropriate for a given report.-   * Usually your balance assertions will work with only one of these-     modes.-   * It makes your financial data more complicated, less portable, and-     less clear in an audit.-   * It interacts with every feature, creating an ongoing cost for-     implementors.-   * It distracts new users and supporters.-   * Posting dates are simpler and work better.--   So secondary dates are officially deprecated in hledger, remaining-only as a Ledger compatibility aid; we recommend using posting dates-instead.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Star comments,  Next: Valuation expressions,  Prev: Secondary dates,  Up: Other syntax--8.27.7 Star comments-----------------------Lines beginning with '*' (star/asterisk) are also comment lines.  This-feature allows Emacs users to insert org headings in their journal,-allowing them to fold/unfold/navigate it like an outline when viewed-with org mode.--   Downsides: another, unconventional comment syntax to learn.-Decreases your journal's portability.  And switching to Emacs org mode-just for folding/unfolding meant losing the benefits of ledger mode;-nowadays you can add outshine mode to ledger mode to get folding without-losing ledger mode's features.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Valuation expressions,  Next: Virtual postings,  Prev: Star comments,  Up: Other syntax--8.27.8 Valuation expressions-------------------------------Ledger allows a valuation function or value to be written in double-parentheses after an amount.  hledger ignores these.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Virtual postings,  Next: Other Ledger directives,  Prev: Valuation expressions,  Up: Other syntax--8.27.9 Virtual postings--------------------------A posting with parentheses around the account name, like '(some:account)-10', is called an _unbalanced virtual posting_.  These postings do not-participate in transaction balancing.  (And if you write them without an-amount, a zero amount is always inferred.)  These can occasionally be-convenient for special circumstances, but they violate double entry-bookkeeping and make your data less portable across applications, so-many people avoid using them at all.--   A posting with brackets around the account name ('[some:account]') is-called a _balanced virtual posting_.  The balanced virtual postings in a-transaction must add up to zero, just like ordinary postings, but-separately from them.  These are not part of double entry bookkeeping-either, but they are at least balanced.  An example:--2022-01-01 buy food with cash, update budget envelope subaccounts, & something else-  assets:cash                    $-10  ; <- these balance each other-  expenses:food                    $7  ; <--  expenses:food                    $3  ; <--  [assets:checking:budget:food]  $-10  ;   <- and these balance each other-  [assets:checking:available]     $10  ;   <--  (something:else)                 $5  ;     <- this is not required to balance--   Ordinary postings, whose account names are neither parenthesised nor-bracketed, are called _real postings_.  You can exclude virtual postings-from reports with the '-R/--real' flag or a 'real:1' query.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Other Ledger directives,  Next: Other cost/lot notations,  Prev: Virtual postings,  Up: Other syntax--8.27.10 Other Ledger directives----------------------------------These other Ledger directives are currently accepted but ignored.  This-allows hledger to read more Ledger files, but be aware that hledger's-reports may differ from Ledger's if you use these.--apply fixed COMM AMT-apply tag   TAG-assert      EXPR-bucket / A  ACCT-capture     ACCT REGEX-check       EXPR-define      VAR=EXPR-end apply fixed-end apply tag-end apply year-end tag-eval / expr EXPR-python-  PYTHONCODE-tag         NAME-value       EXPR---command-line-flags--   See also https://hledger.org/ledger.html for a detailed-hledger/Ledger syntax comparison.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Other cost/lot notations,  Prev: Other Ledger directives,  Up: Other syntax--8.27.11 Other cost/lot notations-----------------------------------A slight digression for Ledger and Beancount users.--   *Ledger* has a number of cost/lot-related notations:--   * '@ UNITCOST' and '@@ TOTALCOST'-        * expresses a conversion rate, as in hledger-        * when buying, also creates a lot that can be selected at-          selling time--   * '(@) UNITCOST' and '(@@) TOTALCOST' (virtual cost)-        * like the above, but also means "this cost was exceptional,-          don't use it when inferring market prices".--   * '{=UNITCOST}' and '{{=TOTALCOST}}' (fixed price)-        * when buying, means "this cost is also the fixed value, don't-          let it fluctuate in value reports"--   * '{UNITCOST}' and '{{TOTALCOST}}' (lot price)-        * can be used identically to '@ UNITCOST' and '@@ TOTALCOST',-          also creates a lot-        * when selling, combined with '@ ...', selects an existing lot-          by its cost basis.  Does not check if that lot is present.--   * '[YYYY/MM/DD]' (lot date)-        * when buying, attaches this acquisition date to the lot-        * when selling, selects a lot by its acquisition date--   * '(SOME TEXT)' (lot note)-        * when buying, attaches this note to the lot-        * when selling, selects a lot by its note--   Currently, hledger--   * accepts any or all of the above in any order after the posting-     amount-   * supports '@' and '@@'-   * treats '(@)' and '(@@)' as synonyms for '@' and '@@'-   * and ignores the rest.  (This can break transaction balancing.)--   *Beancount* has simpler notation and different behaviour:--   * '@ UNITCOST' and '@@ TOTALCOST'-        * expresses a cost without creating a lot, as in hledger-        * when buying (acquiring) or selling (disposing of) a lot, and-          combined with '{...}': is not used except to document the-          cost/selling price--   * '{UNITCOST}' and '{{TOTALCOST}}'-        * when buying, expresses the cost for transaction balancing, and-          also creates a lot with this cost basis attached-        * when selling,-             * selects a lot by its cost basis-             * raises an error if that lot is not present or can not be-               selected unambiguously (depending on booking method-               configured)-             * expresses the selling price for transaction balancing--   * '{}', '{YYYY-MM-DD}', '{"LABEL"}', '{UNITCOST, "LABEL"}',-     '{UNITCOST, YYYY-MM-DD, "LABEL"}'-        * when selling, other combinations of date/cost/label, like the-          above, are accepted for selecting the lot.--   Currently, hledger--   * supports '@' and '@@'-   * accepts the '{UNITCOST}'/'{{TOTALCOST}}' notation, but ignores it-   * and rejects the rest.---File: hledger.info,  Node: CSV,  Next: Timeclock,  Prev: Journal,  Up: Top--9 CSV-*****--hledger can read transactions from CSV (comma-separated values) files.-More precisely, it can read DSV (delimiter-separated values), from a-file or standard input.  Comma-separated, semicolon-separated and-tab-separated are the most common variants, and hledger will recognise-these three automatically based on a '.csv', '.ssv' or '.tsv' file name-extension or a 'csv:', 'ssv:' or 'tsv:' file path prefix.--   (To learn about producing CSV or TSV _output_, see Output format.)--   Each CSV file must be described by a corresponding _rules file_.-This contains rules describing the CSV data (header line, fields layout,-date format etc.), how to construct hledger transactions from it, and-how to categorise transactions based on description or other attributes.--   By default, hledger expects this rules file to be named like the CSV-file, with an extra '.rules' extension added, in the same directory.  Eg-when asked to read 'foo/FILE.csv', hledger looks for-'foo/FILE.csv.rules'.  You can specify a different rules file with the-'--rules' option.--   At minimum, the rules file must identify the date and amount fields,-and often it also specifies the date format and how many header lines-there are.  Here's a simple CSV file and a rules file for it:--Date, Description, Id, Amount-12/11/2019, Foo, 123, 10.23--# basic.csv.rules-skip         1-fields       date, description, , amount-date-format  %d/%m/%Y--$ hledger print -f basic.csv-2019-11-12 Foo-    expenses:unknown           10.23-    income:unknown            -10.23--   There's an introductory Tutorial: Import CSV data on hledger.org, and-more CSV rules examples below, and a larger collection at-https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/tree/master/examples/csv.--* Menu:--* CSV rules cheatsheet::-* source::-* archive::-* encoding::-* separator::-* skip::-* date-format::-* timezone::-* newest-first::-* intra-day-reversed::-* decimal-mark::-* CSV fields and hledger fields::-* fields list::-* Field assignment::-* Field names::-* if block::-* Matchers::-* if table::-* balance-type::-* include::-* Working with CSV::-* CSV rules examples::---File: hledger.info,  Node: CSV rules cheatsheet,  Next: source,  Up: CSV--9.1 CSV rules cheatsheet-========================--The following kinds of rule can appear in the rules file, in any order.-(Blank lines and lines beginning with '#' or ';' or '*' are ignored.)--*'source'*               optionally declare which file to read data-                         from-*'archive'*              optionally enable an archive of imported files-*'encoding'*             optionally declare which text encoding the-                         data has-*'separator'*            declare the field separator, instead of-                         relying on file extension-*'decimal-mark'*         declare the decimal mark used in CSV amounts,-                         when ambiguous-*'date-format'*          declare how to parse CSV dates/date-times-*'timezone'*             declare the time zone of ambiguous CSV-                         date-times-*'newest-first'*         improve txn order when: there are multiple-                         records, newest first, all with the same date-*'intra-day-reversed'*   improve txn order when: same-day txns are in-                         opposite order to the overall file-*'skip'*                 (at top level) skip header line(s) at start of-                         file-*'fields' list*          name CSV fields for easy reference, and-                         optionally assign their values to hledger-                         fields-*Field assignment*       assign a CSV value or interpolated text value-                         to a hledger field-*'if' block*             conditionally assign values to hledger fields,-                         or 'skip' a record or 'end' (skip rest of-                         file)-*'if' table*             conditionally assign values to hledger fields,-                         using compact syntax-*'skip'*                 (inside an 'if' rule) skip current record(s)-*'end'*                  (inside an 'if' rule) skip all remaining-                         records-*'balance-type'*         select which type of balance-                         assertions/assignments to generate-*'include'*              inline another CSV rules file--   Working with CSV tips can be found below, including How CSV rules are-evaluated.---File: hledger.info,  Node: source,  Next: archive,  Prev: CSV rules cheatsheet,  Up: CSV--9.2 'source'-============--If you tell hledger to read a csv file with '-f foo.csv', it will look-for rules in 'foo.csv.rules'.  Or, you can tell it to read the rules-file, with '-f foo.csv.rules', and it will look for data in 'foo.csv'-(since 1.30).  These are mostly equivalent, but the second method-provides some extra features.  For one, the data file can be missing,-without causing an error; it is just considered empty.--   For more flexibility, add a 'source' rule, which lets you specify a-different data file:--source ./Checking1.csv--   If the file does not exist, it is just considered empty, without-raising an error.--   If you specify just a file name with no path, hledger will look for-it in the '~/Downloads' folder:--source Checking1.csv--   You can use a glob pattern, to avoid specifying the file name-exactly:--source Checking1*.csv--   This has another benefit: if the pattern matches multiple files,-hledger will read the newest (most recently modified) one.  This avoids-problems if you have downloaded a file multiple times without cleaning-up.--   All this enables a convenient workflow where can you just download-CSV files, then run 'hledger import rules/*'.--   See also "Working with CSV > Reading files specified by rule".--* Menu:--* Data cleaning / data generating commands::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Data cleaning / data generating commands,  Up: source--9.2.1 Data cleaning / data generating commands-------------------------------------------------After 'source''s file pattern, you can write '|' (pipe) and a data-cleaning command (or command pipeline).  If hledger's CSV rules aren't-enough, you can pre-process the downloaded data here with a shell-command or script, to make it more suitable for conversion.  The command-will be executed by your default shell, in the directory of the rules-file, will receive the data file's content as standard input, and should-output zero or more lines of character-separated-values, suitable for-conversion by the CSV rules.--   Examples:--source ./paypal.json | paypalcsv-source data/simplefin.json | simplefincsv - 'chase.*card'-source OfxDownload*.csv | grep -vE '^(([^,]*,){6}[^,]*|)$' | sort -t, -n +2-source History_for_Account_Z20144832*.csv   # | grep -E '^([^,]*,){12}[^,]*$' | sed -E -e 's/^ //' -e 's/\.([0-9]),/.\10,/g' -e 's/,([0-9]+),/,\1.00,/g'--   Or, after 'source' you can write '|' and a data generating command-(with no file pattern before the '|').  This command receives no input,-and should output zero or more lines of character-separated values,-suitable for conversion by the CSV rules.--   Examples:--source | paypaljson | paypalcsv-source | paypalcsv data/paypal.json -source | simplefinjson >data/simplefin.json && simplefincsv data/simplefin.json 'chase.*card'-source | simplefincsv data/simplefin.json 'unify.*checking'--   ('paypal*' and 'simplefin*' scripts are in bin/)--   Whenever hledger runs one of these commands, it will echo the command-on stderr.  If the command produces error output, but exits-successfully, hledger will show the error output as a warning.  If the-command fails, hledger will fail and show the error output in the error-message.--   _Added in 1.50; experimental._---File: hledger.info,  Node: archive,  Next: encoding,  Prev: source,  Up: CSV--9.3 'archive'-=============--With 'archive' added to a rules file, the 'import' command will archive-each successfully processed data file or data command output in a nearby-'data/' directory.  The archive file name will be based on the rules-file and the data file's modification date and extension (or for a-data-generating command, the current date and the ".csv" extension).-The original data file, if any, will be removed.--   Also, in this mode 'import' will prefer the oldest file matched by-the 'source' rule's glob pattern, not the newest.  (So if there are-multiple downloads, they will be imported and archived oldest first.)--   Archiving is optional, but it can be useful for troubleshooting your-CSV rules, regenerating entries with improved rules, checking for-variations in your bank's CSV, etc.--   _Added in 1.50; experimental._---File: hledger.info,  Node: encoding,  Next: separator,  Prev: archive,  Up: CSV--9.4 'encoding'-==============--encoding ENCODING--   hledger normally expects non-ascii text to be using the system-locale's text encoding.  If you need to read CSV files which have some-other encoding, you can do it by adding 'encoding ENCODING' to your CSV-rules.  Eg: 'encoding iso-8859-1'.--   The following encodings are supported:--   'ascii', 'utf-8', 'utf-16', 'utf-32', 'iso-8859-1', 'iso-8859-2',-'iso-8859-3', 'iso-8859-4', 'iso-8859-5', 'iso-8859-6', 'iso-8859-7',-'iso-8859-8', 'iso-8859-9', 'iso-8859-10', 'iso-8859-11', 'iso-8859-13',-'iso-8859-14', 'iso-8859-15', 'iso-8859-16', 'cp1250', 'cp1251',-'cp1252', 'cp1253', 'cp1254', 'cp1255', 'cp1256', 'cp1257', 'cp1258',-'koi8-r', 'koi8-u', 'gb18030', 'macintosh', 'jis-x-0201', 'jis-x-0208',-'iso-2022-jp', 'shift-jis', 'cp437', 'cp737', 'cp775', 'cp850', 'cp852',-'cp855', 'cp857', 'cp860', 'cp861', 'cp862', 'cp863', 'cp864', 'cp865',-'cp866', 'cp869', 'cp874', 'cp932'.--   _Added in 1.42._---File: hledger.info,  Node: separator,  Next: skip,  Prev: encoding,  Up: CSV--9.5 'separator'-===============--You can use the 'separator' rule to read other kinds of-character-separated data.  The argument is any single separator-character, or the words 'tab' or 'space' (case insensitive).  Eg, for-comma-separated values (CSV):--separator ,--   or for semicolon-separated values (SSV):--separator ;--   or for tab-separated values (TSV):--separator TAB--   If the input file has a '.csv', '.ssv' or '.tsv' file extension (or a-'csv:', 'ssv:', 'tsv:' prefix), the appropriate separator will be-inferred automatically, and you won't need this rule.---File: hledger.info,  Node: skip,  Next: date-format,  Prev: separator,  Up: CSV--9.6 'skip'-==========--skip N--   The word 'skip' followed by a number (or no number, meaning 1) tells-hledger to ignore this many non-empty lines at the start of the input-data.  You'll need this whenever your CSV data contains header lines.-Note, empty and blank lines are skipped automatically, so you don't need-to count those.--   'skip' has a second meaning: it can be used inside if blocks-(described below), to skip one or more records whenever the condition is-true.  Records skipped in this way are ignored, except they are still-required to be valid CSV.---File: hledger.info,  Node: date-format,  Next: timezone,  Prev: skip,  Up: CSV--9.7 'date-format'-=================--date-format DATEFMT--   This is a helper for the 'date' (and 'date2') fields.  If your CSV-dates are not formatted like 'YYYY-MM-DD', 'YYYY/MM/DD' or 'YYYY.MM.DD',-you'll need to add a date-format rule describing them with a-strptime-style date parsing pattern - see-https://hackage.haskell.org/package/time/docs/Data-Time-Format.html#v:formatTime.-The pattern must parse the CSV date value completely.  Some examples:--# MM/DD/YY-date-format %m/%d/%y--# D/M/YYYY-# The - makes leading zeros optional.-date-format %-d/%-m/%Y--# YYYY-Mmm-DD-date-format %Y-%h-%d--# M/D/YYYY HH:MM AM some other junk-# Note the time and junk must be fully parsed, though only the date is used.-date-format %-m/%-d/%Y %l:%M %p some other junk--   Note currently there is no locale awareness for things like '%b', and-setting LC_TIME won't help.---File: hledger.info,  Node: timezone,  Next: newest-first,  Prev: date-format,  Up: CSV--9.8 'timezone'-==============--timezone TIMEZONE--   When CSV contains date-times that are implicitly in some time zone-other than yours, but containing no explicit time zone information, you-can use this rule to declare the CSV's native time zone, which helps-prevent off-by-one dates.--   When the CSV date-times do contain time zone information, you don't-need this rule; instead, use '%Z' in 'date-format' (or '%z', '%EZ',-'%Ez'; see the formatTime link above).--   In either of these cases, hledger will do a time-zone-aware-conversion, localising the CSV date-times to your current system time-zone.  If you prefer to localise to some other time zone, eg for-reproducibility, you can (on unix at least) set the output timezone with-the TZ environment variable, eg:--$ TZ=-1000 hledger print -f foo.csv  # or TZ=-1000 hledger import foo.csv--   'timezone' currently does not understand timezone names, except-"UTC", "GMT", "EST", "EDT", "CST", "CDT", "MST", "MDT", "PST", or "PDT".-For others, use numeric format: +HHMM or -HHMM.---File: hledger.info,  Node: newest-first,  Next: intra-day-reversed,  Prev: timezone,  Up: CSV--9.9 'newest-first'-==================--hledger tries to ensure that the generated transactions will be ordered-chronologically, including same-day transactions.  Usually it can-auto-detect how the CSV records are ordered.  But if it encounters CSV-where all records are on the same date, it assumes that the records are-oldest first.  If in fact the CSV's records are normally newest first,-like:--2022-10-01, txn 3...-2022-10-01, txn 2...-2022-10-01, txn 1...--   you can add the 'newest-first' rule to help hledger generate the-transactions in correct order.--# same-day CSV records are newest first-newest-first---File: hledger.info,  Node: intra-day-reversed,  Next: decimal-mark,  Prev: newest-first,  Up: CSV--9.10 'intra-day-reversed'-=========================--If CSV records within a single day are ordered opposite to the overall-record order, you can add the 'intra-day-reversed' rule to improve the-order of journal entries.  Eg, here the overall record order is newest-first, but same-day records are oldest first:--2022-10-02, txn 3...-2022-10-02, txn 4...-2022-10-01, txn 1...-2022-10-01, txn 2...--# transactions within each day are reversed with respect to the overall date order-intra-day-reversed---File: hledger.info,  Node: decimal-mark,  Next: CSV fields and hledger fields,  Prev: intra-day-reversed,  Up: CSV--9.11 'decimal-mark'-===================--decimal-mark .--   or:--decimal-mark ,--   hledger automatically accepts either period or comma as a decimal-mark when parsing numbers (cf Amounts).  However if any numbers in the-CSV contain digit group marks, such as thousand-separating commas, you-should declare the decimal mark explicitly with this rule, to avoid-misparsed numbers.---File: hledger.info,  Node: CSV fields and hledger fields,  Next: fields list,  Prev: decimal-mark,  Up: CSV--9.12 CSV fields and hledger fields-==================================--This can be confusing, so let's start with an overview:--   * *CSV fields* are provided by your data file.  They are named by-     their position in the CSV record, starting with 1.  You can also-     give them a readable name.--   * *hledger fields* are predefined; 'date', 'description', 'account1',-     'amount1', 'account2' are some of them.  They correspond to parts-     of a transaction's journal entry, mostly.--   * The CSV fields and hledger fields are the only fields you'll be-     working with; you can't define new fields, or variables as in a-     programming language.  (But you could add extra CSV fields to the-     data in preprocessing, before running the rules.)--   * For each CSV record, you'll assign values to one or more of the-     hledger fields to build up a transaction (journal entry).  Values-     can be static text, CSV field values from the current record, or a-     combination of these.--   * For simple cases, you can give a CSV field the same name as one of-     the hledger fields, then its value will be automatically assigned-     to that hledger field.--   * CSV fields can only be read, not written to.  They'll be on the-     right hand side, with a % prefix.  Eg--        * testing a CSV field's value: 'if %CSVFIELD ...'-        * interpolating its value: 'HLEDGERFIELD %CSVFIELD'--   * hledger fields can only be written to, not read.  They'll be on the-     left hand side (or in a fields list), with no prefix.  Eg--        * setting the transaction's description to a value: 'description-          VALUE'-        * setting the transaction's description to the second CSV-          field's value:-          'fields date, description, amount'---File: hledger.info,  Node: fields list,  Next: Field assignment,  Prev: CSV fields and hledger fields,  Up: CSV--9.13 'fields' list-==================--fields FIELDNAME1, FIELDNAME2, ...--   A fields list (the word 'fields' followed by comma-separated field-names) is optional, but convenient.  It does two things:--  1. It names the CSV field in each column.  This can be convenient if-     you are referencing them in other rules, so you can say-     '%SomeField' instead of remembering '%13'.--  2. Whenever you use one of the special hledger field names (described-     below), it assigns the CSV value in this position to that hledger-     field.  This is the quickest way to populate hledger's fields and-     build a transaction.--   Here's an example that says "use the 1st, 2nd and 4th fields as the-transaction's date, description and amount; name the last two fields for-later reference; and ignore the others":--fields date, description, , amount, , , somefield, anotherfield--   In a fields list, the separator is always comma; it is unrelated to-the CSV file's separator.  Also:--   * There must be least two items in the list (at least one comma).-   * Field names may not contain spaces.  Spaces before/after field-     names are optional.-   * Field names may contain '_' (underscore) or '-' (hyphen).-   * Fields you don't care about can be given a dummy name or an empty-     name.--   If the CSV contains column headings, it's convenient to use these for-your field names, suitably modified (eg lower-cased with spaces replaced-by underscores).--   Sometimes you may want to alter a CSV field name to avoid assigning-to a hledger field with the same name.  Eg you could call the CSV's-"balance" field 'balance_' to avoid directly setting hledger's 'balance'-field (and generating a balance assertion).---File: hledger.info,  Node: Field assignment,  Next: Field names,  Prev: fields list,  Up: CSV--9.14 Field assignment-=====================--HLEDGERFIELD FIELDVALUE--   Field assignments are the more flexible way to assign CSV values to-hledger fields.  They can be used instead of or in addition to a fields-list (see above).--   To assign a value to a hledger field, write the field name (any of-the standard hledger field/pseudo-field names, defined below), a space,-followed by a text value on the same line.  This text value may-interpolate CSV fields, referenced either by their 1-based position in-the CSV record ('%N') or by the name they were given in the fields list-('%CSVFIELD'), and regular expression match groups ('\N').--   Some examples:--# set the amount to the 4th CSV field, with " USD" appended-amount %4 USD--# combine three fields to make a comment, containing note: and date: tags-comment note: %somefield - %anotherfield, date: %1--   Tips:--   * Interpolation strips outer whitespace (so a CSV value like '" 1 "'-     becomes '1' when interpolated) (#1051).-   * Interpolations always refer to a CSV field - you can't interpolate-     a hledger field.  (See Referencing other fields below).---File: hledger.info,  Node: Field names,  Next: if block,  Prev: Field assignment,  Up: CSV--9.15 Field names-================--Note the two kinds of field names mentioned here, and used only in-hledger CSV rules files:--  1. *CSV field names* ('CSVFIELD' in these docs): you can optionally-     name the CSV columns for easy reference (since hledger doesn't yet-     automatically recognise column headings in a CSV file), by writing-     arbitrary names in a 'fields' list, eg:--     fields When, What, Some_Id, Net, Total, Foo, Bar--  2. Special *hledger field names* ('HLEDGERFIELD' in these docs): you-     must set at least some of these to generate the hledger transaction-     from a CSV record, by writing them as the left hand side of a field-     assignment, eg:--     date        %When-     code        %Some_Id-     description %What-     comment     %Foo %Bar-     amount1     $ %Total--     or directly in a 'fields' list:--     fields date, description, code, , amount1, Foo, Bar-     currency $-     comment  %Foo %Bar--   Here are all the special hledger field names available, and what-happens when you assign values to them:--* Menu:--* date field::-* date2 field::-* status field::-* code field::-* description field::-* comment field::-* account field::-* amount field::-* currency field::-* balance field::---File: hledger.info,  Node: date field,  Next: date2 field,  Up: Field names--9.15.1 date field--------------------Assigning to 'date' sets the transaction date.---File: hledger.info,  Node: date2 field,  Next: status field,  Prev: date field,  Up: Field names--9.15.2 date2 field---------------------'date2' sets the transaction's secondary date, if any.---File: hledger.info,  Node: status field,  Next: code field,  Prev: date2 field,  Up: Field names--9.15.3 status field----------------------'status' sets the transaction's status, if any.---File: hledger.info,  Node: code field,  Next: description field,  Prev: status field,  Up: Field names--9.15.4 code field--------------------'code' sets the transaction's code, if any.---File: hledger.info,  Node: description field,  Next: comment field,  Prev: code field,  Up: Field names--9.15.5 description field---------------------------'description' sets the transaction's description, if any.---File: hledger.info,  Node: comment field,  Next: account field,  Prev: description field,  Up: Field names--9.15.6 comment field-----------------------'comment' sets the transaction's comment, if any.--   'commentN', where N is a number, sets the Nth posting's comment.--   You can assign multi-line comments by writing literal '\n' in the-code.  A comment starting with '\n' will begin on a new line.--   Comments can contain tags, as usual.--   Posting comments can also contain a posting date.  A secondary date,-or a year-less date, will be ignored.---File: hledger.info,  Node: account field,  Next: amount field,  Prev: comment field,  Up: Field names--9.15.7 account field-----------------------Assigning to 'accountN', where N is 1 to 99, sets the account name of-the Nth posting, and causes that posting to be generated.--   Most often there are two postings, so you'll want to set 'account1'-and 'account2'.  Typically 'account1' is associated with the CSV file,-and is set once with a top-level assignment, while 'account2' is set-based on each transaction's description, in conditional rules.--   If a posting's account name is left unset but its amount is set (see-below), a default account name will be chosen (like "expenses:unknown"-or "income:unknown").---File: hledger.info,  Node: amount field,  Next: currency field,  Prev: account field,  Up: Field names--9.15.8 amount field----------------------There are several ways to set posting amounts from CSV, useful in-different situations.--  1. *'amount'* is the oldest and simplest.  Assigning to this sets the-     amount of the first and second postings.  In the second posting,-     the amount will be negated; also, if it has a cost attached, it-     will be converted to cost.--  2. *'amount-in'* and *'amount-out'* work exactly like the above, but-     should be used when the CSV has two amount fields (such as "Debit"-     and "Credit", or "Inflow" and "Outflow").  Whichever field has a-     non-zero value will be used as the amount of the first and second-     postings.  Here are some tips to avoid confusion:--        * It's not "amount-in for posting 1 and amount-out for posting-          2", it is "extract a single amount from the amount-in or-          amount-out field, and use that for posting 1 and (negated) for-          posting 2".-        * Don't use both 'amount' and 'amount-in'/'amount-out' in the-          same rules file; choose based on whether the amount is in a-          single CSV field or spread across two fields.-        * In each record, at most one of the two CSV fields should-          contain a non-zero amount; the other field must contain a zero-          or nothing.-        * hledger assumes both CSV fields contain unsigned numbers, and-          it automatically negates the amount-out values.-        * If the data doesn't fit these requirements, you'll probably-          need an if rule (see below).--  3. *'amountN'* (where N is a number from 1 to 99) sets the amount of-     only a single posting: the Nth posting in the transaction.  You'll-     usually need at least two such assignments to make a balanced-     transaction.  You can also generate more than two postings, to-     represent more complex transactions.  The posting numbers don't-     have to be consecutive; with if rules, higher posting numbers can-     be useful to ensure a certain order of postings.--  4. *'amountN-in'* and *'amountN-out'* work exactly like the above, but-     should be used when the CSV has two amount fields.  This is-     analogous to 'amount-in' and 'amount-out', and those tips also-     apply here.--  5. Remember that a 'fields' list can also do assignments.  So in a-     fields list if you name a CSV field "amount", that counts as-     assigning to 'amount'.  (If you don't want that, call it something-     else in the fields list, like "amount_".)--  6. The above don't handle every situation; if you need more-     flexibility, use an 'if' rule to set amounts conditionally.  See-     "Working with CSV > Setting amounts" below for more on this and on-     amount-setting generally.---File: hledger.info,  Node: currency field,  Next: balance field,  Prev: amount field,  Up: Field names--9.15.9 currency field------------------------'currency' sets a currency symbol, to be prepended to all postings'-amounts.  You can use this if the CSV amounts do not have a currency-symbol, eg if it is in a separate column.--   'currencyN' prepends a currency symbol to just the Nth posting's-amount.---File: hledger.info,  Node: balance field,  Prev: currency field,  Up: Field names--9.15.10 balance field------------------------'balanceN' sets a balance assertion amount (or if the posting amount is-left empty, a balance assignment) on posting N.--   'balance' is a compatibility spelling for hledger <1.17; it is-equivalent to 'balance1'.--   You can adjust the type of assertion/assignment with the-'balance-type' rule (see below).--   See the Working with CSV tips below for more about setting amounts-and currency.---File: hledger.info,  Node: if block,  Next: Matchers,  Prev: Field names,  Up: CSV--9.16 'if' block-===============--Rules can be applied conditionally, depending on patterns in the CSV-data.  This allows flexibility; in particular, it is how you can-categorise transactions, selecting an appropriate account name based on-their description (for example).  There are two ways to write-conditional rules: "if blocks", described here, and "if tables",-described below.--   An if block is the word 'if' and one or more "matcher" expressions-(can be a word or phrase), one per line, starting either on the same or-next line; followed by one or more indented rules.  Eg,--if MATCHER- RULE--   or--if-MATCHER-MATCHER-MATCHER- RULE- RULE--   If any of the matchers succeeds, all of the indented rules will be-applied.  They are usually field assignments, but the following special-rules may also be used within an if block:--   * 'skip' - skips the matched CSV record (generating no transaction-     from it)-   * 'end' - skips the rest of the current CSV file.--   Some examples:--# if the record contains "groceries", set account2 to "expenses:groceries"-if groceries- account2 expenses:groceries--# if the record contains any of these phrases, set account2 and a transaction comment as shown-if-monthly service fee-atm transaction fee-banking thru software- account2 expenses:business:banking- comment  XXX deductible ? check it--# if an empty record is seen (assuming five fields), ignore the rest of the CSV file-if ,,,,- end---File: hledger.info,  Node: Matchers,  Next: if table,  Prev: if block,  Up: CSV--9.17 Matchers-=============--There are two kinds of matcher:--  1. A whole record matcher is simplest: it is just a word, single-line-     text fragment, or other regular expression, which hledger will try-     to match case-insensitively anywhere within the CSV record.-     Eg: 'whole foods'.--  2. A field matcher has a percent-prefixed CSV field number or name-     before the pattern.-     Eg: '%3 whole foods' or '%description whole foods'.-     hledger will try to match the pattern just within the named CSV-     field.--   When using these, there's two things to be aware of:--  1. Whole record matchers don't see the exact original record; they see-     a reconstruction of it, in which values are comma-separated, and-     quotes enclosing values and whitespace outside those quotes are-     removed.-     Eg when reading an SSV record like: '2023-01-01 ; "Acme, Inc. " ;-     1,000'-     the whole record matcher sees instead: '2023-01-01,Acme, Inc.-     ,1,000'--  2. Field matchers expect either a CSV field number, or a CSV field-     name declared with 'fields'.  (Don't use a hledger field name here,-     unless it is also a CSV field name.)  A non-CSV field name will-     cause the matcher to match against '""' (the empty string), and-     does not raise an error, allowing easier reuse of common rules with-     different CSV files.--   You can also prefix a matcher with '!' (and optional space) to negate-it.  Eg '! whole foods', '! %3 whole foods', '!%description whole foods'-will match if "whole foods" is NOT present.  _Added in 1.32._--   The pattern is, as usual in hledger, a POSIX extended regular-expression that also supports GNU word boundaries ('\b', '\B', '\<',-'\>') and nothing else.  For more details and tips, see Regular-expressions in CSV rules below.--* Menu:--* Multiple matchers::-* Match groups::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Multiple matchers,  Next: Match groups,  Up: Matchers--9.17.1 Multiple matchers---------------------------When an if block has multiple matchers, each on its own line,--   * By default they are OR'd (any of them can match).-   * Matcher lines beginning with '&' (or '&&', _since 1.42_) are AND'ed-     with the matcher above (all in the AND'ed group must match).-   * Matcher lines beginning with '& !' (_since 1.41_, or '&& !', _since-     1.42_) are first negated and then AND'ed with the matcher above.--   You can also combine multiple matchers one the same line separated by-'&&' (AND) or '&& !' (AND NOT). Eg '%description amazon && %date-2025-01-01' will match only when the description field contains "amazon"-and the date field contains "2025-01-01".  _Added in 1.42._---File: hledger.info,  Node: Match groups,  Prev: Multiple matchers,  Up: Matchers--9.17.2 Match groups----------------------_Added in 1.32_--   Matchers can define match groups: parenthesised portions of the-regular expression which are available for reference in field-assignments.  Groups are enclosed in regular parentheses ('(' and ')')-and can be nested.  Each group is available in field assignments using-the token '\N', where N is an index into the match groups for this-conditional block (e.g.  '\1', '\2', etc.).--   Example: Warp credit card payment postings to the beginning of the-billing period (Month start), to match how they are presented in-statements, using posting dates:--if %date (....-..)-..-  comment2 date:\1-01--   Another example: Read the expense account from the CSV field, but-throw away a prefix:--if %account1 liabilities:family:(expenses:.*)-    account1 \1---File: hledger.info,  Node: if table,  Next: balance-type,  Prev: Matchers,  Up: CSV--9.18 'if' table-===============--"if tables" are an alternative to if blocks; they can express many-matchers and field assignments in a more compact tabular format, like-this:--if,HLEDGERFIELD1,HLEDGERFIELD2,...-MATCHERA,VALUE1,VALUE2,...-MATCHERB && MATCHERC,VALUE1,VALUE2,...  (*since 1.42*)-; Comment line that explains MATCHERD-MATCHERD,VALUE1,VALUE2,...-<empty line>--   The first character after 'if' is taken to be this if table's field-separator.  It is unrelated to the separator used in the CSV file.  It-should be a non-alphanumeric character like ',' or '|' that does not-appear anywhere else in the table (it should not be used in field names-or matchers or values, and it cannot be escaped with a backslash).--   Each line must contain the same number of separators; empty values-are allowed.  Whitespace can be used in the matcher lines for-readability (but not in the if line, currently).  You can use the-comment lines in the table body.  The table must be terminated by an-empty line (or end of file).--   An if table like the above is interpreted as follows: try all of the-lines with matchers; whenever a line with matchers succeeds, assign all-of the values on that line to the corresponding hledger fields; If-multiple lines match, later lines will override fields assigned by the-earlier ones - just like the sequence of 'if' blocks would behave.--   If table presented above is equivalent to this sequence of if blocks:--if MATCHERA-  HLEDGERFIELD1 VALUE1-  HLEDGERFIELD2 VALUE2-  ...--if MATCHERB && MATCHERC-  HLEDGERFIELD1 VALUE1-  HLEDGERFIELD2 VALUE2-  ...--; Comment line which explains MATCHERD-if MATCHERD-  HLEDGERFIELD1 VALUE1-  HLEDGERFIELD2 VALUE2-  ...--   Example:--if,account2,comment-atm transaction fee,expenses:business:banking,deductible? check it-%description groceries,expenses:groceries,-;; Comment line that desribes why this particular date is special-2023/01/12.*Plumbing LLC,expenses:house:upkeep,emergency plumbing call-out---File: hledger.info,  Node: balance-type,  Next: include,  Prev: if table,  Up: CSV--9.19 'balance-type'-===================--Balance assertions generated by assigning to balanceN are of the simple-'=' type by default, which is a single-commodity, subaccount-excluding-assertion.  You may find the subaccount-including variants more useful,-eg if you have created some virtual subaccounts of checking to help with-budgeting.  You can select a different type of assertion with the-'balance-type' rule:--# balance assertions will consider all commodities and all subaccounts-balance-type ==*--   Here are the balance assertion types for quick reference:--=    single commodity, exclude subaccounts-=*   single commodity, include subaccounts-==   multi commodity,  exclude subaccounts-==*  multi commodity,  include subaccounts---File: hledger.info,  Node: include,  Next: Working with CSV,  Prev: balance-type,  Up: CSV--9.20 'include'-==============--include RULESFILE--   This includes the contents of another CSV rules file at this point.-'RULESFILE' is an absolute file path or a path relative to the current-file's directory.  This can be useful for sharing common rules between-several rules files, eg:--# someaccount.csv.rules--## someaccount-specific rules-fields   date,description,amount-account1 assets:someaccount-account2 expenses:misc--## common rules-include categorisation.rules---File: hledger.info,  Node: Working with CSV,  Next: CSV rules examples,  Prev: include,  Up: CSV--9.21 Working with CSV-=====================--Some tips:--* Menu:--* Rapid feedback::-* Valid CSV::-* File Extension::-* Reading CSV from standard input::-* Reading multiple CSV files::-* Reading files specified by rule::-* Valid transactions::-* Deduplicating importing::-* Regular expressions in CSV rules::-* Setting amounts::-* Amount signs::-* Setting currency/commodity::-* Amount decimal places::-* Referencing other fields::-* How CSV rules are evaluated::-* Well factored rules::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Rapid feedback,  Next: Valid CSV,  Up: Working with CSV--9.21.1 Rapid feedback------------------------It's a good idea to get rapid feedback while creating/troubleshooting-CSV rules.  Here's a good way, using entr from eradman.com/entrproject:--$ ls foo.csv* | entr bash -c 'echo ----; hledger -f foo.csv print desc:SOMEDESC'--   A desc: query (eg) is used to select just one, or a few, transactions-of interest.  "bash -c" is used to run multiple commands, so we can echo-a separator each time the command re-runs, making it easier to read the-output.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Valid CSV,  Next: File Extension,  Prev: Rapid feedback,  Up: Working with CSV--9.21.2 Valid CSV-------------------Note that hledger will only accept valid CSV conforming to RFC 4180, and-equivalent SSV and TSV formats (like RFC 4180 but with semicolon or tab-as separators).  This means, eg:--   * Values may be enclosed in double quotes, or not.  Enclosing in-     single quotes is not allowed.  (Eg ''A','B'' is rejected.)-   * When values are enclosed in double quotes, spaces outside the-     quotes are not allowed.  (Eg '"A", "B"' is rejected.)-   * When values are not enclosed in quotes, they may not contain double-     quotes.  (Eg 'A"A, B' is rejected.)--   If your CSV/SSV/TSV is not valid in this sense, you'll need to-transform it before reading with hledger.  Try using sed, or a more-permissive CSV parser like python's csv lib.---File: hledger.info,  Node: File Extension,  Next: Reading CSV from standard input,  Prev: Valid CSV,  Up: Working with CSV--9.21.3 File Extension------------------------To help hledger choose the CSV file reader and show the right error-messages (and choose the right field separator character by default),-it's best if CSV/SSV/TSV files are named with a '.csv', '.ssv' or '.tsv'-filename extension.  (More about this at Data formats.)--   When reading files with the "wrong" extension, you can ensure the CSV-reader (and the default field separator) by prefixing the file path with-'csv:', 'ssv:' or 'tsv:': Eg:--$ hledger -f ssv:foo.dat print--   You can also override the default field separator with a separator-rule if needed.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Reading CSV from standard input,  Next: Reading multiple CSV files,  Prev: File Extension,  Up: Working with CSV--9.21.4 Reading CSV from standard input-----------------------------------------You'll need the file format prefix when reading CSV from stdin also,-since hledger assumes journal format by default.  Eg:--$ cat foo.dat | hledger -f ssv:- print---File: hledger.info,  Node: Reading multiple CSV files,  Next: Reading files specified by rule,  Prev: Reading CSV from standard input,  Up: Working with CSV--9.21.5 Reading multiple CSV files------------------------------------If you use multiple '-f' options to read multiple CSV files at once,-hledger will look for a correspondingly-named rules file for each CSV-file.  But if you specify a rules file with '--rules', that rules file-will be used for all the CSV files.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Reading files specified by rule,  Next: Valid transactions,  Prev: Reading multiple CSV files,  Up: Working with CSV--9.21.6 Reading files specified by rule-----------------------------------------Instead of specifying a CSV file in the command line, you can specify a-rules file, as in 'hledger -f foo.csv.rules CMD'.  By default this will-read data from foo.csv in the same directory, but you can add a source-rule to specify a different data file, perhaps located in your web-browser's download directory.--   This feature was added in hledger 1.30, so you won't see it in most-CSV rules examples.  But it helps remove some of the busywork of-managing CSV downloads.  Most of your financial institutions's default-CSV filenames are different and can be recognised by a glob pattern.  So-you can put a rule like 'source Checking1*.csv' in-foo-checking.csv.rules, and then periodically follow a workflow like:--  1. Download CSV from Foo's website, using your browser's defaults-  2. Run 'hledger import foo-checking.csv.rules' to import any new-     transactions--   After import, you can: discard the CSV, or leave it where it is for a-while, or move it into your archives, as you prefer.  If you do nothing,-next time your browser will save something like Checking1-2.csv, and-hledger will use that because of the '*' wild card and because it is the-most recent.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Valid transactions,  Next: Deduplicating importing,  Prev: Reading files specified by rule,  Up: Working with CSV--9.21.7 Valid transactions----------------------------After reading a CSV file, hledger post-processes and validates the-generated journal entries as it would for a journal file - balancing-them, applying balance assignments, and canonicalising amount styles.-Any errors at this stage will be reported in the usual way, displaying-the problem entry.--   There is one exception: balance assertions, if you have generated-them, will not be checked, since normally these will work only when the-CSV data is part of the main journal.  If you do need to check balance-assertions generated from CSV right away, pipe into another hledger:--$ hledger -f file.csv print | hledger -f- print---File: hledger.info,  Node: Deduplicating importing,  Next: Regular expressions in CSV rules,  Prev: Valid transactions,  Up: Working with CSV--9.21.8 Deduplicating, importing----------------------------------When you download a CSV file periodically, eg to get your latest bank-transactions, the new file may overlap with the old one, containing some-of the same records.--   The import command will (a) detect the new transactions, and (b)-append just those transactions to your main journal.  It is idempotent,-so you don't have to remember how many times you ran it or with which-version of the CSV. (It keeps state in a hidden '.latest.FILE.csv'-file.)  This is the easiest way to import CSV data.  Eg:--# download the latest CSV files, then run this command.-# Note, no -f flags needed here.-$ hledger import *.csv [--dry]--   This method works for most CSV files.  (Where records have a stable-chronological order, and new records appear only at the new end.)--   A number of other tools and workflows, hledger-specific and-otherwise, exist for converting, deduplicating, classifying and managing-CSV data.  See:--   * https://hledger.org/cookbook.html#setups-and-workflows-   * https://plaintextaccounting.org -> data import/conversion---File: hledger.info,  Node: Regular expressions in CSV rules,  Next: Setting amounts,  Prev: Deduplicating importing,  Up: Working with CSV--9.21.9 Regular expressions in CSV rules------------------------------------------Regular expressions in 'if' conditions (AKA matchers) are POSIX extended-regular expressions, that also support GNU word boundaries ('\b', '\B',-'\<', '\>'), and nothing else.  (For more detail, see Regular-expressions.)--   Here are some examples that might be useful in CSV rules:--   * Is field "foo" truly empty ?  'if %foo ^$'-   * Is it empty or containing only whitespace ?  'if %foo ^ *$'-   * Is it non-empty ?  'if %foo .'-   * Does it contain non-whitespace ?  'if %foo [^ ]'--   Testing the value of numeric fields is a little harder.  You can't-use hledger queries like 'amt:0' or 'amt:>10' in CSV rules.  But you can-often achieve the same thing with a regular expression.--   Note the content and layout of number fields in CSV varies, and can-change over time (eg if you switch data providers).  So numeric regexps-are always somewhat specific to your particular CSV data; and it's a-good idea to make them defensive and robust if you can.--   Here are some examples:--   * Does foo contain a non-zero number ?  'if %foo [1-9]'-   * Is it negative ?  'if %foo -'-   * Is it non-negative ?  'if ! %foo -'-   * Is it >= 10 ?  'if %foo [1-9][0-9]+\.' (assuming a decimal period-     and no leading zeros)-   * Is it >= 10 and < 20 ?  'if %foo \b1[0-9]\.'---File: hledger.info,  Node: Setting amounts,  Next: Amount signs,  Prev: Regular expressions in CSV rules,  Up: Working with CSV--9.21.10 Setting amounts--------------------------Continuing from amount field above, here are more tips for-amount-setting:--  1. *If the amount is in a single CSV field:*--       a. *If its sign indicates direction of flow:*-          Assign it to 'amountN', to set the Nth posting's amount.  N is-          usually 1 or 2 but can go up to 99.--       b. *If another field indicates direction of flow:*-          Use one or more conditional rules to set the appropriate-          amount sign.  Eg:--     # assume a withdrawal unless Type contains "deposit":-     amount1  -%Amount-     if %Type deposit-       amount1  %Amount--  2. *If the amount is in two CSV fields (such as Debit and Credit, or-     In and Out):*--       a. *If both fields are unsigned:*-          Assign one field to 'amountN-in' and the other to-          'amountN-out'.  hledger will automatically negate the "out"-          field, and will use whichever field value is non-zero as-          posting N's amount.--       b. *If either field is signed:*-          You will probably need to override hledger's sign for one or-          the other field, as in the following example:--     # Negate the -out value, but only if it is not empty:-     fields date, description, amount1-in, amount1-out-     if %amount1-out [1-9]-      amount1-out -%amount1-out--       c. *If both fields can contain a non-zero value (or both can be-          empty):*-          The -in/-out rules normally choose the value which is-          non-zero/non-empty.  Some value pairs can be ambiguous, such-          as '1' and 'none'.  For such cases, use conditional rules to-          help select the amount.  Eg, to handle the above you could-          select the value containing non-zero digits:--     fields date, description, in, out-     if %in [1-9]-      amount1 %in-     if %out [1-9]-      amount1 %out--  3. *If you want posting 2's amount converted to cost:*-     Use the unnumbered 'amount' (or 'amount-in' and 'amount-out')-     syntax.--  4. *If the CSV has only balance amounts, not transaction amounts:*-     Assign to 'balanceN', to set a balance assignment on the Nth-     posting, causing the posting's amount to be calculated-     automatically.  'balance' with no number is equivalent to-     'balance1'.  In this situation hledger is more likely to guess the-     wrong default account name, so you may need to set that explicitly.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Amount signs,  Next: Setting currency/commodity,  Prev: Setting amounts,  Up: Working with CSV--9.21.11 Amount signs-----------------------There is some special handling making it easier to parse and to reverse-amount signs.  (This only works for whole amounts, not for cost amounts-such as COST in 'amount1 AMT @ COST'):--   * *If an amount value begins with a plus sign:*-     that will be removed: '+AMT' becomes 'AMT'--   * *If an amount value is parenthesised:*-     it will be de-parenthesised and sign-flipped: '(AMT)' becomes-     '-AMT'--   * *If an amount value has two minus signs (or two sets of-     parentheses, or a minus sign and parentheses):*-     they cancel out and will be removed: '--AMT' or '-(AMT)' becomes-     'AMT'--   * *If an amount value contains just a sign (or just a set of-     parentheses):*-     that is removed, making it an empty value.  '"+"' or '"-"' or-     '"()"' becomes '""'.--   It's not possible (without preprocessing the CSV) to set an amount to-its absolute value, ie discard its sign.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Setting currency/commodity,  Next: Amount decimal places,  Prev: Amount signs,  Up: Working with CSV--9.21.12 Setting currency/commodity-------------------------------------If the currency/commodity symbol is included in the CSV's amount-field(s):--2023-01-01,foo,$123.00--   you don't have to do anything special for the commodity symbol, it-will be assigned as part of the amount.  Eg:--fields date,description,amount--2023-01-01 foo-    expenses:unknown         $123.00-    income:unknown          $-123.00--   If the currency is provided as a separate CSV field:--2023-01-01,foo,USD,123.00--   You can assign that to the 'currency' pseudo-field, which has the-special effect of prepending itself to every amount in the transaction-(on the left, with no separating space):--fields date,description,currency,amount--2023-01-01 foo-    expenses:unknown       USD123.00-    income:unknown        USD-123.00--   Or, you can use a field assignment to construct the amount yourself,-with more control.  Eg to put the symbol on the right, and separated by-a space:--fields date,description,cur,amt-amount %amt %cur--2023-01-01 foo-    expenses:unknown        123.00 USD-    income:unknown         -123.00 USD--   Note we used a temporary field name ('cur') that is not 'currency' --that would trigger the prepending effect, which we don't want here.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Amount decimal places,  Next: Referencing other fields,  Prev: Setting currency/commodity,  Up: Working with CSV--9.21.13 Amount decimal places--------------------------------When you are reading CSV data, eg with a command like 'hledger -f-foo.csv print', hledger will infer each commodity's decimal precision-(and other commodity display styles) from the amounts - much as when-reading a journal file without 'commodity' directives (see the link).--   Note, the commodity styles are not inferred from the numbers in the-original CSV data; rather, they are inferred from the amounts generated-by the CSV rules.--   When you are importing CSV data with the 'import' command, eg-'hledger import foo.csv', there's another step: 'import' tries to make-the new entries conform to the journal's existing styles.  So for each-commodity - let's say it's EUR - 'import' will choose:--  1. the style declared for EUR by a 'commodity' directive in the-     journal-  2. otherwise, the style inferred from EUR amounts in the journal-  3. otherwise, the style inferred from EUR amounts generated by the CSV-     rules.--   TLDR: if 'import' is not generating the precisions or styles you-want, add a 'commodity' directive to specify them.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Referencing other fields,  Next: How CSV rules are evaluated,  Prev: Amount decimal places,  Up: Working with CSV--9.21.14 Referencing other fields-----------------------------------In field assignments, you can interpolate only CSV fields, not hledger-fields.  In the example below, there's both a CSV field and a hledger-field named amount1, but %amount1 always means the CSV field, not the-hledger field:--# Name the third CSV field "amount1"-fields date,description,amount1--# Set hledger's amount1 to the CSV amount1 field followed by USD-amount1 %amount1 USD--# Set comment to the CSV amount1 (not the amount1 assigned above)-comment %amount1--   Here, since there's no CSV amount1 field, %amount1 will produce a-literal "amount1":--fields date,description,csvamount-amount1 %csvamount USD-# Can't interpolate amount1 here-comment %amount1--   When there are multiple field assignments to the same hledger field,-only the last one takes effect.  Here, comment's value will be be B, or-C if "something" is matched, but never A:--comment A-comment B-if something- comment C---File: hledger.info,  Node: How CSV rules are evaluated,  Next: Well factored rules,  Prev: Referencing other fields,  Up: Working with CSV--9.21.15 How CSV rules are evaluated--------------------------------------Here's how to think of CSV rules being evaluated.  If you get a-confusing error while reading a CSV file, it may help to try to-understand which of these steps is failing:--  1. Any included rules files are inlined, from top to bottom, depth-     first (scanning each included file for further includes,-     recursively, before proceeding).--  2. Top level rules ('date-format', 'fields', 'newest-first', 'skip'-     etc) are read, top to bottom.  "Top level rules" means-     non-conditional rules.  If a rule occurs more than once, the last-     one wins; except for 'skip'/'end' rules, where the first one wins.--  3. The CSV file is read as text.  Any non-ascii characters will be-     decoded using the text encoding specified by the 'encoding' rule,-     otherwise the system locale's text encoding.--  4. Any top-level skip or end rule is applied.  'skip [N]' immediately-     skips the current or next N CSV records; 'end' immediately skips-     all remaining CSV records (not normally used at top level).--  5. Now any remaining CSV records are processed.  For each CSV record,-     in file order:--        * Is there a conditional skip/end rule that applies for this-          record ?  Search the 'if' blocks, from top to bottom, for a-          succeeding one containing a 'skip' or 'end' rule.  If found,-          skip the specified number of CSV records, then continue at 5.-          Otherwise...--        * Do some basic validation on this CSV record (eg, check that it-          has at least two fields).--        * For each hledger field ('date', 'description', 'account1',-          etc.):--            1. Get the field's assigned value, first searching top level-               assignments, made directly or by the 'fields' rule, then-               assignments made inside succeeding 'if' blocks.  If there-               are more than one, the last one wins.--            2. Compute the field's actual value (as text), by-               interpolating any %CSVFIELD references within the-               assigned value; or by choosing a default value if there-               was no assignment.--        * Generate a hledger transaction from the hledger field values,-          parsing them if needed (eg from text to an amount).--   This is all done by the CSV reader, one of several readers hledger-can use to read transactions from an input file.  When all input files-have been read successfully, their transactions are passed to whichever-hledger command the user specified.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Well factored rules,  Prev: How CSV rules are evaluated,  Up: Working with CSV--9.21.16 Well factored rules------------------------------Some things than can help reduce duplication and complexity in rules-files:--   * Extracting common rules usable with multiple CSV files into a-     'common.rules', and adding 'include common.rules' to each CSV's-     rules file.--   * Splitting if blocks into smaller if blocks, extracting the-     frequently used parts.---File: hledger.info,  Node: CSV rules examples,  Prev: Working with CSV,  Up: CSV--9.22 CSV rules examples-=======================--* Menu:--* Bank of Ireland::-* Coinbase::-* Amazon::-* Paypal::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Bank of Ireland,  Next: Coinbase,  Up: CSV rules examples--9.22.1 Bank of Ireland-------------------------Here's a CSV with two amount fields (Debit and Credit), and a balance-field, which we can use to add balance assertions, which is not-necessary but provides extra error checking:--Date,Details,Debit,Credit,Balance-07/12/2012,LODGMENT       529898,,10.0,131.21-07/12/2012,PAYMENT,5,,126--# bankofireland-checking.csv.rules--# skip the header line-skip--# name the csv fields, and assign some of them as journal entry fields-fields  date, description, amount-out, amount-in, balance--# We generate balance assertions by assigning to "balance"-# above, but you may sometimes need to remove these because:-#-# - the CSV balance differs from the true balance,-#   by up to 0.0000000000005 in my experience-#-# - it is sometimes calculated based on non-chronological ordering,-#   eg when multiple transactions clear on the same day--# date is in UK/Ireland format-date-format  %d/%m/%Y--# set the currency-currency  EUR--# set the base account for all txns-account1  assets:bank:boi:checking--$ hledger -f bankofireland-checking.csv print-2012-12-07 LODGMENT       529898-    assets:bank:boi:checking         EUR10.0 = EUR131.2-    income:unknown                  EUR-10.0--2012-12-07 PAYMENT-    assets:bank:boi:checking         EUR-5.0 = EUR126.0-    expenses:unknown                  EUR5.0--   The balance assertions don't raise an error above, because we're-reading directly from CSV, but they will be checked if these entries are-imported into a journal file.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Coinbase,  Next: Amazon,  Prev: Bank of Ireland,  Up: CSV rules examples--9.22.2 Coinbase------------------A simple example with some CSV from Coinbase.  The spot price is-recorded using cost notation.  The legacy 'amount' field name-conveniently sets amount 2 (posting 2's amount) to the total cost.--# Timestamp,Transaction Type,Asset,Quantity Transacted,Spot Price Currency,Spot Price at Transaction,Subtotal,Total (inclusive of fees and/or spread),Fees and/or Spread,Notes-# 2021-12-30T06:57:59Z,Receive,USDC,100,GBP,0.740000,"","","","Received 100.00 USDC from an external account"--# coinbase.csv.rules-skip         1-fields       Timestamp,Transaction_Type,Asset,Quantity_Transacted,Spot_Price_Currency,Spot_Price_at_Transaction,Subtotal,Total,Fees_Spread,Notes-date         %Timestamp-date-format  %Y-%m-%dT%T%Z-description  %Notes-account1     assets:coinbase:cc-amount       %Quantity_Transacted %Asset @ %Spot_Price_at_Transaction %Spot_Price_Currency--$ hledger print -f coinbase.csv-2021-12-30 Received 100.00 USDC from an external account-    assets:coinbase:cc    100 USDC @ 0.740000 GBP-    income:unknown                 -74.000000 GBP---File: hledger.info,  Node: Amazon,  Next: Paypal,  Prev: Coinbase,  Up: CSV rules examples--9.22.3 Amazon----------------Here we convert amazon.com order history, and use an if block to-generate a third posting if there's a fee.  (In practice you'd probably-get this data from your bank instead, but it's an example.)--"Date","Type","To/From","Name","Status","Amount","Fees","Transaction ID"-"Jul 29, 2012","Payment","To","Foo.","Completed","$20.00","$0.00","16000000000000DGLNJPI1P9B8DKPVHL"-"Jul 30, 2012","Payment","To","Adapteva, Inc.","Completed","$25.00","$1.00","17LA58JSKRD4HDGLNJPI1P9B8DKPVHL"--# amazon-orders.csv.rules--# skip one header line-skip 1--# name the csv fields, and assign the transaction's date, amount and code.-# Avoided the "status" and "amount" hledger field names to prevent confusion.-fields date, _, toorfrom, name, amzstatus, amzamount, fees, code--# how to parse the date-date-format %b %-d, %Y--# combine two fields to make the description-description %toorfrom %name--# save the status as a tag-comment     status:%amzstatus--# set the base account for all transactions-account1    assets:amazon-# leave amount1 blank so it can balance the other(s).-# I'm assuming amzamount excludes the fees, don't remember--# set a generic account2-account2    expenses:misc-amount2     %amzamount-# and maybe refine it further:-#include categorisation.rules--# add a third posting for fees, but only if they are non-zero.-if %fees [1-9]- account3    expenses:fees- amount3     %fees--$ hledger -f amazon-orders.csv print-2012-07-29 (16000000000000DGLNJPI1P9B8DKPVHL) To Foo.  ; status:Completed-    assets:amazon-    expenses:misc          $20.00--2012-07-30 (17LA58JSKRD4HDGLNJPI1P9B8DKPVHL) To Adapteva, Inc.  ; status:Completed-    assets:amazon-    expenses:misc          $25.00-    expenses:fees           $1.00---File: hledger.info,  Node: Paypal,  Prev: Amazon,  Up: CSV rules examples--9.22.4 Paypal----------------Here's a real-world rules file for (customised) Paypal CSV, with some-Paypal-specific rules, and a second rules file included:--"Date","Time","TimeZone","Name","Type","Status","Currency","Gross","Fee","Net","From Email Address","To Email Address","Transaction ID","Item Title","Item ID","Reference Txn ID","Receipt ID","Balance","Note"-"10/01/2019","03:46:20","PDT","Calm Radio","Subscription Payment","Completed","USD","-6.99","0.00","-6.99","simon@joyful.com","memberships@calmradio.com","60P57143A8206782E","MONTHLY - $1 for the first 2 Months: Me - Order 99309. Item total: $1.00 USD first 2 months, then $6.99 / Month","","I-R8YLY094FJYR","","-6.99",""-"10/01/2019","03:46:20","PDT","","Bank Deposit to PP Account ","Pending","USD","6.99","0.00","6.99","","simon@joyful.com","0TU1544T080463733","","","60P57143A8206782E","","0.00",""-"10/01/2019","08:57:01","PDT","Patreon","PreApproved Payment Bill User Payment","Completed","USD","-7.00","0.00","-7.00","simon@joyful.com","support@patreon.com","2722394R5F586712G","Patreon* Membership","","B-0PG93074E7M86381M","","-7.00",""-"10/01/2019","08:57:01","PDT","","Bank Deposit to PP Account ","Pending","USD","7.00","0.00","7.00","","simon@joyful.com","71854087RG994194F","Patreon* Membership","","2722394R5F586712G","","0.00",""-"10/19/2019","03:02:12","PDT","Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.","Subscription Payment","Completed","USD","-2.00","0.00","-2.00","simon@joyful.com","tle@wikimedia.org","K9U43044RY432050M","Monthly donation to the Wikimedia Foundation","","I-R5C3YUS3285L","","-2.00",""-"10/19/2019","03:02:12","PDT","","Bank Deposit to PP Account ","Pending","USD","2.00","0.00","2.00","","simon@joyful.com","3XJ107139A851061F","","","K9U43044RY432050M","","0.00",""-"10/22/2019","05:07:06","PDT","Noble Benefactor","Subscription Payment","Completed","USD","10.00","-0.59","9.41","noble@bene.fac.tor","simon@joyful.com","6L8L1662YP1334033","Joyful Systems","","I-KC9VBGY2GWDB","","9.41",""--# paypal-custom.csv.rules--# Tips:-# Export from Activity -> Statements -> Custom -> Activity download-# Suggested transaction type: "Balance affecting"-# Paypal's default fields in 2018 were:-# "Date","Time","TimeZone","Name","Type","Status","Currency","Gross","Fee","Net","From Email Address","To Email Address","Transaction ID","Shipping Address","Address Status","Item Title","Item ID","Shipping and Handling Amount","Insurance Amount","Sales Tax","Option 1 Name","Option 1 Value","Option 2 Name","Option 2 Value","Reference Txn ID","Invoice Number","Custom Number","Quantity","Receipt ID","Balance","Address Line 1","Address Line 2/District/Neighborhood","Town/City","State/Province/Region/County/Territory/Prefecture/Republic","Zip/Postal Code","Country","Contact Phone Number","Subject","Note","Country Code","Balance Impact"-# This rules file assumes the following more detailed fields, configured in "Customize report fields":-# "Date","Time","TimeZone","Name","Type","Status","Currency","Gross","Fee","Net","From Email Address","To Email Address","Transaction ID","Item Title","Item ID","Reference Txn ID","Receipt ID","Balance","Note"--fields date, time, timezone, description_, type, status_, currency, grossamount, feeamount, netamount, fromemail, toemail, code, itemtitle, itemid, referencetxnid, receiptid, balance, note--skip  1--date-format  %-m/%-d/%Y--# ignore some paypal events-if-In Progress-Temporary Hold-Update to- skip--# add more fields to the description-description %description_ %itemtitle--# save some other fields as tags-comment  itemid:%itemid, fromemail:%fromemail, toemail:%toemail, time:%time, type:%type, status:%status_--# convert to short currency symbols-if %currency USD- currency $-if %currency EUR- currency E-if %currency GBP- currency P--# generate postings--# the first posting will be the money leaving/entering my paypal account-# (negative means leaving my account, in all amount fields)-account1 assets:online:paypal-amount1  %netamount--# the second posting will be money sent to/received from other party-# (account2 is set below)-amount2  -%grossamount--# if there's a fee, add a third posting for the money taken by paypal.-if %feeamount [1-9]- account3 expenses:banking:paypal- amount3  -%feeamount- comment3 business:--# choose an account for the second posting--# override the default account names:-# if the amount is positive, it's income (a debit)-if %grossamount ^[^-]- account2 income:unknown-# if negative, it's an expense (a credit)-if %grossamount ^-- account2 expenses:unknown--# apply common rules for setting account2 & other tweaks-include common.rules--# apply some overrides specific to this csv--# Transfers from/to bank. These are usually marked Pending,-# which can be disregarded in this case.-if-Bank Account-Bank Deposit to PP Account- description %type for %referencetxnid %itemtitle- account2 assets:bank:wf:pchecking- account1 assets:online:paypal--# Currency conversions-if Currency Conversion- account2 equity:currency conversion--# common.rules--if-darcs-noble benefactor- account2 revenues:foss donations:darcshub- comment2 business:--if-Calm Radio- account2 expenses:online:apps--if-electronic frontier foundation-Patreon-wikimedia-Advent of Code- account2 expenses:dues--if Google- account2 expenses:online:apps- description google | music--$ hledger -f paypal-custom.csv  print-2019-10-01 (60P57143A8206782E) Calm Radio MONTHLY - $1 for the first 2 Months: Me - Order 99309. Item total: $1.00 USD first 2 months, then $6.99 / Month  ; itemid:, fromemail:simon@joyful.com, toemail:memberships@calmradio.com, time:03:46:20, type:Subscription Payment, status:Completed-    assets:online:paypal          $-6.99 = $-6.99-    expenses:online:apps           $6.99--2019-10-01 (0TU1544T080463733) Bank Deposit to PP Account for 60P57143A8206782E  ; itemid:, fromemail:, toemail:simon@joyful.com, time:03:46:20, type:Bank Deposit to PP Account, status:Pending-    assets:online:paypal               $6.99 = $0.00-    assets:bank:wf:pchecking          $-6.99--2019-10-01 (2722394R5F586712G) Patreon Patreon* Membership  ; itemid:, fromemail:simon@joyful.com, toemail:support@patreon.com, time:08:57:01, type:PreApproved Payment Bill User Payment, status:Completed-    assets:online:paypal          $-7.00 = $-7.00-    expenses:dues                  $7.00--2019-10-01 (71854087RG994194F) Bank Deposit to PP Account for 2722394R5F586712G Patreon* Membership  ; itemid:, fromemail:, toemail:simon@joyful.com, time:08:57:01, type:Bank Deposit to PP Account, status:Pending-    assets:online:paypal               $7.00 = $0.00-    assets:bank:wf:pchecking          $-7.00--2019-10-19 (K9U43044RY432050M) Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Monthly donation to the Wikimedia Foundation  ; itemid:, fromemail:simon@joyful.com, toemail:tle@wikimedia.org, time:03:02:12, type:Subscription Payment, status:Completed-    assets:online:paypal             $-2.00 = $-2.00-    expenses:dues                     $2.00-    expenses:banking:paypal      ; business:--2019-10-19 (3XJ107139A851061F) Bank Deposit to PP Account for K9U43044RY432050M  ; itemid:, fromemail:, toemail:simon@joyful.com, time:03:02:12, type:Bank Deposit to PP Account, status:Pending-    assets:online:paypal               $2.00 = $0.00-    assets:bank:wf:pchecking          $-2.00--2019-10-22 (6L8L1662YP1334033) Noble Benefactor Joyful Systems  ; itemid:, fromemail:noble@bene.fac.tor, toemail:simon@joyful.com, time:05:07:06, type:Subscription Payment, status:Completed-    assets:online:paypal                       $9.41 = $9.41-    revenues:foss donations:darcshub         $-10.00  ; business:-    expenses:banking:paypal                    $0.59  ; business:---File: hledger.info,  Node: Timeclock,  Next: Timedot,  Prev: CSV,  Up: Top--10 Timeclock-************--hledger can read time logs in the timeclock time logging format of-timeclock.el.  As with Ledger, hledger's timeclock format is a-subset/variant of timeclock.el's.--   hledger's timeclock format was updated in hledger 1.43 and 1.50.  If-your old time logs are rejected, you should adapt them to modern-hledger; for now, you can restore the pre-1.43 behaviour with the-'--old-timeclock' flag.--   Here the timeclock format in hledger 1.50+:--# Comment lines like these, and blank lines, are ignored:-# comment line-; comment line-* comment line--# Lines beginning with b, h, or capital O are also ignored, for compatibility:-b SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+-ZZZZ][ TEXT]-h SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+-ZZZZ][ TEXT]-O SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+-ZZZZ][ TEXT]--# Lines beginning with i or o are are clock-in / clock-out entries:-i SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+-ZZZZ] ACCOUNT[  DESCRIPTION][;COMMENT]]-o SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+-ZZZZ][ ACCOUNT][;COMMENT]--   The date is a hledger simple date (YYYY-MM-DD or similar).  The time-parts must use two digits.  The seconds are optional.  A + or --four-digit time zone is accepted for compatibility, but currently-ignored; times are always interpreted as a local time.--   In clock-in entries ('i'), the account name is required.  A-transaction description, separated from the account name by 2+ spaces,-is optional.  A transaction comment, beginning with ';', is also-optional.  (Indented following comment lines are also allowed, as in-journal format.)--   In clock-out entries ('o') have no description, but can have a-comment if you wish.  A clock-in and clock-out pair form a "transaction"-posting some number of hours to an account - also known as a session.-Eg:--i 2015/03/30 09:00:00 session1-o 2015/03/30 10:00:00--$ hledger -f a.timeclock print-2015-03-30 * 09:00-10:00-    (session1)           1.00h--   Clock-ins and clock-outs are matched by their account/session name.-If a clock-out does not specify a name, the most recent unclosed-clock-in is closed.  You can have multiple sessions active-simultaneously.  Entries are processed in the order they are parsed.-Sessions spanning more than one day are automatically split at day-boundaries.--   Eg, the following time log:--i 2015/03/30 09:00:00 some account  optional description after 2 spaces ; optional comment, tags:-o 2015/03/30 09:20:00-i 2015/03/31 22:21:45 another:account-o 2015/04/01 02:00:34-i 2015/04/02 12:00:00 another:account  ; this demonstrates multple sessions being clocked in-i 2015/04/02 13:00:00 some account-o 2015/04/02 14:00:00-o 2015/04/02 15:00:00 another:account--   generates these transactions:--$ hledger -f t.timeclock print-2015-03-30 * optional description after 2 spaces   ; optional comment, tags:-    (some account)           0.33h--2015-03-31 * 22:21-23:59-    (another:account)           1.64h--2015-04-01 * 00:00-02:00-    (another:account)           2.01h--2015-04-02 * 12:00-15:00  ; this demonstrates multiple sessions being clocked in-    (another:account)           3.00h--2015-04-02 * 13:00-14:00-    (some account)           1.00h--   Here is a sample.timeclock to download and some queries to try:--$ hledger -f sample.timeclock balance                               # current time balances-$ hledger -f sample.timeclock register -p 2009/3                    # sessions in march 2009-$ hledger -f sample.timeclock register -p weekly --depth 1 --empty  # time summary by week--   To generate time logs, ie to clock in and clock out, you could:--   * use these shell aliases at the command line:--     alias ti='echo i `date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"` $* >>$TIMELOG'-     alias to='echo o `date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"` >>$TIMELOG'--   * or Emacs's built-in timeclock.el, or the extended timeclock-x.el,-     and perhaps the extras in ledgerutils.el--   * or use the old 'ti' and 'to' scripts in the ledger 2.x repository.-     These rely on a "timeclock" executable which I think is just the-     ledger 2 executable renamed.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Timedot,  Next: PART 3 REPORTING CONCEPTS,  Prev: Timeclock,  Up: Top--11 Timedot-**********--'timedot' format is hledger's human-friendly time logging format.-Compared to 'timeclock' format, it is more convenient for quick,-approximate, and retroactive time logging, and more human-readable (you-can see at a glance where time was spent).  A quick example:--2023-05-01-hom:errands          .... ....  ; two hours; the space is ignored-fos:hledger:timedot  ..         ; half an hour-per:admin:finance               ; no time spent yet--   hledger reads this as a transaction on this day with three-(unbalanced) postings, where each dot represents "0.25".  No commodity-symbol is assumed, but we typically interpret it as hours.--$ hledger -f a.timedot print   # .timedot file extension (or timedot: prefix) is required-2023-05-01 *-    (hom:errands)                    2.00  ; two hours-    (fos:hledger:timedot)            0.50  ; half an hour-    (per:admin:finance)                 0--   A timedot file contains a series of transactions (usually one per-day).  Each begins with a *simple date* (Y-M-D, Y/M/D, or Y.M.D),-optionally be followed on the same line by a transaction description,-and/or a transaction comment following a semicolon.--   After the date line are zero or more time postings, consisting of:--   * *An account name* - any hledger-style account name, optionally-     indented.--   * *Two or more spaces* - required if there is an amount (as in-     journal format).--   * *A timedot amount*, which can be--        * empty (representing zero)--        * a number, optionally followed by a unit 's', 'm', 'h', 'd',-          'w', 'mo', or 'y', representing a precise number of seconds,-          minutes, hours, days weeks, months or years (hours is assumed-          by default), which will be converted to hours according to 60s-          = 1m, 60m = 1h, 24h = 1d, 7d = 1w, 30d = 1mo, 365d = 1y.--        * one or more dots (period characters), each representing 0.25.-          These are the dots in "timedot".  Spaces are ignored and can-          be used for grouping/alignment.--        * _Added in 1.32_ one or more letters.  These are like dots but-          they also generate a tag 't:' (short for "type") with the-          letter as its value, and a separate posting for each of the-          values.  This provides a second dimension of categorisation,-          viewable in reports with '--pivot t'.--   * *An optional comment* following a semicolon (a hledger-style-     posting comment).--   There is some flexibility to help with keeping time log data and-notes in the same file:--   * Blank lines and lines beginning with '#' or ';' are ignored.--   * After the first date line, lines which do not contain a double-     space are parsed as postings with zero amount.  (hledger's register-     reports will show these if you add -E).--   * Before the first date line, lines beginning with '*' (eg org-     headings) are ignored.  And from the first date line onward, Emacs-     org mode heading prefixes at the start of lines (one or more '*''s-     followed by a space) will be ignored.  This means the time log can-     also be a org outline.--   Timedot files don't support directives like journal files.  So a-common pattern is to have a main journal file (eg 'time.journal') that-contains any needed directives, and then includes the timedot file-('include time.timedot').--* Menu:--* Timedot examples::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Timedot examples,  Up: Timedot--11.1 Timedot examples-=====================--Numbers:--2016/2/3-inc:client1   4-fos:hledger   3h-biz:research  60m--   Dots:--# on this day, 6h was spent on client work, 1.5h on haskell FOSS work, etc.-2016/2/1-inc:client1   .... .... .... .... .... ....-fos:haskell   .... ..-biz:research  .--2016/2/2-inc:client1   .... ....-biz:research  .--$ hledger -f a.timedot print date:2016/2/2-2016-02-02 *-    (inc:client1)          2.00--2016-02-02 *-    (biz:research)          0.25--$ hledger -f a.timedot bal --daily --tree-Balance changes in 2016-02-01-2016-02-03:--            ||  2016-02-01d  2016-02-02d  2016-02-03d -============++========================================- biz        ||         0.25         0.25         1.00 -   research ||         0.25         0.25         1.00 - fos        ||         1.50            0         3.00 -   haskell  ||         1.50            0            0 -   hledger  ||            0            0         3.00 - inc        ||         6.00         2.00         4.00 -   client1  ||         6.00         2.00         4.00 -------------++-----------------------------------------            ||         7.75         2.25         8.00 --   Letters:--# Activity types:-#  c cleanup/catchup/repair-#  e enhancement-#  s support-#  l learning/research--2023-11-01-work:adm  ccecces--$ hledger -f a.timedot print-2023-11-01-    (work:adm)  1     ; t:c-    (work:adm)  0.5   ; t:e-    (work:adm)  0.25  ; t:s--$ hledger -f a.timedot bal-                1.75  work:adm----------------------                1.75  --$ hledger -f a.timedot bal --pivot t-                1.00  c-                0.50  e-                0.25  s----------------------                1.75  --   Org:--* 2023 Work Diary-** Q1-*** 2023-02-29-**** DONE-0700 yoga-**** UNPLANNED-**** BEGUN-hom:chores- cleaning  ...- water plants-  outdoor - one full watering can-  indoor - light watering-**** TODO-adm:planning: trip-*** LATER--   Using '.' as account name separator:--2016/2/4-fos.hledger.timedot  4h-fos.ledger           ..--$ hledger -f a.timedot --alias '/\./=:' bal -t-                4.50  fos-                4.00    hledger:timedot-                0.50    ledger----------------------                4.50---File: hledger.info,  Node: PART 3 REPORTING CONCEPTS,  Next: Time periods,  Prev: Timedot,  Up: Top--12 PART 3: REPORTING CONCEPTS-*****************************---File: hledger.info,  Node: Time periods,  Next: Depth,  Prev: PART 3 REPORTING CONCEPTS,  Up: Top--13 Time periods-***************--* Menu:--* Report start & end date::-* Smart dates::-* Report intervals::-* Date adjustments::-* Period headings::-* Period expressions::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Report start & end date,  Next: Smart dates,  Up: Time periods--13.1 Report start & end date-============================--Most hledger reports will by default show the full time period-represented by the journal.  The report start date will be the earliest-transaction or posting date, and the report end date will be the latest-transaction, posting, or market price date.--   Often you will want to see a shorter period, such as the current-month.  You can specify a start and/or end date with the '-b/--begin',-'-e/--end', or '-p/--period' options, or a 'date:' query argument,-described below.  All of these accept the smart date syntax, also-described below.--   End dates are exclusive; specify the day after the last day you want-to see in the report.--   When dates are specified by multiple options, the last (right-most)-option wins.  And when 'date:' queries and date options are combined,-the report period will be their intersection.--   Examples:--'-b 2016/3/17'--     beginning on St.  Patrick's day 2016-'-e 12/1'--     ending at the start of December 1st in the current year-'-p 'this month''--     during the current month-'-p thismonth'--     same as above, spaces are optional-'-b 2023'--     beginning on the first day of 2023-'date:2023..' or 'date:2023-'--     same as above--   '-b 2024 -e 2025 -p '2000 to 2030' date:2020-01 date:2020' :-during January 2020 (the smallest common period, with the -p overriding--b and -e)---File: hledger.info,  Node: Smart dates,  Next: Report intervals,  Prev: Report start & end date,  Up: Time periods--13.2 Smart dates-================--In hledger's user interfaces (though not in the journal file), you can-optionally use "smart date" syntax.  Smart dates can be written with-english words, can be relative, and can have parts omitted.  Missing-parts are inferred as 1, when needed.  Smart dates can be interpreted as-dates or periods depending on the context.--   Examples:--   '2004-01-01', '2004/10/1', '2004.9.1', '20240504', '2024Q1' :-Exact dates.  The year must have at least four digits, the month must be-1-12, the day must be 1-31, the separator can be '-' or '/' or '.' or-nothing.  The q can be upper or lower case and the quarter number must-be 1-4.--'2004-10'--     start of month-'2004q3'--     start of third quarter of 2004-'q3'--     start of third quarter of current year-'2004'--     start of year-'10/1' or 'oct' or 'october'--     October 1st in current year-'21'--     21st day in current month-'yesterday, today, tomorrow'--     -1, 0, 1 days from today-'last/this/next day/week/month/quarter/year'--     -1, 0, 1 periods from the current period-'in n days/weeks/months/quarters/years'--     n periods from the current period-'n days/weeks/months/quarters/years ahead'--     n periods from the current period-'n days/weeks/months/quarters/years ago'--     -n periods from the current period-'20181201'--     8 digit YYYYMMDD with valid year month and day-'201812'--     6 digit YYYYMM with valid year and month--   Dates with no separators are allowed but might give surprising-results if mistyped:--   * '20181301' (YYYYMMDD with an invalid month) is parsed as an-     eight-digit year-   * '20181232' (YYYYMMDD with an invalid day) gives a parse error-   * '201801012' (a valid YYYYMMDD followed by additional digits) gives-     a parse error--   The meaning of relative dates depends on today's date.  If you need-to test or reproduce old reports, you can use the '--today' option to-override that.  (Except for periodic transaction rules, which are not-affected by '--today'.)---File: hledger.info,  Node: Report intervals,  Next: Date adjustments,  Prev: Smart dates,  Up: Time periods--13.3 Report intervals-=====================--A report interval can be specified so that reports like register,-balance or activity become multi-period, showing each subperiod as a-separate row or column.--   The following standard intervals can be enabled with command-line-flags:--   * '-D/--daily'-   * '-W/--weekly'-   * '-M/--monthly'-   * '-Q/--quarterly'-   * '-Y/--yearly'--   More complex intervals can be specified using '-p/--period',-described below.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Date adjustments,  Next: Period headings,  Prev: Report intervals,  Up: Time periods--13.4 Date adjustments-=====================--* Menu:--* Start date adjustment::-* End date adjustment::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Start date adjustment,  Next: End date adjustment,  Up: Date adjustments--13.4.1 Start date adjustment-------------------------------If you let hledger infer a report's start date, it will adjust the date-to the previous natural boundary of the report interval, for convenient-periodic reports.  (If you don't want that, specify a start date.)--   For example, if the journal's first transaction is on january 10th,--   * 'hledger register' (no report interval) will start the report on-     january 10th.-   * 'hledger register --monthly' will start the report on the previous-     month boundary, january 1st.-   * 'hledger register --monthly --begin 1/5' will start the report on-     january 5th [1].--   Also if you are generating transactions or budget goals with periodic-transaction rules, their start date may be adjusted in a similar way (in-certain situations).---File: hledger.info,  Node: End date adjustment,  Prev: Start date adjustment,  Up: Date adjustments--13.4.2 End date adjustment-----------------------------A report's end date is always adjusted to include a whole number of-intervals, so that the last subperiod has the same length as the others.--   For example, if the journal's last transaction is on february 20th,--   * 'hledger register' will end the report on february 20th.-   * 'hledger register --monthly' will end the report at the end of-     february.-   * 'hledger register --monthly --end 2/14' also will end the report at-     the end of february (overriding the requested end date).-   * 'hledger register --monthly --begin 1/5 --end 2/14' will end the-     report on march 4th [1].--   [1] Since hledger 1.29.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Period headings,  Next: Period expressions,  Prev: Date adjustments,  Up: Time periods--13.5 Period headings-====================--With non-standard subperiods, hledger will show "STARTDATE..ENDDATE"-headings.  With standard subperiods (ie, starting on a natural interval-boundary), you'll see more compact headings, which are usually-preferable.  (Though month names will be in english, currently.)--   So if you are specifying a start date and you want compact headings:-choose a start of year for yearly reports, a start of quarter for-quarterly reports, a start of month for monthly reports, etc.-(Remember, you can write eg '-b 2024' or '1/1' as a shortcut for a start-of year, or '2024-04' or '202404' or 'Apr' for a start of month or-quarter.)--   For weekly reports, choose a date that's a Monday.  (You can try-different dates until you see the short headings, or write eg '-b '3-weeks ago''.)---File: hledger.info,  Node: Period expressions,  Prev: Period headings,  Up: Time periods--13.6 Period expressions-=======================--The '-p/--period' option specifies a period expression, which is a-compact way of expressing a start date, end date, and/or report-interval.--   Here's a period expression with a start and end date (specifying the-first quarter of 2009):--'-p "from 2009/1/1 to 2009/4/1"'--   Several keywords like "from" and "to" are supported for readability;-these are optional.  "to" can also be written as ".."  or "-".  The-spaces are also optional, as long as you don't run two dates together.-So the following are equivalent to the above:--'-p "2009/1/1 2009/4/1"'-'-p2009/1/1to2009/4/1'-'-p2009/1/1..2009/4/1'--   Dates are smart dates, so if the current year is 2009, these are also-equivalent to the above:--'-p "1/1 4/1"'-'-p "jan-apr"'-'-p "this year to 4/1"'--   If you specify only one date, the missing start or end date will be-the earliest or latest transaction date in the journal:--'-p "from 2009/1/1"'   everything after january 1, 2009-'-p "since 2009/1"'    the same, since is a synonym-'-p "from 2009"'       the same-'-p "to 2009"'         everything before january 1, 2009--   You can also specify a period by writing a single partial or full-date:--'-p "2009"'     the year 2009; equivalent to “2009/1/1 to 2010/1/1”-'-p "2009/1"'   the month of january 2009; equivalent to “2009/1/1 to-                2009/2/1”-'-p             the first day of 2009; equivalent to “2009/1/1 to-"2009/1/1"'     2009/1/2”--   or by using the "Q" quarter-year syntax (case insensitive):--'-p "2009Q1"'    first quarter of 2009, equivalent to “2009/1/1 to-                 2009/4/1”-'-p "q4"'        fourth quarter of the current year--* Menu:--* Period expressions with a report interval::-* More complex report intervals::-* Multiple weekday intervals::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Period expressions with a report interval,  Next: More complex report intervals,  Up: Period expressions--13.6.1 Period expressions with a report interval---------------------------------------------------A period expression can also begin with a report interval, separated-from the start/end dates (if any) by a space or the word 'in':--'-p "weekly from 2009/1/1 to 2009/4/1"'-'-p "monthly in 2008"'-'-p "quarterly"'---File: hledger.info,  Node: More complex report intervals,  Next: Multiple weekday intervals,  Prev: Period expressions with a report interval,  Up: Period expressions--13.6.2 More complex report intervals---------------------------------------Some more complex intervals can be specified within period expressions,-such as:--   * 'biweekly' (every two weeks)-   * 'fortnightly'-   * 'bimonthly' (every two months)-   * 'every day|week|month|quarter|year'-   * 'every N days|weeks|months|quarters|years'--   Weekly on a custom day:--   * 'every Nth day of week' ('th', 'nd', 'rd', or 'st' are all accepted-     after the number)-   * 'every WEEKDAYNAME' (full or three-letter english weekday name,-     case insensitive)--   Monthly on a custom day:--   * 'every Nth day [of month]' ('31st day' will be adjusted to each-     month's last day)-   * 'every Nth WEEKDAYNAME [of month]'--   Yearly on a custom month and day:--   * 'every MM/DD [of year]' (month number and day of month number)-   * 'every MONTHNAME DDth [of year]' (full or three-letter english-     month name, case insensitive, and day of month number)-   * 'every DDth MONTHNAME [of year]' (equivalent to the above)--   Examples:--'-p "bimonthly from-2008"'-'-p "every 2 weeks"'-'-p "every 5 months from-2009/03"'-'-p "every 2nd day of       periods will go from Tue to Tue-week"'-'-p "every Tue"'            same-'-p "every 15th day"'       period boundaries will be on 15th of each-                            month-'-p "every 2nd Monday"'     period boundaries will be on second Monday-                            of each month-'-p "every 11/05"'          yearly periods with boundaries on 5th of-                            November-'-p "every 5th November"'   same-'-p "every Nov 5th"'        same--   Show historical balances at end of the 15th day of each month (N is-an end date, exclusive as always):--$ hledger balance -H -p "every 16th day"--   Group postings from the start of wednesday to end of the following-tuesday (N is both (inclusive) start date and (exclusive) end date):--$ hledger register checking -p "every 3rd day of week"---File: hledger.info,  Node: Multiple weekday intervals,  Prev: More complex report intervals,  Up: Period expressions--13.6.3 Multiple weekday intervals------------------------------------This special form is also supported:--   * 'every WEEKDAYNAME,WEEKDAYNAME,...' (full or three-letter english-     weekday names, case insensitive)--   Also, 'weekday' and 'weekendday' are shorthand for-'mon,tue,wed,thu,fri' and 'sat,sun'.--   This is mainly intended for use with '--forecast', to generate-periodic transactions on arbitrary days of the week.  It may be less-useful with '-p', since it divides each week into subperiods of unequal-length, which is unusual.  (Related: #1632)--   Examples:--'-p "every         dates will be Mon, Wed, Fri; periods will be-mon,wed,fri"'      Mon-Tue, Wed-Thu, Fri-Sun-'-p "every         dates will be Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri; periods will-weekday"'          be Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri-Sun-'-p "every         dates will be Sat, Sun; periods will be Sat, Sun-Fri-weekendday"'---File: hledger.info,  Node: Depth,  Next: Queries,  Prev: Time periods,  Up: Top--14 Depth-********--With the '--depth NUM' option (short form, usually preferred: '-NUM'),-reports will show accounts only to the specified depth, hiding deeper-subaccounts.  Use this when you want a summary with less detail.  This-flag has the same effect as a 'depth:' query argument.  So all of these-are equivalent: 'depth:2', '--depth=2', '-2'.--   You can also provide custom depths for specific accounts, by-providing a 'REGEX=NUM' argument instead of just 'NUM' _(since 1.41)_.-For example, '--depth assets=2' (or 'depth:assets=2') will collapse-accounts matching the regular expression "assets" to depth 2.  So-'assets:bank:savings' would be collapsed to 'assets:bank', but-'liabilities:bank:credit card' would not be affected.--   If REGEX contains spaces or other special characters, enclose it in-quotes in the usual way.  Eg: '--depth 'credit card=2''--* Menu:--* Combining depth options::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Combining depth options,  Up: Depth--14.1 Combining depth options-============================--If a command line contains multiple general depth options, the last one-wins.  (Useful for overriding a depth specified by scripts.)--   Or a command may contain a combination of general and custom depth-options.  In this case, the most specifically (deepest) matching option-wins.  Some examples:--   * '--depth assets=3 --depth expenses=2 --depth 1' would collapse-     accounts containing "assets" to depth 3, accounts containing-     "expenses" to depth 2, and all other accounts to depth 1.--   * '--depth assets=1 --depth savings=2' would collapse-     'assets:bank:savings' to depth 2 (not depth 1; because "savings"-     matches a deeper part of the account name than "assets").--   Note currently, to override a custom depth option '--depth REGEX=NUM'-with a later option, the later option must use the same REGEX.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Queries,  Next: Pivoting,  Prev: Depth,  Up: Top--15 Queries-**********--Many hledger commands accept query arguments, which restrict their scope-and let you report on a precise subset of your data.  Here's a quick-overview of hledger's queries:--   * By default, a query argument is treated as a case-insensitive-     substring pattern for matching account names.  Eg:--     'dining groceries'-     'car:fuel'--   * Patterns containing spaces or other special characters must be-     enclosed in single or double quotes:--     ''personal care''--   * Patterns are actually regular expressions, so you can add regexp-     metacharacters for more precision (or you may need to-     backslash-escape certain characters; see "Regular expressions"-     above):--     ''^expenses\b''-     ''food$''-     ''fuel|repair''-     ''accounts (payable|receivable)''--   * To match something other than the account name, you can add a query-     type prefix, such as:--     'date:202312-'-     'status:'-     'desc:amazon'-     'cur:USD'-     'cur:\\$'-     'amt:'>0''-     'acct:groceries' (but 'acct:' is the default, so we usually don't-     bother writing it)--   * To negate a query, add a 'not:' prefix:--     'not:status:'*''-     'not:desc:'opening|closing''-     'not:cur:USD'--   * Multiple query terms can be combined, as space-separated queries-     Eg: 'hledger print date:2022 desc:amazon desc:amzn' (show-     transactions dated in 2022 whose description contains "amazon" or-     "amzn").--   * Or more flexibly as boolean queries.  Eg: 'hledger print-     expr:'date:2022 and (desc:amazon or desc:amzn) and not-     date:202210''--   All hledger commands use the same query language, but different-commands may interpret the query in different ways.  We haven't-described the commands yet (that's coming in PART 4: COMMANDS below) but-here's the gist of it:--   * Transaction-oriented commands ('print', 'aregister', 'close',-     'import', 'descriptions'..)  try to match transactions (including-     the transaction's postings).--   * Posting-oriented commands ('register', 'balance', 'balancesheet',-     'incomestatement', 'accounts'..)  try to match postings.  Postings-     inherit their transaction's attributes for querying purposes, so-     transaction fields like date or description can still be referenced-     in a posting query.--   * A few commands match in more specific ways.  (Eg 'aregister', which-     has a special first argument.)--* Menu:--* Query types::-* Negative queries::-* Space-separated queries::-* Boolean queries::-* Queries and command options::-* Queries and account aliases::-* Queries and valuation::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Query types,  Next: Negative queries,  Up: Queries--15.1 Query types-================--Here are the query types available:--* Menu:--* acct query::-* amt query::-* code query::-* cur query::-* desc query::-* date query::-* date2 query::-* depth query::-* note query::-* payee query::-* real query::-* status query::-* type query::-* tag query::---File: hledger.info,  Node: acct query,  Next: amt query,  Up: Query types--15.1.1 acct: query---------------------*'acct:REGEX'*, or just *'REGEX'*-Match account names containing this case insensitive regular expression.-This is the default query type, so we usually don't bother writing the-"acct:" prefix.---File: hledger.info,  Node: amt query,  Next: code query,  Prev: acct query,  Up: Query types--15.1.2 amt: query--------------------*'amt:N, amt:'<N', amt:'<=N', amt:'>N', amt:'>=N''*-Match postings with a single-commodity amount equal to, less than, or-greater than N. (Postings with multi-commodity amounts are not tested-and will always match.)  'amt:' needs quotes to hide the less-than/greater than sign from the command line shell.--   The comparison has two modes: if N is preceded by a + or - sign (or-is 0), the two signed numbers are compared.  Otherwise, the absolute-magnitudes are compared, ignoring sign.--   Keep in mind that 'amt:' matches posting amounts, not account-balances.---File: hledger.info,  Node: code query,  Next: cur query,  Prev: amt query,  Up: Query types--15.1.3 code: query---------------------*'code:REGEX'*-Match by transaction code (eg check number).---File: hledger.info,  Node: cur query,  Next: desc query,  Prev: code query,  Up: Query types--15.1.4 cur: query--------------------*'cur:REGEX'*-Match postings or transactions including any amounts whose-currency/commodity symbol is fully matched by REGEX. (Contrary to-hledger's usual infix matching.  To do infix matching, write-'.*REGEX.*'.)  Note, to match special characters which are-regex-significant, you need to escape them with '\'.  And for characters-which are significant to your shell you will usually need one more level-of escaping.  Eg to match the dollar sign: 'cur:\\$' or 'cur:'\$''---File: hledger.info,  Node: desc query,  Next: date query,  Prev: cur query,  Up: Query types--15.1.5 desc: query---------------------*'desc:REGEX'*-Match transaction descriptions.---File: hledger.info,  Node: date query,  Next: date2 query,  Prev: desc query,  Up: Query types--15.1.6 date: query---------------------*'date:PERIODEXPR'*-Match dates (or with the '--date2' flag, secondary dates) within the-specified period.  PERIODEXPR is a period expression with no report-interval.  Examples:-'date:2016', 'date:thismonth', 'date:2/1-2/15',-'date:2021-07-27..nextquarter'.---File: hledger.info,  Node: date2 query,  Next: depth query,  Prev: date query,  Up: Query types--15.1.7 date2: query----------------------*'date2:PERIODEXPR'*-If you use secondary dates: this matches secondary dates within the-specified period.  It is not affected by the '--date2' flag.---File: hledger.info,  Node: depth query,  Next: note query,  Prev: date2 query,  Up: Query types--15.1.8 depth: query----------------------*'depth:[REGEXP=]N'*-Match (or display, depending on command) accounts at or above this-depth, optionally only for accounts matching a provided regular-expression.  See Depth for detailed rules.---File: hledger.info,  Node: note query,  Next: payee query,  Prev: depth query,  Up: Query types--15.1.9 note: query---------------------*'note:REGEX'*-Match transaction notes (the part of the description right of '|', or-the whole description if there's no '|').---File: hledger.info,  Node: payee query,  Next: real query,  Prev: note query,  Up: Query types--15.1.10 payee: query-----------------------*'payee:REGEX'*-Match transaction payee/payer names (the part of the description left of-'|', or the whole description if there's no '|').---File: hledger.info,  Node: real query,  Next: status query,  Prev: payee query,  Up: Query types--15.1.11 real: query----------------------*'real:, real:0'*-Match real or virtual postings respectively.---File: hledger.info,  Node: status query,  Next: type query,  Prev: real query,  Up: Query types--15.1.12 status: query------------------------*'status:, status:!, status:*'*-Match unmarked, pending, or cleared transactions respectively.---File: hledger.info,  Node: type query,  Next: tag query,  Prev: status query,  Up: Query types--15.1.13 type: query----------------------*'type:TYPECODES'*-Match by account type (see Declaring accounts > Account types).-'TYPECODES' is one or more of the single-letter account type codes-'ALERXCV', case insensitive.  Note 'type:A' and 'type:E' will also match-their respective subtypes 'C' (Cash) and 'V' (Conversion).  Certain-kinds of account alias can disrupt account types, see Rewriting accounts-> Aliases and account types.---File: hledger.info,  Node: tag query,  Prev: type query,  Up: Query types--15.1.14 tag: query---------------------*'tag:NAMEREGEX[=VALREGEX]'*-Match by tag name, and optionally also by tag value.  Note:--   * Both regular expressions do infix matching.  If you need a complete-     match, use '^' and '$'.-     Eg: 'tag:'^fullname$'', 'tag:'^fullname$=^fullvalue$'-   * To match values, ignoring names, do 'tag:.=VALREGEX'-   * Accounts also inherit the tags of their parent accounts.-   * Postings also inherit the tags of their account and their-     transaction .-   * Transactions also acquire the tags of their postings.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Negative queries,  Next: Space-separated queries,  Prev: Query types,  Up: Queries--15.2 Negative queries-=====================--* Menu:--* not query::---File: hledger.info,  Node: not query,  Up: Negative queries--15.2.1 not: query--------------------*'not:QUERY'*-You can prepend *'not:'* to a query to negate the match.-Eg: 'not:equity', 'not:desc:apple'-(Also, a trick: 'not:not:...' can sometimes solve query problems-conveniently.)---File: hledger.info,  Node: Space-separated queries,  Next: Boolean queries,  Prev: Negative queries,  Up: Queries--15.3 Space-separated queries-============================--When given multiple space-separated query terms, most commands select-things which match:--   * any of the description terms AND-   * any of the account terms AND-   * any of the status terms AND-   * all the other terms.--   The print command is a little different, showing transactions which:--   * match any of the description terms AND-   * have any postings matching any of the positive account terms AND-   * have no postings matching any of the negative account terms AND-   * match all the other terms.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Boolean queries,  Next: Queries and command options,  Prev: Space-separated queries,  Up: Queries--15.4 Boolean queries-====================--You can write more complicated "boolean" query expressions, enclosed in-quotes and prefixed with 'expr:'.  These can combine subqueries with-NOT, AND, OR operators (case insensitive), and parentheses for grouping.-Eg, to show transactions involving both cash and expense accounts:--hledger print expr:'cash AND expenses'--   The prefix and enclosing quotes are required, so don't write 'hledger-print cash AND expenses'.  That would be a space-separated query showing-transactions involving accounts with any of "cash", "and", "expenses" in-their names.--   You can write space-separated queries _inside_ a boolean query, and-they will combine as described above, but it might be confusing and best-avoided.  Eg these are equivalent, showing transactions involving cash-or expenses accounts:--hledger print expr:'cash expenses'-hledger print cash expenses--   There is a restriction with 'date:' queries: they may not be used-inside OR expressions.--   Actually, there are three types of boolean query: 'expr:' for general-use, and 'any:' and 'all:' variants which can be useful with 'print'.--* Menu:--* expr query::-* any query::-* all query::---File: hledger.info,  Node: expr query,  Next: any query,  Up: Boolean queries--15.4.1 expr: query---------------------*'expr:'QUERYEXPR''*-For example, 'expr:'date:lastmonth AND NOT (food OR rent)'' means "match-things which are dated in the last month and do not have food or rent in-the account name".--   When using 'expr:' with transaction-oriented commands like 'print',-posting-oriented query terms like 'acct:' and 'amt:' are considered to-match the transaction if they match any of its postings.-So, 'hledger print expr:'cash and amt:>0'' means "show transactions with-(at least one posting involving a cash account) and (at least one-posting with a positive amount)".---File: hledger.info,  Node: any query,  Next: all query,  Prev: expr query,  Up: Boolean queries--15.4.2 any: query--------------------*'any:'QUERYEXPR''*-Like 'expr:', but when used with transaction-oriented commands like-'print', it matches the transaction only if a posting can be matched by-all of QUERYEXPR.-So, 'hledger print any:'cash and amt:>0'' means "show transactions where-at least one posting posts a positive amount to a cash account".---File: hledger.info,  Node: all query,  Prev: any query,  Up: Boolean queries--15.4.3 all: query--------------------*'all:'QUERYEXPR''*-Like 'expr:', but when used with transaction-oriented commands like-'print', it matches the transaction only if all postings are matched by-all of QUERYEXPR (and there is at least one posting).-So, 'hledger print all:'cash and amt:0'' means "show transactions where-all postings involve a cash account and have a zero amount".-Or, 'hledger print all:'cash or checking'' means "show transactions-which touch only cash and/or checking accounts".---File: hledger.info,  Node: Queries and command options,  Next: Queries and account aliases,  Prev: Boolean queries,  Up: Queries--15.5 Queries and command options-================================--Some queries can also be expressed as command-line options: 'depth:2' is-equivalent to '--depth 2', 'date:2023' is equivalent to '-p 2023', etc.-When you mix command options and query arguments, generally the-resulting query is their intersection.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Queries and account aliases,  Next: Queries and valuation,  Prev: Queries and command options,  Up: Queries--15.6 Queries and account aliases-================================--When account names are rewritten with '--alias' or 'alias', 'acct:' will-match either the old or the new account name.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Queries and valuation,  Prev: Queries and account aliases,  Up: Queries--15.7 Queries and valuation-==========================--When amounts are converted to other commodities in cost or value-reports, 'cur:' and 'amt:' match the old commodity symbol and the old-amount quantity, not the new ones.  (Except in hledger 1.22, #1625.)---File: hledger.info,  Node: Pivoting,  Next: Generating data,  Prev: Queries,  Up: Top--16 Pivoting-***********--Normally, hledger groups amounts and displays their totals by account-(name).  With '--pivot PIVOTEXPR', some other field's (or multiple-fields') value is used as a synthetic account name, causing different-grouping and display.  PIVOTEXPR can be--   * any of these standard transaction or posting fields (their value is-     substituted): 'status', 'code', 'desc', 'payee', 'note', 'acct',-     'comm'/'cur', 'amt', 'cost'-   * or a tag name-   * or any combination of these, colon-separated.--   Some special cases:--   * Colons appearing in PIVOTEXPR or in a pivoted tag value will-     generate account hierarchy.-   * When pivoting a posting that has multiple values for a tag, the-     tag's first value will be used as the pivoted value.-   * When a posting has multiple commodities, the pivoted value of-     "comm"/"cur" will be "".  Also when an unrecognised tag name or-     field is provided, its pivoted value will be "".  (If this causes-     confusing output, consider excluding those postings from the-     report.)--   Examples:--2016/02/16 Yearly Dues Payment-    assets:bank account                 2 EUR-    income:dues                        -2 EUR  ; member: John Doe, kind: Lifetime--   Normal balance report showing account names:--$ hledger balance-               2 EUR  assets:bank account-              -2 EUR  income:dues----------------------                   0--   Pivoted balance report, using member: tag values instead:--$ hledger balance --pivot member-               2 EUR-              -2 EUR  John Doe----------------------                   0--   One way to show only amounts with a member: value (using a query):--$ hledger balance --pivot member tag:member=.-              -2 EUR  John Doe----------------------              -2 EUR--   Another way (the acct: query matches against the pivoted "account-name"):--$ hledger balance --pivot member acct:.-              -2 EUR  John Doe----------------------              -2 EUR--   Hierarchical reports can be generated with multiple pivot values:--$ hledger balance Income:Dues --pivot kind:member-              -2 EUR  Lifetime:John Doe----------------------              -2 EUR---File: hledger.info,  Node: Generating data,  Next: Forecasting,  Prev: Pivoting,  Up: Top--17 Generating data-******************--hledger can enrich the data provided to it, or generate new data, in a-number of ways.  Mostly, this is done only if you request it:--   * Missing amounts or missing costs in transactions are inferred-     automatically when possible.-   * The '--infer-equity' flag infers missing conversion equity postings-     from @/@@ costs.-   * The '--infer-costs' flag infers missing costs from conversion-     equity postings.-   * The '--infer-market-prices' flag infers 'P' price directives from-     costs.-   * The '--auto' flag adds extra postings to transactions matched by-     auto posting rules.-   * The '--forecast' option generates transactions from periodic-     transaction rules.-   * The 'balance --budget' report infers budget goals from periodic-     transaction rules.-   * Commands like 'close', 'rewrite', and 'hledger-interest' generate-     transactions or postings.-   * CSV data is converted to transactions by applying CSV conversion-     rules..  etc.--   Such generated data is temporary, existing only at report time.  You-can convert it to permanent recorded data by, eg, capturing the output-of 'hledger print' and saving it in your journal file.  This can-sometimes be useful as a data entry aid.--   If you are curious what data is being generated and why, run 'hledger-print -x --verbose-tags'.  '-x/--explicit' shows inferred amounts and-'--verbose-tags' adds tags like 'generated-transaction' (from periodic-rules) and 'generated-posting', 'modified' (from auto posting rules).-Similar hidden tags (with an underscore prefix) are always present,-also, so you can always match such data with queries like-'tag:generated' or 'tag:modified'.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Forecasting,  Next: Budgeting,  Prev: Generating data,  Up: Top--18 Forecasting-**************--Forecasting, or speculative future reporting, can be useful for-estimating future balances, or for exploring different future scenarios.--   The simplest and most flexible way to do it with hledger is to-manually record a bunch of future-dated transactions.  You could keep-these in a separate 'future.journal' and include that with '-f' only-when you want to see them.--* Menu:--* --forecast::-* Inspecting forecast transactions::-* Forecast reports::-* Forecast tags::-* Forecast period in detail::-* Forecast troubleshooting::---File: hledger.info,  Node: --forecast,  Next: Inspecting forecast transactions,  Up: Forecasting--18.1 -forecast-==============--There is another way: with the '--forecast' option, hledger can generate-temporary "forecast transactions" for reporting purposes, according to-periodic transaction rules defined in the journal.  Each rule can-generate multiple recurring transactions, so by changing one rule you-can change many forecasted transactions.--   Forecast transactions usually start after ordinary transactions end.-By default, they begin after your latest-dated ordinary transaction, or-today, whichever is later, and they end six months from today.  (The-exact rules are a little more complicated, and are given below.)--   This is the "forecast period", which need not be the same as the-report period.  You can override it - eg to forecast farther into the-future, or to force forecast transactions to overlap your ordinary-transactions - by giving the -forecast option a period expression-argument, like '--forecast=..2099' or '--forecast=2023-02-15..'.  Note-that the '=' is required.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Inspecting forecast transactions,  Next: Forecast reports,  Prev: --forecast,  Up: Forecasting--18.2 Inspecting forecast transactions-=====================================--'print' is the best command for inspecting and troubleshooting forecast-transactions.  Eg:--~ monthly from 2022-12-20    rent-    assets:bank:checking-    expenses:rent           $1000--$ hledger print --forecast --today=2023/4/21-2023-05-20 rent-    ; generated-transaction: ~ monthly from 2022-12-20-    assets:bank:checking-    expenses:rent                  $1000--2023-06-20 rent-    ; generated-transaction: ~ monthly from 2022-12-20-    assets:bank:checking-    expenses:rent                  $1000--2023-07-20 rent-    ; generated-transaction: ~ monthly from 2022-12-20-    assets:bank:checking-    expenses:rent                  $1000--2023-08-20 rent-    ; generated-transaction: ~ monthly from 2022-12-20-    assets:bank:checking-    expenses:rent                  $1000--2023-09-20 rent-    ; generated-transaction: ~ monthly from 2022-12-20-    assets:bank:checking-    expenses:rent                  $1000--   Here there are no ordinary transactions, so the forecasted-transactions begin on the first occurrence after today's date.  (You-won't normally use '--today'; it's just to make these examples-reproducible.)---File: hledger.info,  Node: Forecast reports,  Next: Forecast tags,  Prev: Inspecting forecast transactions,  Up: Forecasting--18.3 Forecast reports-=====================--Forecast transactions affect all reports, as you would expect.  Eg:--$ hledger areg rent --forecast --today=2023/4/21-Transactions in expenses:rent and subaccounts:-2023-05-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $1000-2023-06-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $2000-2023-07-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $3000-2023-08-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $4000-2023-09-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $5000--$ hledger bal -M expenses --forecast --today=2023/4/21-Balance changes in 2023-05-01..2023-09-30:--               ||   May    Jun    Jul    Aug    Sep -===============++===================================- expenses:rent || $1000  $1000  $1000  $1000  $1000 ----------------++------------------------------------               || $1000  $1000  $1000  $1000  $1000 ---File: hledger.info,  Node: Forecast tags,  Next: Forecast period in detail,  Prev: Forecast reports,  Up: Forecasting--18.4 Forecast tags-==================--Forecast transactions generated by -forecast have a hidden tag,-'_generated-transaction'.  So if you ever need to match forecast-transactions, you could use 'tag:_generated-transaction' (or just-'tag:generated') in a query.--   For troubleshooting, you can add the '--verbose-tags' flag.  Then,-visible 'generated-transaction' tags will be added also, so you can view-them with the 'print' command.  Their value indicates which periodic-rule was responsible.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Forecast period in detail,  Next: Forecast troubleshooting,  Prev: Forecast tags,  Up: Forecasting--18.5 Forecast period, in detail-===============================--Forecast start/end dates are chosen so as to do something useful by-default in almost all situations, while also being flexible.  Here are-(with luck) the exact rules, to help with troubleshooting:--   The forecast period starts on:--   * the later of-        * the start date in the periodic transaction rule-        * the start date in '--forecast''s argument--   * otherwise (if those are not available): the later of-        * the report start date specified with '-b'/'-p'/'date:'-        * the day after the latest ordinary transaction in the journal--   * otherwise (if none of these are available): today.--   The forecast period ends on:--   * the earlier of-        * the end date in the periodic transaction rule-        * the end date in '--forecast''s argument--   * otherwise: the report end date specified with '-e'/'-p'/'date:'-   * otherwise: 180 days (~6 months) from today.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Forecast troubleshooting,  Prev: Forecast period in detail,  Up: Forecasting--18.6 Forecast troubleshooting-=============================--When -forecast is not doing what you expect, one of these tips should-help:--   * Remember to use the '--forecast' option.-   * Remember to have at least one periodic transaction rule in your-     journal.-   * Test with 'print --forecast'.-   * Check for typos or too-restrictive start/end dates in your periodic-     transaction rule.-   * Leave at least 2 spaces between the rule's period expression and-     description fields.-   * Check for future-dated ordinary transactions suppressing forecasted-     transactions.-   * Try setting explicit report start and/or end dates with '-b', '-e',-     '-p' or 'date:'-   * Try adding the '-E' flag to encourage display of empty periods/zero-     transactions.-   * Try setting explicit forecast start and/or end dates with-     '--forecast=START..END'-   * Consult Forecast period, in detail, above.-   * Check inside the engine: add '--debug=2' (eg).---File: hledger.info,  Node: Budgeting,  Next: Amount formatting,  Prev: Forecasting,  Up: Top--19 Budgeting-************--With the balance command's '--budget' report, each periodic transaction-rule generates recurring budget goals in specified accounts, and goals-and actual performance can be compared.  See the balance command's doc-below.--   You can generate budget goals and forecast transactions at the same-time, from the same or different periodic transaction rules: 'hledger-bal -M --budget --forecast ...'--   See also: Budgeting and Forecasting.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Amount formatting,  Next: Cost reporting,  Prev: Budgeting,  Up: Top--20 Amount formatting-********************--* Menu:--* Commodity display style::-* Rounding::-* Trailing decimal marks::-* Amount parseability::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Commodity display style,  Next: Rounding,  Up: Amount formatting--20.1 Commodity display style-============================--For the amounts in each commodity, hledger chooses a consistent display-style (symbol placement, decimal mark and digit group marks, number of-decimal digits) to use in most reports.  This is inferred as follows:--   First, if there's a 'D' directive declaring a default commodity, that-commodity symbol and amount format is applied to all no-symbol amounts-in the journal.--   Then each commodity's display style is determined from its-'commodity' directive.  We recommend always declaring commodities with-'commodity' directives, since they help ensure consistent display styles-and precisions, and bring other benefits such as error checking for-commodity symbols.  Here's an example:--# Set display styles (and decimal marks, for parsing, if there is no decimal-mark directive)-# for the $, EUR, INR and no-symbol commodities:-commodity $1,000.00-commodity EUR 1.000,00-commodity INR 9,99,99,999.00-commodity 1 000 000.9455--   But for convenience, if a 'commodity' directive is not present,-hledger infers a commodity's display styles from its amounts as they are-written in the journal (excluding cost amounts and amounts in periodic-transaction rules or auto posting rules).  It uses--   * the symbol placement and decimal mark of the first amount seen-   * the digit group marks of the first amount with digit group marks-   * and the maximum number of decimal digits seen across all amounts.--   And as fallback if no applicable amounts are found, it would use a-default style, like '$1000.00' (symbol on the left with no space, period-as decimal mark, and two decimal digits).--   Finally, commodity styles can be overridden by the-'-c/--commodity-style' command line option.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Rounding,  Next: Trailing decimal marks,  Prev: Commodity display style,  Up: Amount formatting--20.2 Rounding-=============--Amounts are stored internally as decimal numbers with up to 255 decimal-places.  They are displayed with their original journal precisions by-print and print-like reports, and rounded to their display precision-(the number of decimal digits specified by the commodity display style)-by other reports.  When rounding, hledger uses banker's rounding (it-rounds to the nearest even digit).  So eg 0.5 displayed with zero-decimal digits appears as "0".---File: hledger.info,  Node: Trailing decimal marks,  Next: Amount parseability,  Prev: Rounding,  Up: Amount formatting--20.3 Trailing decimal marks-===========================--If you're wondering why your 'print' report sometimes shows trailing-decimal marks, with no decimal digits; it does this when showing amounts-that have digit group marks but no decimal digits, to disambiguate them-and allow them to be re-parsed reliably (see Decimal marks).  Eg:--commodity $1,000.00--2023-01-02-    (a)      $1000--$ hledger print-2023-01-02-    (a)        $1,000.--   If this is a problem (eg when exporting to Ledger), you can avoid it-by disabling digit group marks, eg with -c/-commodity (for each affected-commodity):--$ hledger print -c '$1000.00'-2023-01-02-    (a)          $1000--   or by forcing print to always show decimal digits, with -round:--$ hledger print -c '$1,000.00' --round=soft-2023-01-02-    (a)      $1,000.00---File: hledger.info,  Node: Amount parseability,  Prev: Trailing decimal marks,  Up: Amount formatting--20.4 Amount parseability-========================--More generally, hledger output falls into three rough categories, which-format amounts a little bit differently to suit different consumers:--   *1.  "hledger-readable output" - should be readable by hledger (and-by humans)*--   * This is produced by reports that show full journal entries:-     'print', 'import', 'close', 'rewrite' etc.-   * It shows amounts with their original journal precisions, which may-     not be consistent from one amount to the next.-   * It adds a trailing decimal mark when needed to avoid showing-     ambiguous amounts.-   * It can be parsed reliably (by hledger and ledger2beancount at-     least, but perhaps not by Ledger..)--   *2.  "human-readable output" - usually for humans*--   * This is produced by all other reports.-   * It shows amounts with standard display precisions, which will be-     consistent within each commodity.-   * It shows ambiguous amounts unmodified.-   * It can be parsed reliably in the context of a known report (when-     you know decimals are consistently not being shown, you can assume-     a single mark is a digit group mark).--   *3.  "machine-readable output" - usually for other software*--   * This is produced by all reports when an output format like 'csv',-     'tsv', 'json', or 'sql' is selected.-   * It shows amounts as 1 or 2 do, but without digit group marks.-   * It can be parsed reliably (if needed, the decimal mark can be-     changed with -c/-commodity-style).---File: hledger.info,  Node: Cost reporting,  Next: Value reporting,  Prev: Amount formatting,  Up: Top--21 Cost reporting-*****************--In some transactions - for example a currency conversion, or a purchase-or sale of stock - one commodity is exchanged for another.  In these-transactions there is a conversion rate, also called the cost (when-buying) or selling price (when selling).  (In hledger docs we just say-"cost" generically for convenience.)  With the '-B/--cost' flag, hledger-can show amounts "at cost", converted to the cost's commodity.--* Menu:--* Recording costs::-* Reporting at cost::-* Equity conversion postings::-* Inferring equity conversion postings::-* Combining costs and equity conversion postings::-* Requirements for detecting equity conversion postings::-* Infer cost and equity by default ?::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Recording costs,  Next: Reporting at cost,  Up: Cost reporting--21.1 Recording costs-====================--We'll explore several ways of recording transactions involving costs.-These are also summarised at hledger Cookbook > Cost notation.--   Costs can be recorded explicitly in the journal, using the '@-UNITCOST' or '@@ TOTALCOST' notation described in Journal > Costs:--   *Variant 1*--2022-01-01-  assets:dollars    $-135-  assets:euros       €100 @ $1.35   ; $1.35 per euro (unit cost)--   *Variant 2*--2022-01-01-  assets:dollars    $-135-  assets:euros       €100 @@ $135   ; $135 total cost--   Typically, writing the unit cost (variant 1) is preferable; it can be-more effort, requiring more attention to decimal digits; but it reveals-the per-unit cost basis, and makes stock sales easier.--   Costs can also be left implicit, and hledger will infer the cost that-is consistent with a balanced transaction:--   *Variant 3*--2022-01-01-  assets:dollars    $-135-  assets:euros       €100--   Here, hledger will attach a '@@ €100' cost to the first amount (you-can see it with 'hledger print -x').  This form looks convenient, but-there are downsides:--   * It sacrifices some error checking.  For example, if you-     accidentally wrote €10 instead of €100, hledger would not be able-     to detect the mistake.--   * It is sensitive to the order of postings - if they were reversed, a-     different entry would be inferred and reports would be different.--   * The per-unit cost basis is not easy to read.--   So generally this kind of entry is not recommended.  You can make-sure you have none of these by using '-s' (strict mode), or by running-'hledger check balanced'.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Reporting at cost,  Next: Equity conversion postings,  Prev: Recording costs,  Up: Cost reporting--21.2 Reporting at cost-======================--Now when you add the '-B'/'--cost' flag to reports ("B" is from Ledger's--B/-basis/-cost flag), any amounts which have been annotated with costs-will be converted to their cost's commodity (in the report output).  Ie-they will be displayed "at cost" or "at sale price".--   Some things to note:--   * Costs are attached to specific posting amounts in specific-     transactions, and once recorded they do not change.  This contrasts-     with market prices, which are ambient and fluctuating.--   * Conversion to cost is performed before conversion to market value-     (described below).---File: hledger.info,  Node: Equity conversion postings,  Next: Inferring equity conversion postings,  Prev: Reporting at cost,  Up: Cost reporting--21.3 Equity conversion postings-===============================--There is a problem with the entries above - they are not conventional-Double Entry Bookkeeping (DEB) notation, and because of the "magical"-transformation of one commodity into another, they cause an imbalance in-the Accounting Equation.  This shows up as a non-zero grand total in-balance reports like 'hledger bse'.--   For most hledger users, this doesn't matter in practice and can-safely be ignored !  But if you'd like to learn more, keep reading.--   Conventional DEB uses an extra pair of equity postings to balance the-transaction.  Of course you can do this in hledger as well:--   *Variant 4*--2022-01-01-    assets:dollars      $-135-    assets:euros         €100-    equity:conversion    $135-    equity:conversion   €-100--   Now the transaction is perfectly balanced according to standard DEB,-and 'hledger bse''s total will not be disrupted.--   And, hledger can still infer the cost for cost reporting, but it's-not done by default - you must add the '--infer-costs' flag like so:--$ hledger print --infer-costs-2022-01-01 one hundred euros purchased at $1.35 each-    assets:dollars       $-135 @@ €100-    assets:euros                  €100-    equity:conversion             $135-    equity:conversion            €-100--$ hledger bal --infer-costs -B-               €-100  assets:dollars                                                                                                                                              -                €100  assets:euros                                                                                                                                                ---------------------                                                                                                                                                              -                   0                                                                                                                                                              --   Here are some downsides of this kind of entry:--   * The per-unit cost basis is not easy to read.--   * Instead of '-B' you must remember to type '-B --infer-costs'.--   * '--infer-costs' works only where hledger can identify the two-     equity:conversion postings and match them up with the two-     non-equity postings.  So writing the journal entry in a particular-     format becomes more important.  More on this below.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Inferring equity conversion postings,  Next: Combining costs and equity conversion postings,  Prev: Equity conversion postings,  Up: Cost reporting--21.4 Inferring equity conversion postings-=========================================--Can we go in the other direction ?  Yes, if you have transactions-written with the @/@@ cost notation, hledger can infer the missing-equity postings, if you add the '--infer-equity' flag.  Eg:--2022-01-01-  assets:dollars  -$135-  assets:euros     €100 @ $1.35--$ hledger print --infer-equity-2022-01-01-    assets:dollars                    $-135-    assets:euros               €100 @ $1.35-    equity:conversion:$-€:€           €-100-    equity:conversion:$-€:$         $135.00--   The equity account names will be "equity:conversion:A-B:A" and-"equity:conversion:A-B:B" where A is the alphabetically first commodity-symbol.  You can customise the "equity:conversion" part by declaring an-account with the 'V'/'Conversion' account type.--   Note you will need to add account declarations for these to your-journal, if you use 'check accounts' or 'check --strict'.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Combining costs and equity conversion postings,  Next: Requirements for detecting equity conversion postings,  Prev: Inferring equity conversion postings,  Up: Cost reporting--21.5 Combining costs and equity conversion postings-===================================================--Finally, you can use both the @/@@ cost notation and equity postings at-the same time.  This in theory gives the best of all worlds - preserving-the accounting equation, revealing the per-unit cost basis, and-providing more flexibility in how you write the entry:--   *Variant 5*--2022-01-01 one hundred euros purchased at $1.35 each-    assets:dollars      $-135-    equity:conversion    $135-    equity:conversion   €-100-    assets:euros         €100 @ $1.35--   All the other variants above can (usually) be rewritten to this final-form with:--$ hledger print -x --infer-costs --infer-equity--   Downsides:--   * The precise format of the journal entry becomes more important.  If-     hledger can't detect and match up the cost and equity postings, it-     will give a transaction balancing error.--   * The add command does not yet accept this kind of entry (#2056).--   * This is the most verbose form.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Requirements for detecting equity conversion postings,  Next: Infer cost and equity by default ?,  Prev: Combining costs and equity conversion postings,  Up: Cost reporting--21.6 Requirements for detecting equity conversion postings-==========================================================--'--infer-costs' has certain requirements (unlike '--infer-equity', which-always works).  It will infer costs only in transactions with:--   * Two non-equity postings, in different commodities.  Their order is-     significant: the cost will be added to the first of them.--   * Two postings to equity conversion accounts, next to one another,-     which balance the two non-equity postings.  This balancing is-     checked to the same precision (number of decimal places) used in-     the conversion posting's amount.  Equity conversion accounts are:--        * any accounts declared with account type 'V'/'Conversion', or-          their subaccounts-        * otherwise, accounts named 'equity:conversion', 'equity:trade',-          or 'equity:trading', or their subaccounts.--   And multiple such four-posting groups can coexist within a single-transaction.  When '--infer-costs' fails, it does not infer a cost in-that transaction, and does not raise an error (ie, it infers costs where-it can).--   Reading variant 5 journal entries, combining cost notation and equity-postings, has all the same requirements.  When reading such an entry-fails, hledger raises an "unbalanced transaction" error.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Infer cost and equity by default ?,  Prev: Requirements for detecting equity conversion postings,  Up: Cost reporting--21.7 Infer cost and equity by default ?-=======================================--Should '--infer-costs' and '--infer-equity' be enabled by default ?  Try-using them always, eg with a shell alias:--alias h="hledger --infer-equity --infer-costs"--   and let us know what problems you find.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Value reporting,  Next: PART 4 COMMANDS,  Prev: Cost reporting,  Up: Top--22 Value reporting-******************--hledger can also show amounts "at market value", converted to some other-commodity using the market price or conversion rate on a certain date.--   This is controlled by the '--value=TYPE[,COMMODITY]' option.  We also-provide simpler '-V' and '-X COMMODITY' aliases for this, which are-often sufficient.  The market prices are declared with a special 'P'-directive, and/or they can be inferred from the costs recorded in-transactions, by using the '--infer-market-prices' flag.--* Menu:--* -X Value in specified commodity::-* -V Value in default commoditys::-* Valuation date::-* Finding market price::-* --infer-market-prices market prices from transactions::-* Valuation commodity::-* --value Flexible valuation::-* Valuation examples::-* Interaction of valuation and queries::-* Effect of valuation on reports::---File: hledger.info,  Node: -X Value in specified commodity,  Next: -V Value in default commoditys,  Up: Value reporting--22.1 -X: Value in specified commodity-=====================================--The '-X COMM' (or '--exchange=COMM') option converts amounts to their-market value in the specified commodity, using the market prices in-effect on the _valuation date(s)_, if any.  (More on these in a minute.)--   Use this when you want to (eg) show everything in your base currency-as far as possible.  (Commodities for which no conversion rate can be-found, will not be converted.)--   COMM should be the full commodity symbol or name.  Remember to quote-special shell characters, if needed.  Some examples:--   * '-X€'-   * '-X$' (nothing after $, no quoting needed)-   * '-X CNY' (the space after -X is optional)-   * '-X 'red apples''-   * '-X 'r&r''---File: hledger.info,  Node: -V Value in default commoditys,  Next: Valuation date,  Prev: -X Value in specified commodity,  Up: Value reporting--22.2 -V: Value in default commodity(s)-======================================--The '-V/--market' flag is a variant of '-X' where you don't have to-specify COMM. Instead it tries to guess a _default valuation commodity_-for each original commodity, based on the market prices in effect on the-valuation date(s).--   '-V' can often be a convenient shortcut for '-X MYCURRENCY', but not-always; depending on your data it could guess multiple valuation-commodities.  Usually you want to convert to a single commodity, so it's-better to use '-X', unless you're sure '-V' is doing what you want.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Valuation date,  Next: Finding market price,  Prev: -V Value in default commoditys,  Up: Value reporting--22.3 Valuation date-===================--Market prices can change from day to day.  hledger will use the prices-on a particular valuation date (or on more than one date).  By default-hledger uses "end" dates for valuation.  More specifically:--   * For single period reports (including normal print and register-     reports):-        * If an explicit report end date is specified, that is used.-        * Otherwise the latest transaction date or non-future P-          directive date is used.--   * For multiperiod reports, each period is valued on its last day.--   This can be customised with the -value option described below, which-can select either "then", "end", "now", or "custom" dates.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Finding market price,  Next: --infer-market-prices market prices from transactions,  Prev: Valuation date,  Up: Value reporting--22.4 Finding market price-=========================--To convert a commodity A to its market value in another commodity B,-hledger looks for a suitable market price (exchange rate) as follows, in-this order of preference:--  1. A _declared market price_ or _inferred market price_: A's latest-     market price in B on or before the valuation date as declared by a-     P directive, or (with the '--infer-market-prices' flag) inferred-     from costs.--  2. A _reverse market price_: the inverse of a declared or inferred-     market price from B to A.--  3. A _forward chain of market prices_: a synthetic price formed by-     combining the shortest chain of "forward" (only 1 above) market-     prices, leading from A to B.--  4. _Any chain of market prices_: a chain of any market prices,-     including both forward and reverse prices (1 and 2 above), leading-     from A to B.--   There is a limit to the length of these price chains; if hledger-reaches that length without finding a complete chain or exhausting all-possibilities, it will give up (with a "gave up" message visible in-'--debug=2' output).  That limit is currently 1000.--   Amounts for which no suitable market price can be found, are not-converted.---File: hledger.info,  Node: --infer-market-prices market prices from transactions,  Next: Valuation commodity,  Prev: Finding market price,  Up: Value reporting--22.5 -infer-market-prices: market prices from transactions-==========================================================--Normally, market value in hledger is fully controlled by, and requires,-P directives in your journal.  Since adding and updating those can be a-chore, and since transactions usually take place at close to market-value, why not use the recorded costs as additional market prices (as-Ledger does) ?  Adding the '--infer-market-prices' flag to '-V', '-X' or-'--value' enables this.--   So for example, 'hledger bs -V --infer-market-prices' will get market-prices both from P directives and from transactions.  If both occur on-the same day, the P directive takes precedence.--   There is a downside: value reports can sometimes be affected in-confusing/undesired ways by your journal entries.  If this happens to-you, read all of this Value reporting section carefully, and try adding-'--debug' or '--debug=2' to troubleshoot.--   '--infer-market-prices' can infer market prices from:--   * multicommodity transactions with explicit prices ('@'/'@@')--   * multicommodity transactions with implicit prices (no '@', two-     commodities, unbalanced).  (With these, the order of postings-     matters.  'hledger print -x' can be useful for troubleshooting.)--   * multicommodity transactions with equity postings, if cost is-     inferred with '--infer-costs'.--   There is a limitation (bug) currently: when a valuation commodity is-not specified, prices inferred with '--infer-market-prices' do not help-select a default valuation commodity, as 'P' prices would.  So-conversion might not happen because no valuation commodity was detected-('--debug=2' will show this).  To be safe, specify the valuation-commmodity, eg:--   * '-X EUR --infer-market-prices', not '-V --infer-market-prices'-   * '--value=then,EUR --infer-market-prices', not '--value=then-     --infer-market-prices'--   Signed costs and market prices can be confusing.  For reference, here-is the current behaviour, since hledger 1.25.  (If you think it should-work differently, see #1870.)--2022-01-01 Positive Unit prices-    a        A 1-    b        B -1 @ A 1--2022-01-01 Positive Total prices-    a        A 1-    b        B -1 @@ A 1---2022-01-02 Negative unit prices-    a        A 1-    b        B 1 @ A -1--2022-01-02 Negative total prices-    a        A 1-    b        B 1 @@ A -1---2022-01-03 Double Negative unit prices-    a        A -1-    b        B -1 @ A -1--2022-01-03 Double Negative total prices-    a        A -1-    b        B -1 @@ A -1--   All of the transactions above are considered balanced (and on each-day, the two transactions are considered equivalent).  Here are the-market prices inferred for B:--$ hledger -f- --infer-market-prices prices-P 2022-01-01 B A 1-P 2022-01-01 B A 1.0-P 2022-01-02 B A -1-P 2022-01-02 B A -1.0-P 2022-01-03 B A -1-P 2022-01-03 B A -1.0---File: hledger.info,  Node: Valuation commodity,  Next: --value Flexible valuation,  Prev: --infer-market-prices market prices from transactions,  Up: Value reporting--22.6 Valuation commodity-========================--*When you specify a valuation commodity ('-X COMM' or '--value-TYPE,COMM'):*-hledger will convert all amounts to COMM, wherever it can find a-suitable market price (including by reversing or chaining prices).--   *When you leave the valuation commodity unspecified ('-V' or '--value-TYPE'):*-For each commodity A, hledger picks a default valuation commodity as-follows, in this order of preference:--  1. The price commodity from the latest P-declared market price for A-     on or before valuation date.--  2. The price commodity from the latest P-declared market price for A-     on any date.  (Allows conversion to proceed when there are inferred-     prices before the valuation date.)--  3. If there are no P directives at all (any commodity or date) and the-     '--infer-market-prices' flag is used: the price commodity from the-     latest transaction-inferred price for A on or before valuation-     date.--   This means:--   * If you have P directives, they determine which commodities '-V'-     will convert, and to what.--   * If you have no P directives, and use the '--infer-market-prices'-     flag, costs determine it.--   Amounts for which no valuation commodity can be found are not-converted.---File: hledger.info,  Node: --value Flexible valuation,  Next: Valuation examples,  Prev: Valuation commodity,  Up: Value reporting--22.7 -value: Flexible valuation-===============================--'-V' and '-X' are special cases of the more general '--value' option:-- --value=TYPE[,COMM]  TYPE is then, end, now or YYYY-MM-DD.-                      COMM is an optional commodity symbol.-                      Shows amounts converted to:-                      - default valuation commodity (or COMM) using market prices at posting dates-                      - default valuation commodity (or COMM) using market prices at period end(s)-                      - default valuation commodity (or COMM) using current market prices-                      - default valuation commodity (or COMM) using market prices at some date--   The TYPE part selects cost or value and valuation date:--'--value=then'--     Convert amounts to their value in the default valuation commodity,-     using market prices on each posting's date.-'--value=end'--     Convert amounts to their value in the default valuation commodity,-     using market prices on the last day of the report period (or if-     unspecified, the journal's end date); or in multiperiod reports,-     market prices on the last day of each subperiod.-'--value=now'--     Convert amounts to their value in the default valuation commodity-     using current market prices (as of when report is generated).-'--value=YYYY-MM-DD'--     Convert amounts to their value in the default valuation commodity-     using market prices on this date.--   To select a different valuation commodity, add the optional ',COMM'-part: a comma, then the target commodity's symbol.  Eg:-*'--value=now,EUR'*.  hledger will do its best to convert amounts to-this commodity, deducing market prices as described above.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Valuation examples,  Next: Interaction of valuation and queries,  Prev: --value Flexible valuation,  Up: Value reporting--22.8 Valuation examples-=======================--Here are some quick examples of '-V':--; one euro is worth this many dollars from nov 1-P 2016/11/01 € $1.10--; purchase some euros on nov 3-2016/11/3-    assets:euros        €100-    assets:checking--; the euro is worth fewer dollars by dec 21-P 2016/12/21 € $1.03--   How many euros do I have ?--$ hledger -f t.j bal -N euros-                €100  assets:euros--   What are they worth at end of nov 3 ?--$ hledger -f t.j bal -N euros -V -e 2016/11/4-             $110.00  assets:euros--   What are they worth after 2016/12/21 ?  (no report end date-specified, defaults to today)--$ hledger -f t.j bal -N euros -V-             $103.00  assets:euros--   Here are some examples showing the effect of '--value', as seen with-'print':--P 2000-01-01 A  1 B-P 2000-02-01 A  2 B-P 2000-03-01 A  3 B-P 2000-04-01 A  4 B--2000-01-01-  (a)      1 A @ 5 B--2000-02-01-  (a)      1 A @ 6 B--2000-03-01-  (a)      1 A @ 7 B--   Show the cost of each posting:--$ hledger -f- print --cost-2000-01-01-    (a)             5 B--2000-02-01-    (a)             6 B--2000-03-01-    (a)             7 B--   Show the value as of the last day of the report period (2000-02-29):--$ hledger -f- print --value=end date:2000/01-2000/03-2000-01-01-    (a)             2 B--2000-02-01-    (a)             2 B--   With no report period specified, the latest transaction date or price-date is used as valuation date (2000-04-01):--$ hledger -f- print --value=end-2000-01-01-    (a)             3 B--2000-02-01-    (a)             3 B--2000-03-01-    (a)             3 B--   The value today is the same (the 2000-04-01 price is still in-effect):--$ hledger -f- print --value=now-2000-01-01-    (a)             4 B--2000-02-01-    (a)             4 B--2000-03-01-    (a)             4 B--   Show the value on 2000/01/15:--$ hledger -f- print --value=2000-01-15-2000-01-01-    (a)             1 B--2000-02-01-    (a)             1 B--2000-03-01-    (a)             1 B---File: hledger.info,  Node: Interaction of valuation and queries,  Next: Effect of valuation on reports,  Prev: Valuation examples,  Up: Value reporting--22.9 Interaction of valuation and queries-=========================================--When matching postings based on queries in the presence of valuation,-the following happens:--  1. The query is separated into two parts:-       1. the currency ('cur:') or amount ('amt:').-       2. all other parts.--  2. The postings are matched to the currency and amount queries based-     on pre-valued amounts.-  3. Valuation is applied to the postings.-  4. The postings are matched to the other parts of the query based on-     post-valued amounts.--   Related: #1625---File: hledger.info,  Node: Effect of valuation on reports,  Prev: Interaction of valuation and queries,  Up: Value reporting--22.10 Effect of valuation on reports-====================================--Here is a reference for how valuation is supposed to affect each part of-hledger's reports.  It may be useful when troubleshooting.  If you find-problems, please report them, ideally with a reproducible example.-Related: #329, #1083.--   First, a quick glossary:--_cost_--     calculated using price(s) recorded in the transaction(s).-_value_--     market value using available market price declarations, or the-     unchanged amount if no conversion rate can be found.-_report start_--     the first day of the report period specified with -b or -p or-     date:, otherwise today.-_report or journal start_--     the first day of the report period specified with -b or -p or-     date:, otherwise the earliest transaction date in the journal,-     otherwise today.-_report end_--     the last day of the report period specified with -e or -p or date:,-     otherwise today.-_report or journal end_--     the last day of the report period specified with -e or -p or date:,-     otherwise the latest transaction date in the journal, otherwise-     today.-_report interval_--     a flag (-D/-W/-M/-Q/-Y) or period expression that activates the-     report's multi-period mode (whether showing one or many-     subperiods).--Report     '-B',        '-V', '-X'   '--value=then'     '--value=end''--value=DATE',-type       '--cost'                                                  '--value=now'--------------------------------------------------------------------------------*print*-posting    cost         value at     value at posting   value at     value-amounts                 report end   date               report or    at-                        or today                        journal      DATE/today-                                                        end-balance    unchanged    unchanged    unchanged          unchanged    unchanged-assertions/assignments-*register*-starting   cost         value at     valued at day      value at     value-balance                 report or    each historical    report or    at-(-H)                    journal      posting was made   journal      DATE/today-                        end                             end-starting   cost         value at     valued at day      value at     value-balance                 day before   each historical    day before   at-(-H)                    report or    posting was made   report or    DATE/today-with                    journal                         journal-report                  start                           start-interval-posting    cost         value at     value at posting   value at     value-amounts                 report or    date               report or    at-                        journal                         journal      DATE/today-                        end                             end-summary    summarised   value at     sum of postings    value at     value-posting    cost         period       in interval,       period       at-amounts                 ends         valued at          ends         DATE/today-with                                 interval start-report-interval-running    sum/average  sum/average  sum/average of     sum/average  sum/average-total/averageof         of           displayed values   of           of-           displayed    displayed                       displayed    displayed-           values       values                          values       values-*balance-(bs,-bse, cf,-is)*-balance    sums of      value at     value at posting   value at     value-changes    costs        report end   date               report or    at-                        or today                        journal      DATE/today-                        of sums of                      end of       of-                        postings                        sums of      sums-                                                        postings     of-                                                                     postings-budget     like         like         like balance       like         like-amounts    balance      balance      changes            balances     balance-(-budget)  changes      changes                                      changes-grand      sum of       sum of       sum of displayed   sum of       sum of-total      displayed    displayed    valued             displayed    displayed-           values       values                          values       values-*balance-(bs,-bse, cf,-is) with-report-interval*-starting   sums of      value at     sums of values     value at     sums-balances   costs of     report       of postings        report       of-(-H)       postings     start of     before report      start of     postings-           before       sums of      start at           sums of      before-           report       all          respective         all          report-           start        postings     posting dates      postings     start-                        before                          before-                        report                          report-                        start                           start-balance    sums of      same as      sums of values     balance      value-changes    costs of     -value=end   of postings in     change in    at-(bal,      postings                  period at          each         DATE/today-is, bs     in period                 respective         period,      of--change,                             posting dates      valued at    sums-cf                                                      period       of--change)                                                ends         postings-end        sums of      same as      sums of values     period end   value-balances   costs of     -value=end   of postings from   balances,    at-(bal -H,   postings                  before period      valued at    DATE/today-is -H,     from                      start to period    period       of-bs, cf)    before                    end at             ends         sums-           report                    respective                      of-           start to                  posting dates                   postings-           period end-budget     like         like         like balance       like         like-amounts    balance      balance      changes/end        balances     balance-(-budget)  changes/end  changes/end  balances                        changes/end-           balances     balances                                     balances-row        sums,        sums,        sums, averages     sums,        sums,-totals,    averages     averages     of displayed       averages     averages-row        of           of           values             of           of-averages   displayed    displayed                       displayed    displayed-(-T, -A)   values       values                          values       values-column     sums of      sums of      sums of            sums of      sums-totals     displayed    displayed    displayed values   displayed    of-           values       values                          values       displayed-                                                                     values-grand      sum,         sum,         sum, average of    sum,         sum,-total,     average of   average of   column totals      average of   average-grand      column       column                          column       of-average    totals       totals                          totals       column-                                                                     totals--   '--cumulative' is omitted to save space, it works like '-H' but with-a zero starting balance.---File: hledger.info,  Node: PART 4 COMMANDS,  Next: Help commands,  Prev: Value reporting,  Up: Top--23 PART 4: COMMANDS-*******************--Here are hledger's standard subcommands.  You can list these by running-'hledger'.  If you have installed more add-on commands, they also will-be listed.--   In the following command docs, each command's specific options are-shown.  Most commands also support the general options described above,-though some of them might have no effect.  (Usually if there's a-sensible way for a general option to affect a command, it will.)  You-can list all of a command's options by running 'hledger CMD -h'.--   *Help commands*--   * commands - show the hledger commands list (default)-   * demo - show small hledger demos in the terminal-   * help - show the hledger manual with info, man, or pager--   *User interface commands*--   * repl - run commands from an interactive prompt-   * run - run commands from a script-   * ui - (if installed) run hledger's terminal UI-   * web - (if installed) run hledger's web UI--   *Data entry commands*--   * add - add transactions using terminal prompts-   * import - add new transactions from other files, eg CSV files--   *Basic report commands*--   * accounts - show account names-   * codes - show transaction codes-   * commodities - show commodity/currency symbols-   * descriptions - show transaction descriptions-   * files - show input file paths-   * notes - show note parts of transaction descriptions-   * payees - show payee parts of transaction descriptions-   * prices - show market prices-   * stats - show journal statistics-   * tags - show tag names--   *Standard report commands*--   * print - show transactions or export journal data-   * aregister (areg) - show transactions in a particular account-   * register (reg) - show postings in one or more accounts & running-     total-   * balancesheet (bs) - show assets, liabilities and net worth-   * balancesheetequity (bse) - show assets, liabilities and equity-   * cashflow (cf) - show changes in liquid assets-   * incomestatement (is) - show revenues and expenses--   *Advanced report commands*--   * balance (bal) - show balance changes, end balances, budgets,-     gains..-   * roi - show return on investments--   *Chart commands*--   * activity - show bar charts of posting counts per period--   *Data generation commands*--   * close - generate balance-zeroing/restoring transactions-   * rewrite - generate auto postings, like print -auto--   *Maintenance commands*--   * check - check for various kinds of error in the data-   * diff - compare account transactions in two journal files-   * setup - check and show the status of the hledger installation-   * test - run self tests--   Next, these commands are described in detail.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Help commands,  Next: User interface commands,  Prev: PART 4 COMMANDS,  Up: Top--24 Help commands-****************--* Menu:--* commands::-* demo::-* help::---File: hledger.info,  Node: commands,  Next: demo,  Up: Help commands--24.1 commands-=============--Show the hledger commands list.--Flags:-     --builtin             show only builtin commands, not addons---File: hledger.info,  Node: demo,  Next: help,  Prev: commands,  Up: Help commands--24.2 demo-=========--Play demos of hledger usage in the terminal, if asciinema is installed.--Flags:-  -s --speed=SPEED         playback speed (1 is original speed, .5 is half, 2-                           is double, etc (default: 2))--   Run this command with no argument to list the demos.  To play a demo,-write its number or a prefix or substring of its title.  Tips:--   Make your terminal window large enough to see the demo clearly.--   Use the -s/-speed SPEED option to set your preferred playback speed,-eg '-s4' to play at 4x original speed or '-s.5' to play at half speed.-The default speed is 2x.--   During playback, several keys are available: SPACE to pause/unpause,-.  to step forward (while paused), CTRL-c quit.--   Examples:--$ hledger demo               # list available demos-$ hledger demo 1             # play the first demo at default speed (2x)-$ hledger demo install -s4   # play the "install" demo at 4x speed--   This command is experimental: there aren't many useful demos yet.---File: hledger.info,  Node: help,  Prev: demo,  Up: Help commands--24.3 help-=========--Show the hledger user manual with 'info', 'man', or a pager.  With a-(case insensitive) TOPIC argument, try to open it at that section-heading.--Flags:-  -i                       show the manual with info-  -m                       show the manual with man-  -p                       show the manual with $PAGER or less-                           (less is always used if TOPIC is specified)--   This command shows the hledger manual built in to your hledger-executable.  It can be useful when offline, or when you prefer the-terminal to a web browser, or when the appropriate hledger manual or-viewers are not installed properly on your system.--   By default it chooses the best viewer found in $PATH, trying in this-order: 'info', 'man', '$PAGER', 'less', 'more', stdout.  (If a TOPIC is-specified, '$PAGER' and 'more' are not tried.)  You can force the use of-info, man, or a pager with the '-i', '-m', or '-p' flags.  If no viewer-can be found, or if running non-interactively, it just prints the manual-to stdout.--   When using 'info', TOPIC can match either the full heading or a-prefix.  If your 'info --version' is < 6, you'll need to upgrade it, eg-with ''brew install texinfo'' on mac.--   When using 'man' or 'less', TOPIC must match the full heading.  For a-prefix match, you can write ''TOPIC.*''.--   Examples--$ hledger help -h                 # show the help command's usage-$ hledger help                    # show the manual with info, man or $PAGER-$ hledger help 'time periods'     # show the manual's "Time periods" topic-$ hledger help 'time periods' -m  # use man, even if info is installed---File: hledger.info,  Node: User interface commands,  Next: Data entry commands,  Prev: Help commands,  Up: Top--25 User interface commands-**************************--* Menu:--* repl::-* run::-* ui::-* web::---File: hledger.info,  Node: repl,  Next: run,  Up: User interface commands--25.1 repl-=========--Start an interactive prompt, where you can run any of hledger's-commands.  Data files are parsed just once, so the commands run faster.--Flags:-no command-specific flags--   This command is experimental and could change in the future.--   'hledger repl' starts a read-eval-print loop (REPL) where you can-enter commands interactively.  As with the 'run' command, each input-file (or each input file/input options combination) is parsed just once,-so commands will run more quickly than if you ran them individually at-the command line.--   Also like 'run', the input file(s) specified for the 'repl' command-will be the default input for all interactive commands.  You can-override this temporarily by specifying an '-f' option in particular-commands.  But note that commands will not see any changes made to input-files (eg by 'add') until you exit and restart the REPL.--   The command syntax is the same as with 'run':--   * enter one hledger command at a time, without the usual 'hledger'-     first word-   * empty lines and comment text from '#' to end of line are ignored-   * use single or double quotes to quote arguments when needed-   * type 'exit' or 'quit' or control-D to exit the REPL.--   While it is running, the REPL remembers your command history, and you-can navigate in the usual ways:--   * Keypad or Emacs navigation keys to edit the current command line-   * UP/DOWN or control-P/control-N to step back/forward through history-   * control-R to search for a past command-   * TAB to complete file paths.--   Generally 'repl' command lines should feel much like the normal-hledger CLI, but you may find differences.  'repl' is a little stricter;-eg it requires full command names or official abbreviations (as seen in-the commands list).--   The 'commands' and 'help' commands, and the command help flags ('CMD---tldr', 'CMD -h/--help', 'CMD --info', 'CMD --man'), can be useful.--   You can type control-C to cancel a long-running command (but only-once; typing it a second time will exit the REPL).--   And in most shells you can type control-Z to temporarily exit to the-shell (and then 'fg' to return to the REPL).--* Menu:--* Examples::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Examples,  Up: repl--25.1.1 Examples------------------Start the REPL and enter some commands:--$ hledger repl -Enter hledger commands. To exit, enter 'quit' or 'exit', or send EOF.-% stats-Main file           : .../2025.journal-...-% stats -f 2024/2024.journal -Main file           : .../2024.journal-...-% stats-Main file           : .../2025.journal-...--   or:--$ hledger repl -f some.journal-Enter hledger commands. To exit, enter 'quit' or 'exit', or send EOF.-% bs-...-% print -b 'last week'-...-% bs -f other.journal-...---File: hledger.info,  Node: run,  Next: ui,  Prev: repl,  Up: User interface commands--25.2 run-========--Run a sequence of hledger commands, provided as files or command line-arguments.  Data files are parsed just once, so the commands run faster.--Flags:-no command-specific flags--   This command is experimental and could change in the future.--   You can use 'run' in three ways:--   * 'hledger run -- CMD1 -- CMD2 -- CMD3' - read commands from the-     command line, separated by '--'-   * 'hledger run SCRIPTFILE1 SCRIPTFILE2' - read commands from one or-     more files-   * 'cat SCRIPTFILE1 | hledger run' - read commands from standard-     input.--   'run' first loads the input file(s) specified by 'LEDGER_FILE' or by-'-f' options, in the usual way.  Then it runs each command in turn, each-using the same input data.  But if you want a particular command to use-different input, you can specify an '-f' option within that command.-This will override (not add to) the default input, just for that-command.--   Each input file (more precisely, each combination of input file and-input options) is parsed only once.  This means that commands will not-see any changes made to these files, until the next run.  But the-commands will run more quickly than if run individually (typically about-twice as fast).--   Command scripts, whether in a file or written on the command line,-have a simple syntax:--   * each line may contain a single hledger command and its arguments,-     without the usual 'hledger' first word-   * empty lines are ignored-   * text from '#' to end of line is a comment, and ignored-   * you can use single or double quotes to quote arguments when needed,-     as on the command line-   * these extra commands are available: 'echo TEXT' prints some text,-     and 'exit' or 'quit' ends the run.--   On unix systems you can use '#!/usr/bin/env hledger run' in the first-line of a command file to make it a runnable script.  If that gives an-error, use '#!/usr/bin/env -S hledger run'.--   It's ok to use the 'run' command recursively within a command script.--   You may find some differences in behaviour between 'run' command-lines and normal hledger command lines.  'run' is a little stricter; eg-it requires full command names or official abbreviations (as seen in the-commands list), and command options must be written after the command-name.--* Menu:--* Examples: Examples 2.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Examples 2,  Up: run--25.2.1 Examples------------------Run commands from the command line:--hledger -f some.journal run -- balance assets --depth 2 -- balance liabilities -f /some/other.journal --depth 3 --transpose -- stats--   This would load 'some.journal', run 'balance assets --depth 2' on it,-then run 'balance liabilities --depth 3 --transpose' on-'/some/other.journal', and finally run 'stats' on 'some.journal'--   Run commands from standard input:--(echo "files"; echo "stats") | hledger -f some.journal run--   Run commands as a script:--$ cat report-#!/usr/bin/env -S hledger run -f some.journal--echo "List of accounts in some.journal"-accounts--echo "Assets of some.journal"-balance assets --depth 2--echo "Liabilities from /some/other.journal"-balance liabilities -f /some/other.journal --depth 3 --transpose--echo "Commands from another.script, applied to another.journal"-run -f another.journal another.script--$ chmod +x report-$ ./report-List of accounts in some.journal-...---File: hledger.info,  Node: ui,  Next: web,  Prev: run,  Up: User interface commands--25.3 ui-=======--Runs hledger-ui (if installed).---File: hledger.info,  Node: web,  Prev: ui,  Up: User interface commands--25.4 web-========--Runs hledger-web (if installed).---File: hledger.info,  Node: Data entry commands,  Next: Basic report commands,  Prev: User interface commands,  Up: Top--26 Data entry commands-**********************--* Menu:--* add::-* add and balance assertions::-* add and balance assignments::-* import::---File: hledger.info,  Node: add,  Next: add and balance assertions,  Up: Data entry commands--26.1 add-========--Add new transactions to a journal file, with interactive prompting.--Flags:-     --no-new-accounts      don't allow creating new accounts--   Many hledger users edit their journals directly with a text editor,-or generate them from CSV. For more interactive data entry, there is the-'add' command, which prompts interactively on the console for new-transactions, and appends them to the main journal file (which should be-in journal format).  Existing transactions are not changed.  This is one-of the few hledger commands that writes to the journal file (see also-'import').--   To use it, just run 'hledger add' and follow the prompts.  You can-add as many transactions as you like; when you are finished, enter '.'-or press control-d or control-c to exit.--   Features:--   * add tries to provide useful defaults, using the most similar (by-     description) recent transaction (filtered by the query, if any) as-     a template.-   * You can also set the initial defaults with command line arguments.-   * Readline-style edit keys can be used during data entry.-   * The tab key will auto-complete whenever possible - accounts,-     payees/descriptions, dates ('yesterday', 'today', 'tomorrow').  If-     the input area is empty, it will insert the default value.-   * A parenthesised transaction code may be entered following a date.-   * Comments and tags may be entered following a description or amount.-   * If you make a mistake, enter '<' at any prompt to go one step-     backward.-   * Input prompts are displayed in a different colour when the terminal-     supports it.--   Notes:--   * If you enter a number with no commodity symbol, and you have-     declared a default commodity with a 'D' directive, you might expect-     'add' to add this symbol for you.  It does not do this; we assume-     that if you are using a 'D' directive you prefer not to see the-     commodity symbol repeated on amounts in the journal.-   * 'add' creates entries in journal format; it won't work with-     timeclock or timedot files.--   Examples:--   * Record new transactions, saving to the default journal file:--     'hledger add'--   * Add transactions to 2024.journal, but also load 2023.journal for-     completions:--     'hledger add --file 2024.journal --file 2023.journal'--   * Provide answers for the first four prompts:--     'hledger add today 'best buy' expenses:supplies '$20''--   There is a detailed tutorial at https://hledger.org/add.html.---File: hledger.info,  Node: add and balance assertions,  Next: add and balance assignments,  Prev: add,  Up: Data entry commands--26.2 add and balance assertions-===============================--Since hledger 1.43, you can add a balance assertion by writing 'AMOUNT =-BALANCE' when asked for an amount.  Eg '100 = 500'.--   Also, each time you enter a new amount, hledger re-checks all balance-assertions in the journal and rejects the new amount if it would make-any of them fail.  You can run 'add' with '-I'/'--ignore-assertions' to-disable balance assertion checking.---File: hledger.info,  Node: add and balance assignments,  Next: import,  Prev: add and balance assertions,  Up: Data entry commands--26.3 add and balance assignments-================================--Since hledger 1.51, you can add a balance assignment by writing '=-BALANCE' (or '==', '=*' etc) when asked for an amount.  The missing-amount will be calculated automatically.--   'add' normally won't let you add a new posting which is dated earlier-than an existing balance assignment.  (Because when 'add' runs, existing-balance assignments have already been calculated and converted to-amounts and balance assertions.)  You can allow it by disabling balance-assertion checking with '-I'.---File: hledger.info,  Node: import,  Prev: add and balance assignments,  Up: Data entry commands--26.4 import-===========--Import new transactions from one or more data files to the main journal.--Flags:-     --catchup              just mark all transactions as already imported-     --dry-run              just show the transactions to be imported--   This command detects new transactions in one or more data files-specified as arguments, and appends them to the main journal.--   You can import from any input file format hledger supports, but-CSV/SSV/TSV files, downloaded from financial institutions, are the most-common import source.--   The import destination is the default journal file, or another-specified in the usual way with '$LEDGER_FILE' or '-f/--file'.  It-should be in journal format.--   Examples:--$ hledger import bank1-checking.csv bank1-savings.csv--$ hledger import *.csv--* Menu:--* Import dry run::-* Overlap detection::-* First import::-* Importing balance assignments::-* Import and commodity styles::-* Import archiving::-* Import special cases::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Import dry run,  Next: Overlap detection,  Up: import--26.4.1 Import dry run------------------------It's useful to preview the import by running first with '--dry-run', to-sanity check the range of dates being imported, and to check the effect-of your conversion rules if converting from CSV. Eg:--$ hledger import bank.csv --dry-run--   The dry run output is valid journal format, so hledger can re-parse-it.  If the output is large, you could show just the uncategorised-transactions like so:--$ hledger import --dry-run bank.csv | hledger -f- -I print unknown--   You could also run this repeatedly to see the effect of edits to your-conversion rules:--$ watchexec -- "hledger import --dry-run bank.csv | hledger -f- -I print unknown"--   Once the conversion and dates look good enough to import to your-journal, perhaps with some manual fixups to follow, you would do the-actual import:--$ hledger import bank.csv---File: hledger.info,  Node: Overlap detection,  Next: First import,  Prev: Import dry run,  Up: import--26.4.2 Overlap detection---------------------------Reading CSV files is built in to hledger, and not specific to 'import';-so you could also import by doing 'hledger -f bank.csv print->>$LEDGER_FILE'.--   But 'import' is easier and provides some advantages.  The main one is-that it avoids re-importing transactions it has seen on previous runs.-This means you don't have to worry about overlapping data in successive-downloads of your bank CSV; just download and 'import' as often as you-like, and only the new transactions will be imported each time.--   We don't call this "deduplication", as it's generally not possible to-reliably detect duplicates in bank CSV. Instead, 'import' remembers the-latest date processed previously in each CSV file (saving it in a hidden-file), and skips any records prior to that date.  This works well for-most real-world CSV, where:--  1. the data file name is stable (does not change) across imports-  2. the item dates are stable across imports-  3. the order of same-date items is stable across imports-  4. the newest items have the newest dates--   (Occasional violations of 2-4 are often harmless; you can reduce the-chance of disruption by downloading and importing more often.)--   Overlap detection is automatic, and shouldn't require much attention-from you, except perhaps at first import (see below).  But here's how it-works:--   * For each 'FILE' being imported from:--       1. hledger reads a file named '.latest.FILE' file in the same-          directory, if any.  This file contains the latest record date-          previously imported from FILE, in YYYY-MM-DD format.  If-          multiple records with that date were imported, the date is-          repeated on N lines.--       2. hledger reads records from FILE. If a latest date was found in-          step 1, any records before that date, and the first N records-          on that date, are skipped.--   * After a successful import from all FILEs, without error and without-     '--dry-run', hledger updates each FILE's '.latest.FILE' for next-     time.--   If this goes wrong, it's relatively easy to repair:--   * You'll notice it before import when you preview with 'import-     --dry-run'.-   * Or after import when you try to reconcile your hledger account-     balances with your bank.-   * 'hledger print -f FILE.csv' will show all recently downloaded-     transactions.  Compare these with your journal.  Copy/paste if-     needed.-   * Update your conversion rules and print again, if needed.-   * You can manually update or remove the .latest file, or use 'import-     --catchup FILE'.-   * Download and import more often, eg twice a week, at least while you-     are learning.  It's easier to review and troubleshoot when there-     are fewer transactions.---File: hledger.info,  Node: First import,  Next: Importing balance assignments,  Prev: Overlap detection,  Up: import--26.4.3 First import----------------------The first time you import from a file, when no corresponding .latest-file has been created yet, all of the records will be imported.--   But perhaps you have been entering the data manually, so you know-that all of these transactions are already recorded in the journal.  In-this case you can run 'hledger import --catchup' once.  This will create-a .latest file containing the latest CSV record date, so that none of-those records will be re-imported.--   Or, if you know that some but not all of the transactions are in the-journal, you can create the .latest file yourself.  Eg, let's say you-previously recorded foobank transactions up to 2024-10-31 in the-journal.  Then in the directory where you'll be saving 'foobank.csv',-you would create a '.latest.foobank.csv' file containing--2024-10-31--   Or if you had three foobank transactions recorded with that date, you-would repeat the date that many times:--2024-10-31-2024-10-31-2024-10-31--   Then 'hledger import foobank.csv [--dry-run]' will import only the-newer records.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Importing balance assignments,  Next: Import and commodity styles,  Prev: First import,  Up: import--26.4.4 Importing balance assignments---------------------------------------Journal entries added by import will have all posting amounts made-explicit (like 'print -x').--   This means that any balance assignments in the imported entries would-need to be evaluated.  But this generally isn't possible, as the main-file's account balances are not visible during import.  So try to avoid-generating balance assignments with your CSV rules, or importing from a-journal that contains balance assignments.  (Balance assignments are-best avoided anyway.)--   But if you must use them, eg because your CSV includes only balances:-you can import with 'print', which leaves implicit amounts implicit.-('print' can also do overlap detection like import, with the '--new'-flag):--$ hledger print --new -f bank.csv >> $LEDGER_FILE--   (If you think 'import' should preserve implicit balances, please test-that and send a pull request.)---File: hledger.info,  Node: Import and commodity styles,  Next: Import archiving,  Prev: Importing balance assignments,  Up: import--26.4.5 Import and commodity styles-------------------------------------Amounts in entries added by import will be formatted according to the-journal's canonical commodity styles, as declared by 'commodity'-directives or inferred from the journal's amounts.--   Related: CSV > Amount decimal places.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Import archiving,  Next: Import special cases,  Prev: Import and commodity styles,  Up: import--26.4.6 Import archiving--------------------------When importing from a CSV rules file ('hledger import bank.rules'), you-can use the archive rule to enable automatic archiving of the data file.-After a successful import, the data file (specified by 'source') will be-moved to an archive folder ('data/', next to the rules file,-auto-created), and renamed similar to the rules file, with a date.  This-can be useful for troubleshooting, detecting variations in your banks'-CSV data, regenerating entries with improved rules, etc.--   The 'archive' rule also causes 'import' to handle 'source' glob-patterns differently: when there are multiple matched files, it will-pick the oldest, not the newest.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Import special cases,  Prev: Import archiving,  Up: import--26.4.7 Import special cases------------------------------* Menu:--* Deduplication::-* Varying file name::-* Multiple versions::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Deduplication,  Next: Varying file name,  Up: Import special cases--26.4.7.1 Deduplication-......................--Here are two kinds of "deduplication" which 'import' does not handle-(and should not, because these can happen legitimately in financial-data):--   * Two or more of the new CSV records are identical, and generate-     identical new journal entries.-   * A new CSV record generates a journal entry identical to one(s)-     already in the journal.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Varying file name,  Next: Multiple versions,  Prev: Deduplication,  Up: Import special cases--26.4.7.2 Varying file name-..........................--If you have a download whose file name varies, you could rename it to a-fixed name after each download.  Or you could use a CSV 'source' rule-with a suitable glob pattern, and import from the .rules file.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Multiple versions,  Prev: Varying file name,  Up: Import special cases--26.4.7.3 Multiple versions-..........................--Say you download 'bank.csv', import it, but forget to delete it from-your downloads folder.  The next time you download it, your web browser-will save it as (eg) 'bank (2).csv'.  The source rule's glob patterns-are for just this situation: instead of specifying 'source bank.csv',-specify 'source bank*.csv'.  Then 'hledger -f bank.rules CMD' or-'hledger import bank.rules' will automatically pick the newest matched-file ('bank (2).csv').--   Alternately, what if you download, but forget to import or delete,-then download again ?  Now each of 'bank.csv' and 'bank (2).csv' might-contain data that's not in the other, and not in your journal.  In this-case, it's best to import each of them in turn, oldest first (otherwise,-overlap detection could cause new records to be skipped).  Enabling-import archiving ensures this.  Then 'hledger import bank.rules; hledger-import bank.rules' will import and archive first 'bank.csv', then 'bank-(2).csv'.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Basic report commands,  Next: Standard report commands,  Prev: Data entry commands,  Up: Top--27 Basic report commands-************************--* Menu:--* accounts::-* codes::-* commodities::-* descriptions::-* files::-* notes::-* payees::-* prices::-* stats::-* tags::---File: hledger.info,  Node: accounts,  Next: codes,  Up: Basic report commands--27.1 accounts-=============--List the account names used or declared in the journal.--Flags:-  -u --used                 list accounts used-  -d --declared             list accounts declared-     --undeclared           list accounts used but not declared-     --unused               list accounts declared but not used-     --find                 list the first account matched by the first-                            argument (a case-insensitive infix regexp)-     --directives           show as account directives, for use in journals-     --locations            also show where accounts were declared-     --types                also show account types when known-  -l --flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list-                            (default)-  -t --tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree-     --drop=N               flat mode: omit N leading account name parts--   This command lists account names - all of them by default, or just-the ones which have been used in transactions ('-u/--used'), or declared-with 'account' directives ('-d/--declared'), or used but not declared-('--undeclared'), or declared but not used ('--unused'), or just the-first one matched by a pattern ('--find', returning a non-zero exit code-if it fails).--   You can add query arguments to select a subset of transactions or-accounts.--   With '--directives', it shows valid account directives which could be-pasted into a journal file.  This is useful together with '--undeclared'-when updating your account declarations to satisfy 'hledger check-accounts'.--   With '--locations', it also shows the file and line number of each-account's declaration, if any, and the account's overall declaration-order; these may be useful when troubleshooting account display order.--   With '--types', it also shows each account's type, if it's known.-(See Declaring accounts > Account types.)--   It shows a flat list by default.  With '--tree', it uses indentation-to show the account hierarchy.  In flat mode you can add '--drop N' to-omit the first few account name components.  Account names can be-depth-clipped with 'depth:N' or '--depth N' or '-N'.--   Examples:--$ hledger accounts-assets:bank:checking-assets:bank:saving-assets:cash-expenses:food-expenses:supplies-income:gifts-income:salary-liabilities:debts--$ hledger accounts --undeclared --directives >> $LEDGER_FILE-$ hledger check accounts---File: hledger.info,  Node: codes,  Next: commodities,  Prev: accounts,  Up: Basic report commands--27.2 codes-==========--List the codes seen in transactions, in the order parsed.--Flags:-no command-specific flags--   This command prints the value of each transaction's code field, in-the order transactions were parsed.  The transaction code is an optional-value written in parentheses between the date and description, often-used to store a cheque number, order number or similar.--   Transactions aren't required to have a code, and missing or empty-codes will not be shown by default.  With the '-E'/'--empty' flag, they-will be printed as blank lines.--   You can add a query to select a subset of transactions.--   Examples:--2022/1/1 (123) Supermarket   - Food       $5.00- Checking    --2022/1/2 (124) Post Office- Postage    $8.32- Checking--2022/1/3 Supermarket- Food      $11.23- Checking --2022/1/4 (126) Post Office- Postage    $3.21- Checking--$ hledger codes-123-124-126--$ hledger codes -E-123-124--126---File: hledger.info,  Node: commodities,  Next: descriptions,  Prev: codes,  Up: Basic report commands--27.3 commodities-================--List the commodity symbols used or declared in the journal.--Flags:-     --used                 list commodities used-     --declared             list commodities declared-     --undeclared           list commodities used but not declared-     --unused               list commodities declared but not used-     --find                 list the first commodity matched by the first-                            argument (a case-insensitive infix regexp)--   This command lists commodity symbols/names - all of them by default,-or just the ones which have been used in transactions or 'P' directives,-or declared with 'commodity' directives, or used but not declared, or-declared but not used, or just the first one matched by a pattern (with-'--find', returning a non-zero exit code if it fails).--   You can add 'cur:' query arguments to further limit the commodities.---File: hledger.info,  Node: descriptions,  Next: files,  Prev: commodities,  Up: Basic report commands--27.4 descriptions-=================--List the unique descriptions used in transactions.--Flags:-no command-specific flags--   This command lists the unique descriptions that appear in-transactions, in alphabetic order.  You can add a query to select a-subset of transactions.--   Example:--$ hledger descriptions-Store Name-Gas Station | Petrol-Person A---File: hledger.info,  Node: files,  Next: notes,  Prev: descriptions,  Up: Basic report commands--27.5 files-==========--List all files included in the journal.  With a REGEX argument, only-file names matching the regular expression (case sensitive) are shown.--Flags:-no command-specific flags---File: hledger.info,  Node: notes,  Next: payees,  Prev: files,  Up: Basic report commands--27.6 notes-==========--List the unique notes that appear in transactions.--Flags:-no command-specific flags--   This command lists the unique notes that appear in transactions, in-alphabetic order.  You can add a query to select a subset of-transactions.  The note is the part of the transaction description after-a | character (or if there is no |, the whole description).--   Example:--$ hledger notes-Petrol-Snacks---File: hledger.info,  Node: payees,  Next: prices,  Prev: notes,  Up: Basic report commands--27.7 payees-===========--List the payee/payer names used or declared in the journal.--Flags:-     --used                 list payees used-     --declared             list payees declared-     --undeclared           list payees used but not declared-     --unused               list payees declared but not used-     --find                 list the first payee matched by the first-                            argument (a case-insensitive infix regexp)--   This command lists unique payee/payer names - all of them by default,-or just the ones which have been used in transaction descriptions, or-declared with 'payee' directives, or used but not declared, or declared-but not used, or just the first one matched by a pattern (with '--find',-returning a non-zero exit code if it fails).--   The payee/payer name is the part of the transaction description-before a | character (or if there is no |, the whole description).--   You can add query arguments to select a subset of transactions or-payees.--   Example:--$ hledger payees-Store Name-Gas Station-Person A---File: hledger.info,  Node: prices,  Next: stats,  Prev: payees,  Up: Basic report commands--27.8 prices-===========--Print the market prices declared with P directives.  With--infer-market-prices, also show any additional prices inferred from-costs.  With -show-reverse, also show additional prices inferred by-reversing known prices.--Flags:-     --show-reverse         also show the prices inferred by reversing known-                            prices--   Price amounts are always displayed with their full precision, except-for reverse prices which are limited to 8 decimal digits.--   Prices can be filtered by a date:, cur: or amt: query.--   Generally if you run this command with -infer-market-prices--show-reverse, it will show the same prices used internally to calculate-value reports.  But if in doubt, you can inspect those directly by-running the value report with -debug=2.---File: hledger.info,  Node: stats,  Next: tags,  Prev: prices,  Up: Basic report commands--27.9 stats-==========--Show journal and performance statistics.--Flags:-  -1                        show a single line of output-  -v --verbose              show more detailed output-  -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE.--   The stats command shows summary information for the whole journal, or-a matched part of it.  With a reporting interval, it shows a report for-each report period.--   It also shows some performance statistics:--   * how long the program ran for-   * the number of transactions processed per second-   * the peak live memory in use by the program to do its work-   * the peak allocated memory as seen by the program--   By default, the output is reasonably discreet; it reveals the main-file name, your activity level, and the speed of your machine.--   With '-v/--verbose', more details are shown: the full paths of all-files, and the names of the commodities you work with.--   With '-1', only one line of output is shown, in a machine-friendly-tab-separated format: the program version, the main journal file name,-and the performance stats,--   The run time of 'stats' is similar to that of a balance report.--   Example:--$ hledger stats -f examples/1ktxns-1kaccts.journal -Main file           : .../1ktxns-1kaccts.journal-Included files      : 0-Txns span           : 2000-01-01 to 2002-09-27 (1000 days)-Last txn            : 2002-09-26 (7827 days ago)-Txns                : 1000 (1.0 per day)-Txns last 30 days   : 0 (0.0 per day)-Txns last 7 days    : 0 (0.0 per day)-Payees/descriptions : 1000-Accounts            : 1000 (depth 10)-Commodities         : 26-Market prices       : 1000-Runtime stats       : 0.12 s elapsed, 8266 txns/s, 4 MB live, 16 MB alloc--$ hledger stats -1 -f examples/10ktxns-1kaccts.journal-1.50.99-g0835a2485-20251119, mac-aarch64    10ktxns-1kaccts.journal 0.66 s elapsed  15244 txns/s    28 MB live  86 MB alloc--   This command supports the -o/-output-file option (but not--O/-output-format).---File: hledger.info,  Node: tags,  Prev: stats,  Up: Basic report commands--27.10 tags-==========--List the tag names used or declared in the journal, or their values.--Flags:-     --used                 list tags used-     --declared             list tags declared-     --undeclared           list tags used but not declared-     --unused               list tags declared but not used-     --find                 list the first tag whose name is matched by the-                            first argument (a case-insensitive infix regexp)-     --values               list tag values instead of tag names-     --parsed               show them in the order they were parsed (mostly),-                            including duplicates--   This command lists tag names - all of them by default, or just the-ones which have been used on transactions/postings/accounts, or declared-with 'tag' directives, or used but not declared, or declared but not-used, or just the first one matched by a pattern (with '--find',-returning a non-zero exit code if it fails).--   Note this command's non-standard first argument: it is a-case-insensitive infix regular expression for matching tag names, which-limits the tags shown.  Any additional arguments are standard query-arguments, which limit the transactions, postings, or accounts providing-tags.--   With '--values', the tags' unique non-empty values are listed-instead.--   With '-E'/'--empty', blank/empty values are also shown.--   With '--parsed', tags or values are shown in the order they were-parsed, with duplicates included.  (Except, tags from account-declarations are always shown first.)--   Remember that accounts also acquire tags from their parents; postings-also acquire tags from their account and transaction; and transactions-also acquire tags from their postings.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Standard report commands,  Next: Advanced report commands,  Prev: Basic report commands,  Up: Top--28 Standard report commands-***************************--* Menu:--* print::-* aregister::-* register::-* balancesheet::-* balancesheetequity::-* cashflow::-* incomestatement::---File: hledger.info,  Node: print,  Next: aregister,  Up: Standard report commands--28.1 print-==========--Show full journal entries, representing transactions.--Flags:-  -x --explicit             show all amounts explicitly-     --invert               display all amounts with reversed sign-     --locations            add tags showing file paths and line numbers-  -m --match=DESC           fuzzy search for one recent transaction with-                            description closest to DESC-     --new                  show only newer-dated transactions added in each-                            file since last run-     --round=TYPE           how much rounding or padding should be done when-                            displaying amounts ?-                            none - show original decimal digits,-                                   as in journal (default)-                            soft - just add or remove decimal zeros-                                   to match precision-                            hard - round posting amounts to precision-                                   (can unbalance transactions)-                            all  - also round cost amounts to precision-                                   (can unbalance transactions)-     --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate links to hledger-web,-                            with this prefix. (Usually the base url shown by-                            hledger-web; can also be relative.)-  -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:-                            txt, beancount, csv, tsv, html, fods, json, sql.-  -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching-                            one of the above formats selects that format.--   The print command displays full journal entries (transactions) from-the journal file, sorted by date (or with '--date2', by secondary date).--   Directives and inter-transaction comments are not shown, currently.-This means the print command is somewhat lossy, and if you are using it-to reformat/regenerate your journal you should take care to also copy-over the directives and inter-transaction comments.--   Eg:--$ hledger print -f examples/sample.journal date:200806-2008/06/01 gift-    assets:bank:checking            $1-    income:gifts                   $-1--2008/06/02 save-    assets:bank:saving              $1-    assets:bank:checking           $-1--2008/06/03 * eat & shop-    expenses:food                $1-    expenses:supplies            $1-    assets:cash                 $-2--* Menu:--* print amount explicitness::-* print alignment::-* print amount style::-* print parseability::-* print other features::-* print output format::---File: hledger.info,  Node: print amount explicitness,  Next: print alignment,  Up: print--28.1.1 print amount explicitness-----------------------------------Normally, whether posting amounts are implicit or explicit is preserved.-For example, when an amount is omitted in the journal, it will not-appear in the output.  Similarly, if a conversion cost is implied but-not written, it will not appear in the output.--   You can use the '-x'/'--explicit' flag to force explicit display of-all amounts and costs.  This can be useful for troubleshooting or for-making your journal more readable and robust against data entry errors.-'-x' is also implied by using any of '-B','-V','-X','--value'.--   The '-x'/'--explicit' flag will cause any postings with a-multi-commodity amount (which can arise when a multi-commodity-transaction has an implicit amount) to be split into multiple-single-commodity postings, keeping the output parseable.---File: hledger.info,  Node: print alignment,  Next: print amount style,  Prev: print amount explicitness,  Up: print--28.1.2 print alignment-------------------------Amounts are shown right-aligned within each transaction (but not aligned-across all transactions; you can achieve that with ledger-mode in-Emacs).---File: hledger.info,  Node: print amount style,  Next: print parseability,  Prev: print alignment,  Up: print--28.1.3 print amount style----------------------------Amounts will be displayed mostly in their commodity's display style,-with standardised symbol placement, decimal mark, and digit group marks.-This does not apply to their decimal digits; 'print' normally shows the-same decimal digits that are recorded in each journal entry.--   You can override the decimal precisions with 'print''s special-'--round' option (_since 1.32_).  '--round' tries to show amounts with-their commodities' standard decimal precisions, increasingly strongly:--   * '--round=none' show amounts with original precisions (default)-   * '--round=soft' add/remove decimal zeros in amounts (except costs)-   * '--round=hard' round amounts (except costs), possibly hiding-     significant digits-   * '--round=all' round all amounts and costs--   'soft' is good for non-lossy cleanup, displaying more consistent-decimals where possible, without making entries unbalanced.--   'hard' or 'all' can be good for stronger cleanup, when decimal-rounding is wanted.  Note rounding can produce unbalanced journal-entries, perhaps requiring manual fixup.---File: hledger.info,  Node: print parseability,  Next: print other features,  Prev: print amount style,  Up: print--28.1.4 print parseability----------------------------Normally, print's output is a valid hledger journal, which you can-"pipe" to a second hledger command for further processing.  This is-sometimes convenient for achieving certain kinds of query (though less-needed now that queries have become more powerful):--# Show running total of food expenses paid from cash.-# -f- reads from stdin. -I/--ignore-assertions is sometimes needed.-$ hledger print assets:cash | hledger -f- -I reg expenses:food--   But here are some things which can cause print's output to become-unparseable:--   * '--round' (see above) can disrupt transaction balancing.-   * Account aliases or pivoting can disrupt account names, balance-     assertions, or balance assignments.-   * Value reporting also can disrupt balance assertions or balance-     assignments.-   * Auto postings can generate too many amountless postings.-   * '--infer-costs or --infer-equity' can generate too-complex-     redundant costs.-   * Because print always shows transactions in date order, balance-     assertions involving non-date-ordered transactions (and same-day-     postings) could be disrupted.---File: hledger.info,  Node: print other features,  Next: print output format,  Prev: print parseability,  Up: print--28.1.5 print, other features-------------------------------With '-B'/'--cost', amounts with costs are shown converted to cost.--   With '--invert', posting amounts are shown with their sign flipped.-It could be useful if you have accidentally recorded some transactions-with the wrong signs.--   With '--new', print shows only transactions it has not seen on a-previous run.  This uses the same deduplication system as the 'import'-command.  (See import's docs for details.)--   With '-m DESC'/'--match=DESC', print shows one recent transaction-whose description is most similar to DESC. DESC should contain at least-two characters.  If there is no similar-enough match, no transaction-will be shown and the program exit code will be non-zero.--   With '--locations', print adds the source file and line number to-every transaction, as a tag.---File: hledger.info,  Node: print output format,  Prev: print other features,  Up: print--28.1.6 print output format-----------------------------This command also supports the output destination and output format-options The output formats supported are 'txt', 'beancount' (_Added in-1.32_), 'csv', 'tsv' (_Added in 1.32_), 'json' and 'sql'.--   The 'beancount' format tries to produce Beancount-compatible output,-as follows:--   * Transaction and postings with unmarked status are converted to-     cleared ('*') status.-   * Transactions' payee and note are backslash-escaped and-     double-quote-escaped and wrapped in double quotes.-   * Transaction tags are copied to Beancount #tag format.-   * Commodity symbols are converted to upper case, and a small number-     of currency symbols like '$' are converted to the corresponding-     currency names.-   * Account name parts are capitalised and unsupported characters are-     replaced with '-'.  If an account name part does not begin with a-     letter, or if the first part is not Assets, Liabilities, Equity,-     Income, or Expenses, an error is raised.  (Use '--alias' options to-     bring your accounts into compliance.)-   * An 'open' directive is generated for each account used, on the-     earliest transaction date.--   Some limitations:--   * Balance assertions are removed.-   * Balance assignments become missing amounts.-   * Virtual and balanced virtual postings become regular postings.-   * Directives are not converted.--   Here's an example of print's CSV output:--$ hledger print -Ocsv-"txnidx","date","date2","status","code","description","comment","account","amount","commodity","credit","debit","posting-status","posting-comment"-"1","2008/01/01","","","","income","","assets:bank:checking","1","$","","1","",""-"1","2008/01/01","","","","income","","income:salary","-1","$","1","","",""-"2","2008/06/01","","","","gift","","assets:bank:checking","1","$","","1","",""-"2","2008/06/01","","","","gift","","income:gifts","-1","$","1","","",""-"3","2008/06/02","","","","save","","assets:bank:saving","1","$","","1","",""-"3","2008/06/02","","","","save","","assets:bank:checking","-1","$","1","","",""-"4","2008/06/03","","*","","eat & shop","","expenses:food","1","$","","1","",""-"4","2008/06/03","","*","","eat & shop","","expenses:supplies","1","$","","1","",""-"4","2008/06/03","","*","","eat & shop","","assets:cash","-2","$","2","","",""-"5","2008/12/31","","*","","pay off","","liabilities:debts","1","$","","1","",""-"5","2008/12/31","","*","","pay off","","assets:bank:checking","-1","$","1","","",""--   * There is one CSV record per posting, with the parent transaction's-     fields repeated.-   * The "txnidx" (transaction index) field shows which postings belong-     to the same transaction.  (This number might change if transactions-     are reordered within the file, files are parsed/included in a-     different order, etc.)-   * The amount is separated into "commodity" (the symbol) and "amount"-     (numeric quantity) fields.-   * The numeric amount is repeated in either the "credit" or "debit"-     column, for convenience.  (Those names are not accurate in the-     accounting sense; it just puts negative amounts under credit and-     zero or greater amounts under debit.)---File: hledger.info,  Node: aregister,  Next: register,  Prev: print,  Up: Standard report commands--28.2 aregister-==============--(areg)--   Show the transactions and running balances in one account, with each-transaction on one line.--Flags:-     --txn-dates            filter strictly by transaction date, not posting-                            date. Warning: this can show a wrong running-                            balance.-     --no-elide             don't show only 2 commodities per amount-     --cumulative           accumulation mode: show running total from report-                            start date-  -H --historical           accumulation mode: show historical running-                            total/balance (includes postings before report-                            start date) (default)-     --invert               display all amounts with reversed sign-     --heading=YN           show heading row above table: yes (default) or no-  -w --width=N              set output width (default: terminal width). -wN,M-                            sets description width as well.-     --align-all            guarantee alignment across all lines (slower)-  -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:-                            txt, html, csv, tsv, json.-  -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching-                            one of the above formats selects that format.--   'aregister' shows the overall transactions affecting a particular-account (and any subaccounts).  Each report line represents one-transaction in this account.  Transactions before the report start date-are included in the running balance ('--historical' mode is the-default).  You can suppress this behaviour using the '--cumulative'-option.--   This is a more "real world", bank-like view than the 'register'-command (which shows individual postings, possibly from multiple-accounts, not necessarily in historical mode).  As a quick rule of-thumb:--   * 'aregister' is best when reconciling real-world asset/liability-     accounts-   * 'register' is best when reviewing individual revenues/expenses.--   Note this command's non-standard, and required, first argument; it-specifies the account whose register will be shown.  You can write the-account's name, or (to save typing) a case-insensitive infix regular-expression matching the name, which selects the alphabetically first-matched account.  (For example, if you have 'assets:personal checking'-and 'assets:business checking', 'hledger areg checking' would select-'assets:business checking'.)--   Transactions involving subaccounts of this account will also be-shown.  'aregister' ignores depth limits, so its final total will always-match a historical balance report with similar arguments.--   Any additional arguments are standard query arguments, which will-limit the transactions shown.  Note some queries will disturb the-running balance, causing it to be different from the account's-real-world running balance.--   An example: this shows the transactions and historical running-balance during july, in the first account whose name contains-"checking":--$ hledger areg checking date:jul--   Each 'aregister' line item shows:--   * the transaction's date (or the relevant posting's date if-     different, see below)-   * the names of all the other account(s) involved in this transaction-     (probably abbreviated)-   * the total change to this account's balance from this transaction-   * the account's historical running balance after this transaction.--   Transactions making a net change of zero are not shown by default;-add the '-E/--empty' flag to show them.--   For performance reasons, column widths are chosen based on the first-1000 lines; this means unusually wide values in later lines can cause-visual discontinuities as column widths are adjusted.  If you want to-ensure perfect alignment, at the cost of more time and memory, use the-'--align-all' flag.--   By default, 'aregister' shows a heading above the data.  However,-when reporting in a language different from English, it is easier to-omit this heading and prepend your own one.  For this purpose, use the-'--heading=no' option.--   This command also supports the output destination and output format-options.  The output formats supported are 'txt', 'csv', 'tsv' (_Added-in 1.32_), 'html', 'fods' (_Added in 1.41_) and 'json'.--* Menu:--* aregister and posting dates::---File: hledger.info,  Node: aregister and posting dates,  Up: aregister--28.2.1 aregister and posting dates-------------------------------------aregister always shows one line (and date and amount) per transaction.-But sometimes transactions have postings with different dates.  Also,-not all of a transaction's postings may be within the report period.  To-resolve this, aregister shows the earliest of the transaction's date and-posting dates that is in-period, and the sum of the in-period postings.-In other words it will show a combined line item with just the earliest-date, and the running balance will (temporarily, until the transaction's-last posting) be inaccurate.  Use 'register -H' if you need to see the-individual postings.--   There is also a '--txn-dates' flag, which filters strictly by-transaction date, ignoring posting dates.  This too can cause an-inaccurate running balance.---File: hledger.info,  Node: register,  Next: balancesheet,  Prev: aregister,  Up: Standard report commands--28.3 register-=============--(reg)--   Show postings and their running total.--Flags:-     --cumulative           accumulation mode: show running total from report-                            start date (default)-  -H --historical           accumulation mode: show historical running-                            total/balance (includes postings before report-                            start date)-  -A --average              show running average of posting amounts instead-                            of total (implies --empty)-  -m --match=DESC           fuzzy search for one recent posting with-                            description closest to DESC-  -r --related              show postings' siblings instead-     --invert               display all amounts with reversed sign-     --sort=FIELDS          sort by: date, desc, account, amount, absamount,-                            or a comma-separated combination of these. For a-                            descending sort, prefix with -. (Default: date)-  -w --width=N              set output width (default: terminal width). -wN,M-                            sets description width as well.-     --align-all            guarantee alignment across all lines (slower)-     --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate links to hledger-web,-                            with this prefix. (Usually the base url shown by-                            hledger-web; can also be relative.)-  -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:-                            txt, csv, tsv, html, fods, json.-  -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching-                            one of the above formats selects that format.--   The register command displays matched postings, across all accounts,-in date order, with their running total or running historical balance.-(See also the 'aregister' command, which shows matched transactions in a-specific account.)--   register normally shows line per posting, but note that-multi-commodity amounts will occupy multiple lines (one line per-commodity).--   It is typically used with a query selecting a particular account, to-see that account's activity:--$ hledger register checking-2008/01/01 income               assets:bank:checking            $1           $1-2008/06/01 gift                 assets:bank:checking            $1           $2-2008/06/02 save                 assets:bank:checking           $-1           $1-2008/12/31 pay off              assets:bank:checking           $-1            0--   With '--date2', it shows and sorts by secondary date instead.--   For performance reasons, column widths are chosen based on the first-1000 lines; this means unusually wide values in later lines can cause-visual discontinuities as column widths are adjusted.  If you want to-ensure perfect alignment, at the cost of more time and memory, use the-'--align-all' flag.--   The '--historical'/'-H' flag adds the balance from any undisplayed-prior postings to the running total.  This is useful when you want to-see only recent activity, with a historically accurate running balance:--$ hledger register checking -b 2008/6 --historical-2008/06/01 gift                 assets:bank:checking            $1           $2-2008/06/02 save                 assets:bank:checking           $-1           $1-2008/12/31 pay off              assets:bank:checking           $-1            0--   The '--depth' option limits the amount of sub-account detail-displayed.--   The '--average'/'-A' flag shows the running average posting amount-instead of the running total (so, the final number displayed is the-average for the whole report period).  This flag implies '--empty' (see-below).  It is affected by '--historical'.  It works best when showing-just one account and one commodity.--   The '--related'/'-r' flag shows the _other_ postings in the-transactions of the postings which would normally be shown.--   The '--invert' flag negates all amounts.  For example, it can be used-on an income account where amounts are normally displayed as negative-numbers.  It's also useful to show postings on the checking account-together with the related account:--   The '--sort=FIELDS' flag sorts by the fields given, which can be any-of 'account', 'amount', 'absamount', 'date', or 'desc'/'description',-optionally separated by commas.  For example, '--sort account,amount'-will group all transactions in each account, sorted by transaction-amount.  Each field can be negated by a preceding '-', so '--sort--amount' will show transactions ordered from smallest amount to largest-amount.--$ hledger register --related --invert assets:checking--   With a reporting interval, register shows summary postings, one per-interval, aggregating the postings to each account:--$ hledger register --monthly income-2008/01                 income:salary                          $-1          $-1-2008/06                 income:gifts                           $-1          $-2--   Periods with no activity, and summary postings with a zero amount,-are not shown by default; use the '--empty'/'-E' flag to see them:--$ hledger register --monthly income -E-2008/01                 income:salary                          $-1          $-1-2008/02                                                          0          $-1-2008/03                                                          0          $-1-2008/04                                                          0          $-1-2008/05                                                          0          $-1-2008/06                 income:gifts                           $-1          $-2-2008/07                                                          0          $-2-2008/08                                                          0          $-2-2008/09                                                          0          $-2-2008/10                                                          0          $-2-2008/11                                                          0          $-2-2008/12                                                          0          $-2--   Often, you'll want to see just one line per interval.  The '--depth'-option helps with this, causing subaccounts to be aggregated:--$ hledger register --monthly assets --depth 1-2008/01                 assets                                  $1           $1-2008/06                 assets                                 $-1            0-2008/12                 assets                                 $-1          $-1--   Note when using report intervals, if you specify start/end dates-these will be adjusted outward if necessary to contain a whole number of-intervals.  This ensures that the first and last intervals are full-length and comparable to the others in the report.--   With '-m DESC'/'--match=DESC', register does a fuzzy search for one-recent posting whose description is most similar to DESC. DESC should-contain at least two characters.  If there is no similar-enough match,-no posting will be shown and the program exit code will be non-zero.--* Menu:--* Custom register output::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Custom register output,  Up: register--28.3.1 Custom register output--------------------------------register normally uses the full terminal width (or 80 columns if it-can't detect that).  You can override this with the '--width'/'-w'-option.--   The description and account columns normally share the space equally-(about half of (width - 40) each).  You can adjust this by adding a-description width as part of -width's argument, comma-separated:-'--width W,D' .  Here's a diagram (won't display correctly in -help):--<--------------------------------- width (W) ---------------------------------->-date (10)  description (D)       account (W-41-D)     amount (12)   balance (12)-DDDDDDDDDD dddddddddddddddddddd  aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa  AAAAAAAAAAAA  AAAAAAAAAAAA--   and some examples:--$ hledger reg                     # use terminal width (or 80 on windows)-$ hledger reg -w 100              # use width 100-$ hledger reg -w 100,40           # set overall width 100, description width 40--   This command also supports the output destination and output format-options The output formats supported are 'txt', 'csv', 'tsv' (_Added in-1.32_), and 'json'.---File: hledger.info,  Node: balancesheet,  Next: balancesheetequity,  Prev: register,  Up: Standard report commands--28.4 balancesheet-=================--(bs)--   Show the end balances in asset and liability accounts.  Amounts are-shown with normal positive sign, as in conventional financial-statements.--Flags:-     --sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts-                            (default)-     --valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of-                            period-end historical balances (caused by deposits,-                            withdrawals, market price fluctuations)-     --gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital-                            gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost-                            basis)-     --count                calculation mode: show the count of postings-     --change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column-                            start to column end (in multicolumn reports)-     --cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report-                            start (specified by e.g. -b/--begin) to column end-  -H --historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from-                            journal start to column end (includes postings-                            before report start date) (default)-  -l --flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list-                            (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,-                            except where the account is depth-clipped.-  -t --tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts-                            include subaccount amounts.-     --drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts-     --declared             include non-parent declared accounts (best used-                            with -E)-  -A --average              show a row average column (in multicolumn-                            reports)-  -T --row-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)-     --summary-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,-                            average) (in multicolumn reports)-  -N --no-total             omit the final total row-     --no-elide             in tree mode, don't squash boring parent accounts-     --format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)-  -S --sort-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name-  -% --percent              express values in percentage of each column's-                            total-     --layout=ARG           how to show multi-commodity amounts:-                            'wide[,WIDTH]': all commodities on one line-                            'tall'        : each commodity on a new line-                            'bare'        : bare numbers, symbols in a column-     --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate hyperlinks to-                            hledger-web, with this prefix. (Usually the base-                            url shown by hledger-web; can also be relative.)-  -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:-                            txt, html, csv, tsv, json.-  -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching-                            one of the above formats selects that format.--   This command displays a balance sheet, showing historical ending-balances of asset and liability accounts.  (To see equity as well, use-the balancesheetequity command.)--   Accounts declared with the 'Asset', 'Cash' or 'Liability' type are-shown (see account types).  Or if no such accounts are declared, it-shows top-level accounts named 'asset' or 'liability' (case insensitive,-plurals allowed) and their subaccounts.--   Example:--$ hledger balancesheet-Balance Sheet 2008-12-31--                    || 2008-12-31 -====================++============- Assets             ||            ---------------------++------------- assets:bank:saving ||         $1 - assets:cash        ||        $-2 ---------------------++-------------                    ||        $-1 -====================++============- Liabilities        ||            ---------------------++------------- liabilities:debts  ||        $-1 ---------------------++-------------                    ||        $-1 -====================++============- Net:               ||          0 --   This command is a higher-level variant of the 'balance' command, and-supports many of that command's features, such as multi-period reports.-It is similar to 'hledger balance -H assets liabilities', but with-smarter account detection, and liabilities displayed with their sign-flipped.--   This command also supports the output destination and output format-options The output formats supported are 'txt', 'csv', 'tsv' (_Added in-1.32_), 'html', and 'json'.---File: hledger.info,  Node: balancesheetequity,  Next: cashflow,  Prev: balancesheet,  Up: Standard report commands--28.5 balancesheetequity-=======================--(bse)--   This command displays a balance sheet, showing historical ending-balances of asset, liability and equity accounts.  Amounts are shown-with normal positive sign, as in conventional financial statements.--Flags:-     --sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts-                            (default)-     --valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of-                            period-end historical balances (caused by deposits,-                            withdrawals, market price fluctuations)-     --gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital-                            gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost-                            basis)-     --count                calculation mode: show the count of postings-     --change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column-                            start to column end (in multicolumn reports)-     --cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report-                            start (specified by e.g. -b/--begin) to column end-  -H --historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from-                            journal start to column end (includes postings-                            before report start date) (default)-  -l --flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list-                            (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,-                            except where the account is depth-clipped.-  -t --tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts-                            include subaccount amounts.-     --drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts-     --declared             include non-parent declared accounts (best used-                            with -E)-  -A --average              show a row average column (in multicolumn-                            reports)-  -T --row-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)-     --summary-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,-                            average) (in multicolumn reports)-  -N --no-total             omit the final total row-     --no-elide             in tree mode, don't squash boring parent accounts-     --format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)-  -S --sort-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name-  -% --percent              express values in percentage of each column's-                            total-     --layout=ARG           how to show multi-commodity amounts:-                            'wide[,WIDTH]': all commodities on one line-                            'tall'        : each commodity on a new line-                            'bare'        : bare numbers, symbols in a column-     --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate hyperlinks to-                            hledger-web, with this prefix. (Usually the base-                            url shown by hledger-web; can also be relative.)-  -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:-                            txt, html, csv, tsv, json.-  -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching-                            one of the above formats selects that format.--   This report shows accounts declared with the 'Asset', 'Cash',-'Liability' or 'Equity' type (see account types).  Or if no such-accounts are declared, it shows top-level accounts named 'asset',-'liability' or 'equity' (case insensitive, plurals allowed) and their-subaccounts.--   Example:--$ hledger balancesheetequity-Balance Sheet With Equity 2008-12-31--                    || 2008-12-31 -====================++============- Assets             ||            ---------------------++------------- assets:bank:saving ||         $1 - assets:cash        ||        $-2 ---------------------++-------------                    ||        $-1 -====================++============- Liabilities        ||            ---------------------++------------- liabilities:debts  ||        $-1 ---------------------++-------------                    ||        $-1 -====================++============- Equity             ||            ---------------------++---------------------------------++-------------                    ||          0 -====================++============- Net:               ||          0 --   This command is a higher-level variant of the 'balance' command, and-supports many of that command's features, such as multi-period reports.-It is similar to 'hledger balance -H assets liabilities equity', but-with smarter account detection, and liabilities/equity displayed with-their sign flipped.--   This report is the easiest way to see if the accounting equation-(A+L+E = 0) is satisfied (after you have done a 'close --retain' to-merge revenues and expenses with equity, and perhaps added-'--infer-equity' to balance your commodity conversions).--   This command also supports the output destination and output format-options The output formats supported are 'txt', 'csv', 'tsv', 'html',-and 'json'.---File: hledger.info,  Node: cashflow,  Next: incomestatement,  Prev: balancesheetequity,  Up: Standard report commands--28.6 cashflow-=============--(cf)--   This command displays a (simple) cashflow statement, showing the-inflows and outflows affecting "cash" (ie, liquid, easily convertible)-assets.  Amounts are shown with normal positive sign, as in conventional-financial statements.--Flags:-     --sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts-                            (default)-     --valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of-                            period-end historical balances (caused by deposits,-                            withdrawals, market price fluctuations)-     --gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital-                            gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost-                            basis)-     --count                calculation mode: show the count of postings-     --change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column-                            start to column end (in multicolumn reports)-                            (default)-     --cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report-                            start (specified by e.g. -b/--begin) to column end-  -H --historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from-                            journal start to column end (includes postings-                            before report start date)-  -l --flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list-                            (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,-                            except where the account is depth-clipped.-  -t --tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts-                            include subaccount amounts.-     --drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts-     --declared             include non-parent declared accounts (best used-                            with -E)-  -A --average              show a row average column (in multicolumn-                            reports)-  -T --row-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)-     --summary-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,-                            average) (in multicolumn reports)-  -N --no-total             omit the final total row-     --no-elide             in tree mode, don't squash boring parent accounts-     --format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)-  -S --sort-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name-  -% --percent              express values in percentage of each column's-                            total-     --layout=ARG           how to show multi-commodity amounts:-                            'wide[,WIDTH]': all commodities on one line-                            'tall'        : each commodity on a new line-                            'bare'        : bare numbers, symbols in a column-     --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate hyperlinks to-                            hledger-web, with this prefix. (Usually the base-                            url shown by hledger-web; can also be relative.)-  -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:-                            txt, html, csv, tsv, json.-  -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching-                            one of the above formats selects that format.--   This report shows accounts declared with the 'Cash' type (see account-types).  Or if no such accounts are declared, it shows accounts--   * under a top-level account named 'asset' (case insensitive, plural-     allowed)-   * whose name contains some variation of 'cash', 'bank', 'checking' or-     'saving'.--   More precisely: all accounts matching this case insensitive regular-expression:--   '^assets?(:.+)?:(cash|bank|che(ck|que?)(ing)?|savings?|currentcash)(:|$)'--   and their subaccounts.--   An example cashflow report:--$ hledger cashflow-Cashflow Statement 2008--                    || 2008 -====================++======- Cash flows         ||      ---------------------++------- assets:bank:saving ||   $1 - assets:cash        ||  $-2 ---------------------++-------                    ||  $-1 --   This command is a higher-level variant of the 'balance' command, and-supports many of that command's features, such as multi-period reports.-It is similar to 'hledger balance assets not:fixed not:investment-not:receivable', but with smarter account detection.--   This command also supports the output destination and output format-options The output formats supported are 'txt', 'csv', 'tsv' (_Added in-1.32_), 'html', and 'json'.---File: hledger.info,  Node: incomestatement,  Prev: cashflow,  Up: Standard report commands--28.7 incomestatement-====================--(is)--   Show revenue inflows and expense outflows during the report period.-Amounts are shown with normal positive sign, as in conventional-financial statements.--Flags:-     --sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts-                            (default)-     --valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of-                            period-end historical balances (caused by deposits,-                            withdrawals, market price fluctuations)-     --gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital-                            gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost-                            basis)-     --count                calculation mode: show the count of postings-     --change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column-                            start to column end (in multicolumn reports)-                            (default)-     --cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report-                            start (specified by e.g. -b/--begin) to column end-  -H --historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from-                            journal start to column end (includes postings-                            before report start date)-  -l --flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list-                            (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,-                            except where the account is depth-clipped.-  -t --tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts-                            include subaccount amounts.-     --drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts-     --declared             include non-parent declared accounts (best used-                            with -E)-  -A --average              show a row average column (in multicolumn-                            reports)-  -T --row-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)-     --summary-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,-                            average) (in multicolumn reports)-  -N --no-total             omit the final total row-     --no-elide             in tree mode, don't squash boring parent accounts-     --format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)-  -S --sort-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name-  -% --percent              express values in percentage of each column's-                            total-     --layout=ARG           how to show multi-commodity amounts:-                            'wide[,WIDTH]': all commodities on one line-                            'tall'        : each commodity on a new line-                            'bare'        : bare numbers, symbols in a column-     --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate hyperlinks to-                            hledger-web, with this prefix. (Usually the base-                            url shown by hledger-web; can also be relative.)-  -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:-                            txt, html, csv, tsv, json.-  -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching-                            one of the above formats selects that format.--   This command displays an income statement, showing revenues and-expenses during one or more periods.--   It shows accounts declared with the 'Revenue' or 'Expense' type (see-account types).  Or if no such accounts are declared, it shows top-level-accounts named 'revenue' or 'income' or 'expense' (case insensitive,-plurals allowed) and their subaccounts.--   Example:--$ hledger incomestatement-Income Statement 2008--                   || 2008 -===================++======- Revenues          ||      --------------------++------- income:gifts      ||   $1 - income:salary     ||   $1 --------------------++-------                   ||   $2 -===================++======- Expenses          ||      --------------------++------- expenses:food     ||   $1 - expenses:supplies ||   $1 --------------------++-------                   ||   $2 -===================++======- Net:              ||    0 --   This command is a higher-level variant of the 'balance' command, and-supports many of that command's features, such as multi-period reports.-It is similar to 'hledger balance '(revenues|income)' expenses', but-with smarter account detection, and revenues/income displayed with their-sign flipped.--   This command also supports the output destination and output format-options The output formats supported are 'txt', 'csv', 'tsv' (_Added in-1.32_), 'html', and 'json'.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Advanced report commands,  Next: Chart commands,  Prev: Standard report commands,  Up: Top--29 Advanced report commands-***************************--* Menu:--* balance::-* roi::---File: hledger.info,  Node: balance,  Next: roi,  Up: Advanced report commands--29.1 balance-============--(bal)--   A flexible, general purpose "summing" report that shows accounts with-some kind of numeric data.  This can be balance changes per period, end-balances, budget performance, unrealised capital gains, etc.--Flags:-     --sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts-                            (default)-     --valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of-                            period-end historical balances (caused by deposits,-                            withdrawals, market price fluctuations)-     --gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital-                            gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost-                            basis)-     --budget[=DESCPAT]     calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts-                            together with budget goals defined by periodic-                            transactions. With a DESCPAT argument (must be-                            separated by = not space),-                            use only periodic transactions with matching-                            description-                            (case insensitive substring match).-     --count                calculation mode: show the count of postings-     --change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column-                            start to column end (in multicolumn reports,-                            default)-     --cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report-                            start (specified by e.g. -b/--begin) to column end-  -H --historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from-                            journal start to column end (includes postings-                            before report start date)-  -l --flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list-                            (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,-                            except where the account is depth-clipped.-  -t --tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts-                            include subaccount amounts.-     --drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts-     --declared             include non-parent declared accounts (best used-                            with -E)-  -A --average              show a row average column (in multicolumn-                            reports)-  -T --row-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)-     --summary-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,-                            average) (in multicolumn reports)-  -N --no-total             omit the final total row-     --no-elide             in tree mode, don't squash boring parent accounts-     --format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)-  -S --sort-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name (in-                            flat mode). With multiple columns, sorts by the row-                            total, or by row average if that is displayed.-  -% --percent              express values in percentage of each column's-                            total-  -r --related              show the other accounts transacted with, instead-     --invert               display all amounts with reversed sign-     --transpose            switch rows and columns (use vertical time axis)-     --layout=ARG           how to lay out multi-commodity amounts and the-                            overall table:-                            'wide[,W]': commodities on same line, up to W wide-                            'tall'    : commodities on separate lines-                            'bare'    : commodity symbols in a separate column-                            'tidy'    : each data field in its own column-     --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate links to hledger-web,-                            with this prefix. (Usually the base url shown by-                            hledger-web; can also be relative.)-  -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:-                            txt, html, csv, tsv, json, fods.-  -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching-                            one of the above formats selects that format.--   'balance' is one of hledger's oldest and most versatile commands, for-listing account balances, balance changes, values, value changes and-more, during one time period or many.  Generally it shows a table, with-rows representing accounts, and columns representing periods.--   Note there are some variants of the 'balance' command with convenient-defaults, which are simpler to use: 'balancesheet',-'balancesheetequity', 'cashflow' and 'incomestatement'.  When you need-more control, then use 'balance'.--* Menu:--* balance features::-* Simple balance report::-* Balance report line format::-* Filtered balance report::-* List or tree mode::-* Depth limiting::-* Dropping top-level accounts::-* Showing declared accounts::-* Sorting by amount::-* Percentages::-* Multi-period balance report::-* Balance change end balance::-* Balance report modes::-* Budget report::-* Balance report layout::-* Balance report output::-* Some useful balance reports::---File: hledger.info,  Node: balance features,  Next: Simple balance report,  Up: balance--29.1.1 balance features--------------------------Here's a quick overview of the 'balance' command's features, followed by-more detailed descriptions and examples.  Many of these work with the-other balance-like commands as well ('bs', 'cf', 'is'..).--   'balance' can show..--   * accounts as a list ('-l') or a tree ('-t')-   * optionally depth-limited ('-[1-9]')-   * sorted by declaration order and name, or by amount--   ..and their..--   * balance changes (the default)-   * or actual and planned balance changes ('--budget')-   * or value of balance changes ('-V')-   * or change of balance values ('--valuechange')-   * or unrealised capital gain/loss ('--gain')-   * or balance changes from sibling postings ('--related'/'-r')-   * or postings count ('--count')--   ..in..--   * one time period (the whole journal period by default)-   * or multiple periods ('-D', '-W', '-M', '-Q', '-Y', '-p INTERVAL')--   ..either..--   * per period (the default)-   * or accumulated since report start date ('--cumulative')-   * or accumulated since account creation ('--historical/-H')--   ..possibly converted to..--   * cost ('--value=cost[,COMM]'/'--cost'/'-B')-   * or market value, as of transaction dates ('--value=then[,COMM]')-   * or at period ends ('--value=end[,COMM]')-   * or now ('--value=now')-   * or at some other date ('--value=YYYY-MM-DD')--   ..with..--   * totals ('-T'), averages ('-A'), percentages ('-%'), inverted sign-     ('--invert')-   * rows and columns swapped ('--transpose')-   * another field used as account name ('--pivot')-   * custom-formatted line items (single-period reports only)-     ('--format')-   * commodities displayed on the same line or multiple lines-     ('--layout')--   This command supports the output destination and output format-options, with output formats 'txt', 'csv', 'tsv' (_Added in 1.32_),-'json', and (multi-period reports only:) 'html', 'fods' (_Added in-1.40_).  In 'txt' output in a colour-supporting terminal, negative-amounts are shown in red.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Simple balance report,  Next: Balance report line format,  Prev: balance features,  Up: balance--29.1.2 Simple balance report-------------------------------With no arguments, 'balance' shows a list of all accounts and their-change of balance - ie, the sum of posting amounts, both inflows and-outflows - during the entire period of the journal.  ("Simple" here-means just one column of numbers, covering a single period.  You can-also have multi-period reports, described later.)--   For real-world accounts, these numbers will normally be their end-balance at the end of the journal period; more on this below.--   Accounts are sorted by declaration order if any, and then-alphabetically by account name.  For instance (using-examples/sample.journal):--$ hledger -f examples/sample.journal bal-                  $1  assets:bank:saving-                 $-2  assets:cash-                  $1  expenses:food-                  $1  expenses:supplies-                 $-1  income:gifts-                 $-1  income:salary-                  $1  liabilities:debts----------------------                   0  --   Accounts with a zero balance (and no non-zero subaccounts, in tree-mode - see below) are hidden by default.  Use '-E/--empty' to show them-(revealing 'assets:bank:checking' here):--$ hledger -f examples/sample.journal bal  -E-                   0  assets:bank:checking-                  $1  assets:bank:saving-                 $-2  assets:cash-                  $1  expenses:food-                  $1  expenses:supplies-                 $-1  income:gifts-                 $-1  income:salary-                  $1  liabilities:debts----------------------                   0  --   The total of the amounts displayed is shown as the last line, unless-'-N'/'--no-total' is used.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Balance report line format,  Next: Filtered balance report,  Prev: Simple balance report,  Up: balance--29.1.3 Balance report line format------------------------------------For single-period balance reports displayed in the terminal (only), you-can use '--format FMT' to customise the format and content of each line.-Eg:--$ hledger -f examples/sample.journal balance --format "%20(account) %12(total)"-              assets          $-1-         bank:saving           $1-                cash          $-2-            expenses           $2-                food           $1-            supplies           $1-              income          $-2-               gifts          $-1-              salary          $-1-   liabilities:debts           $1-----------------------------------                                0--   The FMT format string specifies the formatting applied to each-account/balance pair.  It may contain any suitable text, with data-fields interpolated like so:--   '%[MIN][.MAX](FIELDNAME)'--   * MIN pads with spaces to at least this width (optional)--   * MAX truncates at this width (optional)--   * FIELDNAME must be enclosed in parentheses, and can be one of:--        * 'depth_spacer' - a number of spaces equal to the account's-          depth, or if MIN is specified, MIN * depth spaces.-        * 'account' - the account's name-        * 'total' - the account's balance/posted total, right justified--   Also, FMT can begin with an optional prefix to control how-multi-commodity amounts are rendered:--   * '%_' - render on multiple lines, bottom-aligned (the default)-   * '%^' - render on multiple lines, top-aligned-   * '%,' - render on one line, comma-separated--   There are some quirks.  Eg in one-line mode, '%(depth_spacer)' has no-effect, instead '%(account)' has indentation built in.  Experimentation-may be needed to get pleasing results.--   Some example formats:--   * '%(total)' - the account's total-   * '%-20.20(account)' - the account's name, left justified, padded to-     20 characters and clipped at 20 characters-   * '%,%-50(account) %25(total)' - account name padded to 50-     characters, total padded to 20 characters, with multiple-     commodities rendered on one line-   * '%20(total) %2(depth_spacer)%-(account)' - the default format for-     the single-column balance report---File: hledger.info,  Node: Filtered balance report,  Next: List or tree mode,  Prev: Balance report line format,  Up: balance--29.1.4 Filtered balance report---------------------------------You can show fewer accounts, a different time period, totals from-cleared transactions only, etc.  by using query arguments or options to-limit the postings being matched.  Eg:--$ hledger -f examples/sample.journal bal --cleared assets date:200806-                 $-2  assets:cash----------------------                 $-2  ---File: hledger.info,  Node: List or tree mode,  Next: Depth limiting,  Prev: Filtered balance report,  Up: balance--29.1.5 List or tree mode---------------------------By default, or with '-l/--flat', accounts are shown as a flat list with-their full names visible, as in the examples above.--   With '-t/--tree', the account hierarchy is shown, with subaccounts'-"leaf" names indented below their parent:--$ hledger -f examples/sample.journal balance-                 $-1  assets-                  $1    bank:saving-                 $-2    cash-                  $2  expenses-                  $1    food-                  $1    supplies-                 $-2  income-                 $-1    gifts-                 $-1    salary-                  $1  liabilities:debts----------------------                   0--   Notes:--   * "Boring" accounts are combined with their subaccount for more-     compact output, unless '--no-elide' is used.  Boring accounts have-     no balance of their own and just one subaccount (eg 'assets:bank'-     and 'liabilities' above).--   * All balances shown are "inclusive", ie including the balances from-     all subaccounts.  Note this means some repetition in the output,-     which requires explanation when sharing reports with-     non-plaintextaccounting-users.  A tree mode report's final total is-     the sum of the top-level balances shown, not of all the balances-     shown.--   * Each group of sibling accounts (ie, under a common parent) is-     sorted separately.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Depth limiting,  Next: Dropping top-level accounts,  Prev: List or tree mode,  Up: balance--29.1.6 Depth limiting------------------------With a 'depth:NUM' query, or '--depth NUM' option, or just '-NUM' (eg:-'-3') balance reports will show accounts only to the specified depth,-hiding the deeper subaccounts.  This can be useful for getting an-overview without too much detail.--   Account balances at the depth limit always include the balances from-any deeper subaccounts (even in list mode).  Eg, limiting to depth 1:--$ hledger -f examples/sample.journal balance -1-                 $-1  assets-                  $2  expenses-                 $-2  income-                  $1  liabilities----------------------                   0  ---File: hledger.info,  Node: Dropping top-level accounts,  Next: Showing declared accounts,  Prev: Depth limiting,  Up: balance--29.1.7 Dropping top-level accounts-------------------------------------You can also hide one or more top-level account name parts, using-'--drop NUM'.  This can be useful for hiding repetitive top-level-account names:--$ hledger -f examples/sample.journal bal expenses --drop 1-                  $1  food-                  $1  supplies----------------------                  $2  ---File: hledger.info,  Node: Showing declared accounts,  Next: Sorting by amount,  Prev: Dropping top-level accounts,  Up: balance--29.1.8 Showing declared accounts-----------------------------------With '--declared', accounts which have been declared with an account-directive will be included in the balance report, even if they have no-transactions.  (Since they will have a zero balance, you will also need-'-E/--empty' to see them.)--   More precisely, _leaf_ declared accounts (with no subaccounts) will-be included, since those are usually the more useful in reports.--   The idea of this is to be able to see a useful "complete" balance-report, even when you don't have transactions in all of your declared-accounts yet.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Sorting by amount,  Next: Percentages,  Prev: Showing declared accounts,  Up: balance--29.1.9 Sorting by amount---------------------------With '-S/--sort-amount', accounts with the largest (most positive)-balances are shown first.  Eg: 'hledger bal expenses -MAS' shows your-biggest averaged monthly expenses first.  When more than one commodity-is present, they will be sorted by the alphabetically earliest commodity-first, and then by subsequent commodities (if an amount is missing a-commodity, it is treated as 0).--   Revenues and liability balances are typically negative, however, so-'-S' shows these in reverse order.  To work around this, you can add-'--invert' to flip the signs.  Or you could use one of the higher-level-balance reports ('bs', 'is'..), which flip the sign automatically (eg:-'hledger is -MAS').---File: hledger.info,  Node: Percentages,  Next: Multi-period balance report,  Prev: Sorting by amount,  Up: balance--29.1.10 Percentages----------------------With '-%/--percent', balance reports show each account's value expressed-as a percentage of the (column) total.--   Note it is not useful to calculate percentages if the amounts in a-column have mixed signs.  In this case, make a separate report for each-sign, eg:--$ hledger bal -% amt:`>0`-$ hledger bal -% amt:`<0`--   Similarly, if the amounts in a column have mixed commodities, convert-them to one commodity with '-B', '-V', '-X' or '--value', or make a-separate report for each commodity:--$ hledger bal -% cur:\\$-$ hledger bal -% cur:€---File: hledger.info,  Node: Multi-period balance report,  Next: Balance change end balance,  Prev: Percentages,  Up: balance--29.1.11 Multi-period balance report--------------------------------------With a report interval (set by the '-D/--daily', '-W/--weekly',-'-M/--monthly', '-Q/--quarterly', '-Y/--yearly', or '-p/--period' flag),-'balance' shows a tabular report, with columns representing successive-time periods (and a title):--$ hledger -f examples/sample.journal bal --quarterly income expenses -E-Balance changes in 2008:--                   ||  2008q1  2008q2  2008q3  2008q4 -===================++=================================- expenses:food     ||       0      $1       0       0 - expenses:supplies ||       0      $1       0       0 - income:gifts      ||       0     $-1       0       0 - income:salary     ||     $-1       0       0       0 --------------------++----------------------------------                   ||     $-1      $1       0       0 --   Notes:--   * The report's start/end dates will be expanded, if necessary, to-     fully encompass the displayed subperiods (so that the first and-     last subperiods have the same duration as the others).-   * Leading and trailing periods (columns) containing all zeroes are-     not shown, unless '-E/--empty' is used.-   * Accounts (rows) containing all zeroes are not shown, unless-     '-E/--empty' is used.-   * Amounts with many commodities are shown in abbreviated form, unless-     '--no-elide' is used.-   * Average and/or total columns can be added with the '-A/--average'-     and '-T/--row-total' flags.-   * The '--transpose' flag can be used to exchange rows and columns.-   * The '--pivot FIELD' option causes a different transaction field to-     be used as "account name".  See PIVOTING.-   * The '--summary-only' flag ('--summary' also works) hides all but-     the Total and Average columns (those should be enabled with-     '--row-total' and '-A/--average').--   Multi-period reports with many periods can be too wide for easy-viewing in the terminal.  Here are some ways to handle that:--   * Hide the totals row with '-N/--no-total'-   * Filter to a single currency with 'cur:'-   * Convert to a single currency with '-V [--infer-market-price]'-   * Use a more compact layout like '--layout=bare'-   * Maximize the terminal window-   * Reduce the terminal's font size-   * View with a pager like less, eg: 'hledger bal -D --color=yes | less-     -RS'-   * Output as CSV and use a CSV viewer like visidata ('hledger bal -D-     -O csv | vd -f csv'), Emacs' csv-mode ('M-x csv-mode, C-c C-a'), or-     a spreadsheet ('hledger bal -D -o a.csv && open a.csv')-   * Output as HTML and view with a browser: 'hledger bal -D -o a.html-     && open a.html'---File: hledger.info,  Node: Balance change end balance,  Next: Balance report modes,  Prev: Multi-period balance report,  Up: balance--29.1.12 Balance change, end balance--------------------------------------It's important to be clear on the meaning of the numbers shown in-balance reports.  Here is some terminology we use:--   A *_balance change_* is the net amount added to, or removed from, an-account during some period.--   An *_end balance_* is the amount accumulated in an account as of some-date (and some time, but hledger doesn't store that; assume end of day-in your timezone).  It is the sum of previous balance changes.--   We call it a *_historical end balance_* if it includes all balance-changes since the account was created.  For a real world account, this-means it will match the "historical record", eg the balances reported in-your bank statements or bank web UI. (If they are correct!)--   In general, balance changes are what you want to see when reviewing-revenues and expenses, and historical end balances are what you want to-see when reviewing or reconciling asset, liability and equity accounts.--   'balance' shows balance changes by default.  To see accurate-historical end balances:--  1. Initialise account starting balances with an "opening balances"-     transaction (a transfer from equity to the account), unless the-     journal covers the account's full lifetime.--  2. Include all of of the account's prior postings in the report, by-     not specifying a report start date, or by using the-     '-H/--historical' flag.  ('-H' causes report start date to be-     ignored when summing postings.)---File: hledger.info,  Node: Balance report modes,  Next: Budget report,  Prev: Balance change end balance,  Up: balance--29.1.13 Balance report modes-------------------------------The balance command is quite flexible; here is the full detail on how to-control what it reports.  If the following seems complicated, don't-worry - this is for advanced reporting, and it does take time and-experimentation to get familiar with all the report modes.--   There are three important option groups:--   'hledger balance [CALCULATIONMODE] [ACCUMULATIONMODE] [VALUATIONMODE]-...'--* Menu:--* Calculation mode::-* Accumulation mode::-* Valuation mode::-* Combining balance report modes::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Calculation mode,  Next: Accumulation mode,  Up: Balance report modes--29.1.13.1 Calculation mode-..........................--The basic calculation to perform for each table cell.  It is one of:--   * '--sum' : sum the posting amounts (*default*)-   * '--budget' : sum the amounts, but also show the budget goal amount-     (for each account/period)-   * '--valuechange' : show the change in period-end historical balance-     values (caused by deposits, withdrawals, and/or market price-     fluctuations)-   * '--gain' : show the unrealised capital gain/loss, (the current-     valued balance minus each amount's original cost)-   * '--count' : show the count of postings---File: hledger.info,  Node: Accumulation mode,  Next: Valuation mode,  Prev: Calculation mode,  Up: Balance report modes--29.1.13.2 Accumulation mode-...........................--How amounts should accumulate across a report's subperiods/columns.-Another way to say it: which time period's postings should contribute to-each cell's calculation.  It is one of:--   * '--change' : calculate with postings from column start to column-     end, ie "just this column".  Typically used to see-     revenues/expenses.  (*default for balance, cashflow,-     incomestatement*)--   * '--cumulative' : calculate with postings from report start to-     column end, ie "previous columns plus this column".  Typically used-     to show changes accumulated since the report's start date.  Not-     often used.--   * '--historical/-H' : calculate with postings from journal start to-     column end, ie "all postings from before report start date until-     this column's end".  Typically used to see historical end balances-     of assets/liabilities/equity.  (*default for balancesheet,-     balancesheetequity*)---File: hledger.info,  Node: Valuation mode,  Next: Combining balance report modes,  Prev: Accumulation mode,  Up: Balance report modes--29.1.13.3 Valuation mode-........................--Which kind of value or cost conversion should be applied, if any, before-displaying the report.  See Cost reporting and Value reporting for more-about conversions.--   A valuation (or cost) mode can be selected with the -value option:--   * no conversion : don't convert to cost or value (*default*)-   * '--value=cost[,COMM]' : convert amounts to cost (then optionally to-     some other commodity)-   * '--value=then[,COMM]' : convert amounts to market value on-     transaction dates-   * '--value=end[,COMM]' : convert amounts to market value on period-     end date(s)-     (*default with '--valuechange', '--gain'*)-   * '--value=now[,COMM]' : convert amounts to market value on today's-     date-   * '--value=YYYY-MM-DD[,COMM]' : convert amounts to market value on-     another date--   or with the legacy -B/-V/-X options, which are equivalent and easier-to type:--   * '-B'/'--cost' : like -value=cost-   * '-V'/'--market' : like -value=end-   * '-X COMM'/'--exchange COMM' : like -value=end,COMM--   Note that -value can also convert to cost, as a convenience; but-actually -cost and -value are independent options, and could be used-together.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Combining balance report modes,  Prev: Valuation mode,  Up: Balance report modes--29.1.13.4 Combining balance report modes-........................................--Most combinations of these modes should produce reasonable reports, but-if you find any that seem wrong or misleading, let us know.  The-following restrictions are applied:--   * '--valuechange' implies '--value=end'-   * '--valuechange' makes '--change' the default when used with the-     'balancesheet'/'balancesheetequity' commands-   * '--cumulative' or '--historical' disables '--row-total/-T'--   For reference, here is what the combinations of accumulation and-valuation show:--Valuation:>no valuation    '--value= then'   '--value= end'   '--value=-Accumulation:v                                                YYYY-MM-DD-                                                              /now'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------'--change'change in        sum of            period-end       DATE-value-         period            posting-date      value of         of change in-                           market values     change in        period-                           in period         period-'--cumulative'change from  sum of            period-end       DATE-value-         report start to   posting-date      value of         of change-         period end        market values     change from      from report-                           from report       report start     start to-                           start to period   to period end    period end-                           end-'--historicalchange from   sum of            period-end       DATE-value-/-H'     journal start     posting-date      value of         of change-         to period end     market values     change from      from journal-         (historical end   from journal      journal start    start to-         balance)          start to period   to period end    period end-                           end---File: hledger.info,  Node: Budget report,  Next: Balance report layout,  Prev: Balance report modes,  Up: balance--29.1.14 Budget report------------------------The '--budget' report is like a regular balance report, but with two-main differences:--   * Budget goals and performance percentages are also shown, in-     brackets-   * Accounts which don't have budget goals are hidden by default.--   This is useful for comparing planned and actual income, expenses,-time usage, etc.--   Periodic transaction rules are used to define budget goals.  For-example, here's a periodic rule defining monthly goals for bus travel-and food expenses:--;; Budget-~ monthly-  (expenses:bus)              $30-  (expenses:food)            $400--   After recording some actual expenses,--;; Two months worth of expenses-2017-11-01-  income                   $-1950-  expenses:bus                $35-  expenses:food:groceries    $310-  expenses:food:dining        $42-  expenses:movies             $38-  assets:bank:checking--2017-12-01-  income                   $-2100-  expenses:bus                $53-  expenses:food:groceries    $380-  expenses:food:dining        $32-  expenses:gifts             $100-  assets:bank:checking--   we can see a budget report like this:--$ hledger bal -M --budget-Budget performance in 2017-11-01..2017-12-31:--               ||                  Nov                   Dec -===============++============================================- <unbudgeted>  || $-425                 $-565                - expenses      ||  $425 [ 99% of $430]   $565 [131% of $430] - expenses:bus  ||   $35 [117% of  $30]    $53 [177% of  $30] - expenses:food ||  $352 [ 88% of $400]   $412 [103% of $400] ----------------++---------------------------------------------               ||     0 [  0% of $430]      0 [  0% of $430] --   This is "goal-based budgeting"; you define goals for accounts and-periods, often recurring, and hledger shows performance relative to the-goals.  This contrasts with "envelope budgeting", which is more detailed-and strict - useful when cash is tight, but also quite a bit more work.-https://plaintextaccounting.org/Budgeting has more on this topic.--* Menu:--* Using the budget report::-* Budget date surprises::-* Selecting budget goals::-* Budgeting vs forecasting::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Using the budget report,  Next: Budget date surprises,  Up: Budget report--29.1.14.1 Using the budget report-.................................--Historically this report has been confusing and fragile.  hledger's-version should be relatively robust and intuitive, but you may still-find surprises.  Here are more notes to help with learning and-troubleshooting.--   * In the above example, 'expenses:bus' and 'expenses:food' are shown-     because they have budget goals during the report period.--   * Their parent 'expenses' is also shown, with budget goals aggregated-     from the children.--   * The subaccounts 'expenses:food:groceries' and-     'expenses:food:dining' are not shown since they have no budget goal-     of their own, but they contribute to 'expenses:food''s actual-     amount.--   * Unbudgeted accounts 'expenses:movies' and 'expenses:gifts' are also-     not shown, but they contribute to 'expenses''s actual amount.--   * The other unbudgeted accounts 'income' and 'assets:bank:checking'-     are grouped as '<unbudgeted>'.--   * '--depth' or 'depth:' can be used to limit report depth in the-     usual way (but will not reveal unbudgeted subaccounts).--   * Amounts are always inclusive of subaccounts (even in '-l/--list'-     mode).--   * Numbers displayed in a -budget report will not always agree with-     the totals, because of hidden unbudgeted accounts; this is normal.-     '-E/--empty' can be used to reveal the hidden accounts.--   * In the periodic rules used for setting budget goals, unbalanced-     postings are convenient.--   * You can filter budget reports with the usual queries, eg to focus-     on particular accounts.  It's common to restrict them to just-     expenses.  (The '<unbudgeted>' account is occasionally hard to-     exclude; this is because of date surprises, discussed below.)--   * When you have multiple currencies, you may want to convert them to-     one ('-X COMM --infer-market-prices') and/or show just one at a-     time ('cur:COMM').  If you do need to show multiple currencies at-     once, '--layout bare' can be helpful.--   * You can "roll over" amounts (actual and budgeted) to the next-     period with '--cumulative'.--   See also: https://hledger.org/budgeting.html.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Budget date surprises,  Next: Selecting budget goals,  Prev: Using the budget report,  Up: Budget report--29.1.14.2 Budget date surprises-...............................--With small data, or when starting out, some of the generated budget goal-transaction dates might fall outside the report periods.  Eg with the-following journal and report, the first period appears to have no-'expenses:food' budget.  (Also the '<unbudgeted>' account should be-excluded by the 'expenses' query, but isn't.):--~ monthly in 2020-  (expenses:food)  $500--2020-01-15-  expenses:food    $400-  assets:checking--$ hledger bal --budget expenses-Budget performance in 2020-01-15:--               ||         2020-01-15 -===============++====================- <unbudgeted>  || $400               - expenses:food ||    0 [ 0% of $500] ----------------++---------------------               || $400 [80% of $500] --   In this case, the budget goal transactions are generated on first-days of of month (this can be seen with 'hledger print --forecast-tag:generated expenses').  Whereas the report period defaults to just-the 15th day of january (this can be seen from the report table's column-headings).--   To fix this kind of thing, be more explicit about the report period-(and/or the periodic rules' dates).  In this case, adding '-b 2020' does-the trick.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Selecting budget goals,  Next: Budgeting vs forecasting,  Prev: Budget date surprises,  Up: Budget report--29.1.14.3 Selecting budget goals-................................--By default, the budget report uses all available periodic transaction-rules to generate goals.  This includes rules with a different report-interval from your report.  Eg if you have daily, weekly and monthly-periodic rules, all of these will contribute to the goals in a monthly-budget report.--   You can select a subset of periodic rules by providing an argument to-the '--budget' flag.  '--budget=DESCPAT' will match all periodic rules-whose description contains DESCPAT, a case-insensitive substring (not a-regular expression or query).  This means you can give your periodic-rules descriptions (remember that two spaces are needed between period-expression and description), and then select from multiple budgets-defined in your journal.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Budgeting vs forecasting,  Prev: Selecting budget goals,  Up: Budget report--29.1.14.4 Budgeting vs forecasting-..................................--'--forecast' and '--budget' both use the periodic transaction rules in-the journal to generate temporary transactions for reporting purposes.-However they are separate features - though you can use both at the same-time if you want.  Here are some differences between them:---forecast                                -budget----------------------------------------------------------------------------is a general option; it enables          is a balance command option;-forecasting with all reports             it selects the balance-                                         report's budget mode-generates visible transactions which     generates invisible-appear in reports                        transactions which produce-                                         goal amounts-generates forecast transactions from     generates budget goal-after the last regular transaction, to   transactions throughout the-the end of the report period; or with    report period, optionally-an argument '--forecast=PERIODEXPR'      restricted by periods-generates them throughout the            specified in the periodic-specified period, both optionally        transaction rules-restricted by periods specified in the-periodic transaction rules-uses all periodic rules                  uses all periodic rules; or-                                         with an argument-                                         '--budget=DESCPAT' uses just-                                         the rules matched by DESCPAT---File: hledger.info,  Node: Balance report layout,  Next: Balance report output,  Prev: Budget report,  Up: balance--29.1.15 Balance report layout--------------------------------The '--layout' option affects how 'balance' and the other balance-like-commands show multi-commodity amounts and commodity symbols.  It can-improve readability, for humans and/or machines (other software).  It-has four possible values:--   * '--layout=wide[,WIDTH]': commodities are shown on a single line,-     optionally elided to WIDTH-   * '--layout=tall': each commodity is shown on a separate line-   * '--layout=bare': commodity symbols are in their own column, amounts-     are bare numbers-   * '--layout=tidy': data is normalised to easily-consumed "tidy" form,-     with one row per data value.  (This one is currently supported only-     by the 'balance' command.)--   Here are the '--layout' modes supported by each output format Only-CSV output supports all of them:---      txt   csv   html   json   sql-----------------------------------------wide   Y     Y     Y-tall   Y     Y     Y-bare   Y     Y     Y-tidy         Y--   Examples:--* Menu:--* Wide layout::-* Tall layout::-* Bare layout::-* Tidy layout::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Wide layout,  Next: Tall layout,  Up: Balance report layout--29.1.15.1 Wide layout-.....................--With many commodities, reports can be very wide:--$ hledger -f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade -3 -T -Y --layout=wide-Balance changes in 2012-01-01..2014-12-31:--                  ||                                          2012                                                     2013                                             2014                                                      Total -==================++====================================================================================================================================================================================================================- Assets:US:ETrade || 10.00 ITOT, 337.18 USD, 12.00 VEA, 106.00 VHT  70.00 GLD, 18.00 ITOT, -98.12 USD, 10.00 VEA, 18.00 VHT  -11.00 ITOT, 4881.44 USD, 14.00 VEA, 170.00 VHT  70.00 GLD, 17.00 ITOT, 5120.50 USD, 36.00 VEA, 294.00 VHT -------------------++---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                  || 10.00 ITOT, 337.18 USD, 12.00 VEA, 106.00 VHT  70.00 GLD, 18.00 ITOT, -98.12 USD, 10.00 VEA, 18.00 VHT  -11.00 ITOT, 4881.44 USD, 14.00 VEA, 170.00 VHT  70.00 GLD, 17.00 ITOT, 5120.50 USD, 36.00 VEA, 294.00 VHT --   A width limit reduces the width, but some commodities will be hidden:--$ hledger -f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade -3 -T -Y --layout=wide,32-Balance changes in 2012-01-01..2014-12-31:--                  ||                             2012                             2013                   2014                            Total -==================++===========================================================================================================================- Assets:US:ETrade || 10.00 ITOT, 337.18 USD, 2 more..  70.00 GLD, 18.00 ITOT, 3 more..  -11.00 ITOT, 3 more..  70.00 GLD, 17.00 ITOT, 3 more.. -------------------++----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                  || 10.00 ITOT, 337.18 USD, 2 more..  70.00 GLD, 18.00 ITOT, 3 more..  -11.00 ITOT, 3 more..  70.00 GLD, 17.00 ITOT, 3 more.. ---File: hledger.info,  Node: Tall layout,  Next: Bare layout,  Prev: Wide layout,  Up: Balance report layout--29.1.15.2 Tall layout-.....................--Each commodity gets a new line (may be different in each column), and-account names are repeated:--$ hledger -f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade -3 -T -Y --layout=tall-Balance changes in 2012-01-01..2014-12-31:--                  ||       2012        2013         2014        Total -==================++==================================================- Assets:US:ETrade || 10.00 ITOT   70.00 GLD  -11.00 ITOT    70.00 GLD - Assets:US:ETrade || 337.18 USD  18.00 ITOT  4881.44 USD   17.00 ITOT - Assets:US:ETrade ||  12.00 VEA  -98.12 USD    14.00 VEA  5120.50 USD - Assets:US:ETrade || 106.00 VHT   10.00 VEA   170.00 VHT    36.00 VEA - Assets:US:ETrade ||              18.00 VHT                294.00 VHT -------------------++---------------------------------------------------                  || 10.00 ITOT   70.00 GLD  -11.00 ITOT    70.00 GLD -                  || 337.18 USD  18.00 ITOT  4881.44 USD   17.00 ITOT -                  ||  12.00 VEA  -98.12 USD    14.00 VEA  5120.50 USD -                  || 106.00 VHT   10.00 VEA   170.00 VHT    36.00 VEA -                  ||              18.00 VHT                294.00 VHT ---File: hledger.info,  Node: Bare layout,  Next: Tidy layout,  Prev: Tall layout,  Up: Balance report layout--29.1.15.3 Bare layout-.....................--Commodity symbols are kept in one column, each commodity has its own-row, amounts are bare numbers, account names are repeated:--$ hledger -f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade -3 -T -Y --layout=bare-Balance changes in 2012-01-01..2014-12-31:--                  || Commodity    2012    2013     2014    Total -==================++=============================================- Assets:US:ETrade || GLD             0   70.00        0    70.00 - Assets:US:ETrade || ITOT        10.00   18.00   -11.00    17.00 - Assets:US:ETrade || USD        337.18  -98.12  4881.44  5120.50 - Assets:US:ETrade || VEA         12.00   10.00    14.00    36.00 - Assets:US:ETrade || VHT        106.00   18.00   170.00   294.00 -------------------++----------------------------------------------                  || GLD             0   70.00        0    70.00 -                  || ITOT        10.00   18.00   -11.00    17.00 -                  || USD        337.18  -98.12  4881.44  5120.50 -                  || VEA         12.00   10.00    14.00    36.00 -                  || VHT        106.00   18.00   170.00   294.00 --   Bare layout also affects CSV output, which is useful for producing-data that is easier to consume, eg for making charts:--$ hledger -f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade -3 -O csv --layout=bare-"account","commodity","balance"-"Assets:US:ETrade","GLD","70.00"-"Assets:US:ETrade","ITOT","17.00"-"Assets:US:ETrade","USD","5120.50"-"Assets:US:ETrade","VEA","36.00"-"Assets:US:ETrade","VHT","294.00"-"Total:","GLD","70.00"-"Total:","ITOT","17.00"-"Total:","USD","5120.50"-"Total:","VEA","36.00"-"Total:","VHT","294.00"--   Bare layout will sometimes display an extra row for the no-symbol-commodity, because of zero amounts (hledger treats zeroes as-commodity-less, usually).  This can break 'hledger-bar' confusingly-(workaround: add a 'cur:' query to exclude the no-symbol row).---File: hledger.info,  Node: Tidy layout,  Prev: Bare layout,  Up: Balance report layout--29.1.15.4 Tidy layout-.....................--This produces normalised "tidy data" (see-https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/tidyr/vignettes/tidy-data.html)-where every variable has its own column and each row represents a single-data point.  This is the easiest kind of data for other software to-consume:--$ hledger -f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade -3 -Y -O csv --layout=tidy-"account","period","start_date","end_date","commodity","value"-"Assets:US:ETrade","2012","2012-01-01","2012-12-31","GLD","0"-"Assets:US:ETrade","2012","2012-01-01","2012-12-31","ITOT","10.00"-"Assets:US:ETrade","2012","2012-01-01","2012-12-31","USD","337.18"-"Assets:US:ETrade","2012","2012-01-01","2012-12-31","VEA","12.00"-"Assets:US:ETrade","2012","2012-01-01","2012-12-31","VHT","106.00"-"Assets:US:ETrade","2013","2013-01-01","2013-12-31","GLD","70.00"-"Assets:US:ETrade","2013","2013-01-01","2013-12-31","ITOT","18.00"-"Assets:US:ETrade","2013","2013-01-01","2013-12-31","USD","-98.12"-"Assets:US:ETrade","2013","2013-01-01","2013-12-31","VEA","10.00"-"Assets:US:ETrade","2013","2013-01-01","2013-12-31","VHT","18.00"-"Assets:US:ETrade","2014","2014-01-01","2014-12-31","GLD","0"-"Assets:US:ETrade","2014","2014-01-01","2014-12-31","ITOT","-11.00"-"Assets:US:ETrade","2014","2014-01-01","2014-12-31","USD","4881.44"-"Assets:US:ETrade","2014","2014-01-01","2014-12-31","VEA","14.00"-"Assets:US:ETrade","2014","2014-01-01","2014-12-31","VHT","170.00"---File: hledger.info,  Node: Balance report output,  Next: Some useful balance reports,  Prev: Balance report layout,  Up: balance--29.1.16 Balance report output--------------------------------As noted in Output format, if you choose HTML output (by using '-O html'-or '-o somefile.html'), you can create a 'hledger.css' file in the same-directory to customise the report's appearance.--   The HTML and FODS output formats can generate hyperlinks to a-'hledger-web' register view for each account and period.  E.g.  if your-'hledger-web' server is reachable at 'http://localhost:5000' then you-might run the 'balance' command with the extra option-'--base-url=http://localhost:5000'.  You can also produce relative-links, like '--base-url="some/path"' or '--base-url=""'.)---File: hledger.info,  Node: Some useful balance reports,  Prev: Balance report output,  Up: balance--29.1.17 Some useful balance reports--------------------------------------Some frequently used 'balance' options/reports are:--   * 'bal -M revenues expenses'-     Show revenues/expenses in each month.  Also available as the-     'incomestatement' command.--   * 'bal -M -H assets liabilities'-     Show historical asset/liability balances at each month end.  Also-     available as the 'balancesheet' command.--   * 'bal -M -H assets liabilities equity'-     Show historical asset/liability/equity balances at each month end.-     Also available as the 'balancesheetequity' command.--   * 'bal -M assets not:receivable'-     Show changes to liquid assets in each month.  Also available as the-     'cashflow' command.--   Also:--   * 'bal -M expenses -2 -SA'-     Show monthly expenses summarised to depth 2 and sorted by average-     amount.--   * 'bal -M --budget expenses'-     Show monthly expenses and budget goals.--   * 'bal -M --valuechange investments'-     Show monthly change in market value of investment assets.--   * 'bal investments --valuechange -D date:lastweek amt:'>1000' -STA-     [--invert]'-     Show top gainers [or losers] last week---File: hledger.info,  Node: roi,  Prev: balance,  Up: Advanced report commands--29.2 roi-========--Shows the time-weighted (TWR) and money-weighted (IRR) rate of return on-your investments.--Flags:-     --cashflow                 show all amounts that were used to compute-                                returns-     --investment=QUERY         query to select your investment transactions-     --profit-loss=QUERY --pnl  query to select profit-and-loss or-                                appreciation/valuation transactions--   At a minimum, you need to supply a query (which could be just an-account name) to select your investment(s) with '--inv', and another-query to identify your profit and loss transactions with '--pnl'.--   If you do not record changes in the value of your investment-manually, or do not require computation of time-weighted return (TWR),-'--pnl' could be an empty query ('--pnl ""' or '--pnl STR' where 'STR'-does not match any of your accounts).--   This command will compute and display the internalized rate of return-(IRR, also known as money-weighted rate of return) and time-weighted-rate of return (TWR) for your investments for the time period requested.-IRR is always annualized due to the way it is computed, but TWR is-reported both as a rate over the chosen reporting period and as an-annual rate.--   Price directives will be taken into account if you supply appropriate-'--cost' or '--value' flags (see VALUATION).--   Note, in some cases this report can fail, for these reasons:--   * Error (NotBracketed): No solution for Internal Rate of Return-     (IRR). Possible causes: IRR is huge (>1000000%), balance of-     investment becomes negative at some point in time.-   * Error (SearchFailed): Failed to find solution for Internal Rate of-     Return (IRR). Either search does not converge to a solution, or-     converges too slowly.--   Examples:--   * Using roi to compute total return of investment in stocks:-     https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/blob/master/examples/investing/roi-unrealised.ledger--   * Cookbook > Return on Investment: https://hledger.org/roi.html--* Menu:--* Spaces and special characters in --inv and --pnl::-* Semantics of --inv and --pnl::-* IRR and TWR explained::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Spaces and special characters in --inv and --pnl,  Next: Semantics of --inv and --pnl,  Up: roi--29.2.1 Spaces and special characters in '--inv' and------------------------------------------------------'--pnl' Note that '--inv' and '--pnl''s argument is a query, and queries-could have several space-separated terms (see QUERIES).--   To indicate that all search terms form single command-line argument,-you will need to put them in quotes (see Special characters):--$ hledger roi --inv 'term1 term2 term3 ...'--   If any query terms contain spaces themselves, you will need an extra-level of nested quoting, eg:--$ hledger roi --inv="'Assets:Test 1'" --pnl="'Equity:Unrealized Profit and Loss'"---File: hledger.info,  Node: Semantics of --inv and --pnl,  Next: IRR and TWR explained,  Prev: Spaces and special characters in --inv and --pnl,  Up: roi--29.2.2 Semantics of '--inv' and '--pnl'------------------------------------------Query supplied to '--inv' has to match all transactions that are related-to your investment.  Transactions not matching '--inv' will be ignored.--   In these transactions, ROI will conside postings that match '--inv'-to be "investment postings" and other postings (not matching '--inv')-will be sorted into two categories: "cash flow" and "profit and loss",-as ROI needs to know which part of the investment value is your-contributions and which is due to the return on investment.--   * "Cash flow" is depositing or withdrawing money, buying or selling-     assets, or otherwise converting between your investment commodity-     and any other commodity.  Example:--     2019-01-01 Investing in Snake Oil-       assets:cash          -$100-       investment:snake oil-     -     2020-01-01 Selling my Snake Oil-       assets:cash           $10-       investment:snake oil  = 0--   * "Profit and loss" is change in the value of your investment:--     2019-06-01 Snake Oil falls in value-       investment:snake oil  = $57-       equity:unrealized profit or loss--   All non-investment postings are assumed to be "cash flow", unless-they match '--pnl' query.  Changes in value of your investment due to-"profit and loss" postings will be considered as part of your investment-return.--   Example: if you use '--inv snake --pnl equity:unrealized', then-postings in the example below would be classifed as:--2019-01-01 Snake Oil #1-  assets:cash          -$100   ; cash flow posting-  investment:snake oil         ; investment posting--2019-03-01 Snake Oil #2-  equity:unrealized pnl  -$100 ; profit and loss posting-  snake oil                    ; investment posting--2019-07-01 Snake Oil #3-  equity:unrealized pnl        ; profit and loss posting-  cash          -$100          ; cash flow posting-  snake oil     $50            ; investment posting---File: hledger.info,  Node: IRR and TWR explained,  Prev: Semantics of --inv and --pnl,  Up: roi--29.2.3 IRR and TWR explained-------------------------------"ROI" stands for "return on investment".  Traditionally this was-computed as a difference between current value of investment and its-initial value, expressed in percentage of the initial value.--   However, this approach is only practical in simple cases, where-investments receives no in-flows or out-flows of money, and where rate-of growth is fixed over time.  For more complex scenarios you need-different ways to compute rate of return, and this command implements-two of them: IRR and TWR.--   Internal rate of return, or "IRR" (also called "money-weighted rate-of return") takes into account effects of in-flows and out-flows, and-the time between them.  Investment at a particular fixed interest rate-is going to give you more interest than the same amount invested at the-same interest rate, but made later in time.  If you are withdrawing from-your investment, your future gains would be smaller (in absolute-numbers), and will be a smaller percentage of your initial investment,-so your IRR will be smaller.  And if you are adding to your investment,-you will receive bigger absolute gains, which will be a bigger-percentage of your initial investment, so your IRR will be larger.--   As mentioned before, in-flows and out-flows would be any cash that-you personally put in or withdraw, and for the "roi" command, these are-the postings that match the query in the'--inv' argument and NOT match-the query in the'--pnl' argument.--   If you manually record changes in the value of your investment as-transactions that balance them against "profit and loss" (or "unrealized-gains") account or use price directives, then in order for IRR to-compute the precise effect of your in-flows and out-flows on the rate of-return, you will need to record the value of your investement on or-close to the days when in- or out-flows occur.--   In technical terms, IRR uses the same approach as computation of net-present value, and tries to find a discount rate that makes net present-value of all the cash flows of your investment to add up to zero.  This-could be hard to wrap your head around, especially if you haven't done-discounted cash flow analysis before.  Implementation of IRR in hledger-should produce results that match the '=XIRR' formula in Excel.--   Second way to compute rate of return that 'roi' command implements is-called "time-weighted rate of return" or "TWR". Like IRR, it will-account for the effect of your in-flows and out-flows, but unlike IRR it-will try to compute the true rate of return of the underlying asset,-compensating for the effect that deposits and withdrawas have on the-apparent rate of growth of your investment.--   TWR represents your investment as an imaginary "unit fund" where-in-flows/ out-flows lead to buying or selling "units" of your investment-and changes in its value change the value of "investment unit".  Change-in "unit price" over the reporting period gives you rate of return of-your investment, and make TWR less sensitive than IRR to the effects of-cash in-flows and out-flows.--   References:--   * Explanation of rate of return-   * Explanation of IRR-   * Explanation of TWR-   * IRR vs TWR-   * Examples of computing IRR and TWR and discussion of the limitations-     of both metrics---File: hledger.info,  Node: Chart commands,  Next: Data generation commands,  Prev: Advanced report commands,  Up: Top--30 Chart commands-*****************--* Menu:--* activity::---File: hledger.info,  Node: activity,  Up: Chart commands--30.1 activity-=============--Show an ascii barchart of posting counts per interval.--Flags:-no command-specific flags--   The activity command displays an ascii histogram showing transaction-counts by day, week, month or other reporting interval (by day is the-default).  With query arguments, it counts only matched transactions.--   Examples:--$ hledger activity --quarterly-2008-01-01 **-2008-04-01 *******-2008-07-01 -2008-10-01 **---File: hledger.info,  Node: Data generation commands,  Next: Maintenance commands,  Prev: Chart commands,  Up: Top--31 Data generation commands-***************************--* Menu:--* close::-* rewrite::---File: hledger.info,  Node: close,  Next: rewrite,  Up: Data generation commands--31.1 close-==========--(equity)--   'close' prints several kinds of "closing" and/or "opening"-transactions, useful in various situations: migrating balances to a new-journal file, retaining earnings into equity, consolidating balances,-viewing lot costs..  Like 'print', it prints valid journal entries.  You-can copy these into your journal file(s) when you are happy with how-they look.--Flags:-     --clopen[=TAGVAL]      show closing and opening balances transactions,-                            for AL accounts by default-     --close[=TAGVAL]       show just a closing balances transaction-     --open[=TAGVAL]        show just an opening balances transaction-     --assert[=TAGVAL]      show a balance assertions transaction-     --assign[=TAGVAL]      show a balance assignments transaction-     --retain[=TAGVAL]      show a retain earnings transaction, for RX-                            accounts by default-  -x --explicit             show all amounts explicitly-     --show-costs           show amounts with different costs separately-     --interleaved          show source and destination postings together-     --assertion-type=TYPE  =, ==, =* or ==*-     --close-desc=DESC      set closing transaction's description-     --close-acct=ACCT      set closing transaction's destination account-     --open-desc=DESC       set opening transaction's description-     --open-acct=ACCT       set opening transaction's source account-     --round=TYPE           how much rounding or padding should be done when-                            displaying amounts ?-                            none - show original decimal digits,-                                   as in journal (default)-                            soft - just add or remove decimal zeros-                                   to match precision-                            hard - round posting amounts to precision-                                   (can unbalance transactions)-                            all  - also round cost amounts to precision-                                   (can unbalance transactions)--   'close' has six modes, selected by choosing one of the mode flags:-'--clopen', '--close' (default), '--open', '--assert', '--assign', or-'--retain'.  They are all doing the same kind of operation, but with-different defaults for different situations.--   The journal entries generated by 'close' will have a 'clopen:' tag,-which is helpful when you want to exclude them from reports.  If the-main journal file name contains a number, the tag's value will be that-base file name with the number incremented.  Eg if the journal file is-2025.journal, the tag will be 'clopen:2026'.  Or you can set the tag-value by providing an argument to the mode flag.  Eg '--close=foo' or-'--clopen=2025-main'.--* Menu:--* close --clopen::-* close --close::-* close --open::-* close --assert::-* close --assign::-* close --retain::-* close customisation::-* close and balance assertions::-* close examples::---File: hledger.info,  Node: close --clopen,  Next: close --close,  Up: close--31.1.1 close -clopen-----------------------This is useful if migrating balances to a new journal file at the start-of a new year.  It prints a "closing balances" transaction that zeroes-out account balances (Asset and Liability accounts, by default), and an-opposite "opening balances" transaction that restores them again.-Typically, you would run--hledger close --clopen -e NEWYEAR >> $LEDGER_FILE--   and then move the opening transaction from the old file to the new-file (and probably also update your LEDGER_FILE environment variable).--   Why might you do this ?  If your reports are fast, you may not need-it.  But at some point you will probably want to partition your data by-time, for performance or data integrity or regulatory reasons.  A new-file or set of files per year is common.  Then, having each file/fileset-"bookended" with opening and closing balance transactions will allow you-to freely pick and choose which files to read - just the current year,-any past year, any sequence of years, or all of them - while showing-correct account balances in each case.  The earliest opening balances-transaction sets correct starting balances, and any later-closing/opening pairs will harmlessly cancel each other out.--   The balances will be transferred to and from 'equity:opening/closing-balances' by default.  You can override this by using '--close-acct'-and/or '--open-acct'.--   You can select a different set of accounts to close/open by providing-an account query.  Eg to add Equity accounts, provide arguments like-'assets liabilities equity' or 'type:ALE'.  When migrating to a new-file, you'll usually want to bring along the AL or ALE accounts, but not-the RX accounts (Revenue, Expense).--   Assertions will be added indicating and checking the new balances of-the closed/opened accounts.---File: hledger.info,  Node: close --close,  Next: close --open,  Prev: close --clopen,  Up: close--31.1.2 close -close----------------------This prints just the closing balances transaction of '--clopen'.  It is-the default if you don't specify a mode.--   More customisation options are described below.  Among other things,-you can use 'close --close' to generate a transaction moving the-balances from any set of accounts, to a different account.  (If you need-to move just a portion of the balance, see hledger-move.)---File: hledger.info,  Node: close --open,  Next: close --assert,  Prev: close --close,  Up: close--31.1.3 close -open---------------------This prints just the opening balances transaction of '--clopen'.  (It is-similar to Ledger's equity command.)---File: hledger.info,  Node: close --assert,  Next: close --assign,  Prev: close --open,  Up: close--31.1.4 close -assert-----------------------This prints a transaction that asserts the account balances as they are-on the end date (and adds an 'assert:' tag).  It could be useful as-documention and to guard against changes.---File: hledger.info,  Node: close --assign,  Next: close --retain,  Prev: close --assert,  Up: close--31.1.5 close -assign-----------------------This prints a transaction that assigns the account balances as they are-on the end date (and adds an "assign:" tag).  Unlike balance assertions,-assignments will post changes to balances as needed to reach the-specified amounts.--   This is another way to set starting balances when migrating to a new-file, and it will set them correctly even in the presence of earlier-files which do not have a closing balances transaction.  However, it can-hide errors, and disturb the accounting equation, so '--clopen' is-usually recommended.---File: hledger.info,  Node: close --retain,  Next: close customisation,  Prev: close --assign,  Up: close--31.1.6 close -retain-----------------------This is like '--close', but it closes Revenue and Expense account-balances by default.  They will be transferred to 'equity:retained-earnings', or another account specified with '--close-acct'.--   Revenues and expenses correspond to changes in equity.  They are-categorised separately for reporting purposes, but traditionally at the-end of each accounting period, businesses consolidate them into equity,-This is called "retaining earnings", or "closing the books".--   In personal accounting, there's not much reason to do this, and most-people don't.  (One reason to do it is to help the 'balancesheetequity'-report show a zero total, demonstrating that the accounting equation-(A-L=E) is satisfied.)---File: hledger.info,  Node: close customisation,  Next: close and balance assertions,  Prev: close --retain,  Up: close--31.1.7 close customisation-----------------------------In all modes, the following things can be overridden:--   * the accounts to be closed/opened, with account query arguments-   * the closing/opening dates, with '-e OPENDATE'-   * the balancing account, with '--close-acct=ACCT' and/or-     '--open-acct=ACCT'-   * the transaction descriptions, with '--close-desc=DESC' and-     '--open-desc=DESC'-   * the transactions' 'clopen' tag value, with a 'TAGVAL' argument for-     the mode flag (see above).--   By default, the closing date is yesterday, or the journal's end date,-whichever is later; and the opening date is always one day after the-closing date.  You can change these by specifying a report end date; the-closing date will be the last day of the report period.  Eg '-e 2024'-means "close on 2023-12-31, open on 2024-01-01".--   With '--x/--explicit', the balancing amount will be shown explicitly,-and if it involves multiple commodities, a separate posting will be-generated for each of them (similar to 'print -x').--   With '--interleaved', each individual transfer is shown with source-and destination postings next to each other (perhaps useful for-troubleshooting).--   With '--show-costs', balances' costs are also shown, with different-costs kept separate.  This may generate very large journal entries, if-you have many currency conversions or investment transactions.  'close---show-costs' is currently the best way to view investment lots with-hledger.  (To move or dispose of lots, see the more capable-'hledger-move' script.)---File: hledger.info,  Node: close and balance assertions,  Next: close examples,  Prev: close customisation,  Up: close--31.1.8 close and balance assertions--------------------------------------'close' adds balance assertions verifying that the accounts have been-reset to zero in a closing transaction or restored to their previous-balances in an opening transaction.  These provide useful error-checking, but you can ignore them temporarily with '-I', or remove them-if you prefer.--   Single-commodity, subaccount-exclusive balance assertions ('=') are-generated by default.  This can be changed with '--assertion-type='==*''-(eg).--   When running 'close' you should probably avoid using '-C', '-R',-'status:' (filtering by status or realness) or '--auto' (generating-postings), since the generated balance assertions would then require-these.--   Transactions with multiple dates (eg posting dates) spanning the file-boundary also can disrupt the balance assertions:--2023-12-30 a purchase made in december, cleared in january-    expenses:food          5-    assets:bank:checking  -5  ; date: 2023-01-02--   To solve this you can transfer the money to and from a temporary-account, splitting the multi-day transaction into two single-day-transactions:--; in 2022.journal:-2022-12-30 a purchase made in december, cleared in january-    expenses:food          5-    equity:pending        -5--; in 2023.journal:-2023-01-02 last year's transaction cleared-    equity:pending         5 = 0-    assets:bank:checking  -5---File: hledger.info,  Node: close examples,  Prev: close and balance assertions,  Up: close--31.1.9 close examples------------------------* Menu:--* Retain earnings::-* Migrate balances to a new file::-* More detailed close examples::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Retain earnings,  Next: Migrate balances to a new file,  Up: close examples--31.1.9.1 Retain earnings-........................--Record 2022's revenues/expenses as retained earnings on 2022-12-31,-appending the generated transaction to the journal:--$ hledger close --retain -f 2022.journal -p 2022 >> 2022.journal--   After this, to see 2022's revenues and expenses you must exclude the-retain earnings transaction:--$ hledger -f 2022.journal is not:desc:'retain earnings'---File: hledger.info,  Node: Migrate balances to a new file,  Next: More detailed close examples,  Prev: Retain earnings,  Up: close examples--31.1.9.2 Migrate balances to a new file-.......................................--Close assets/liabilities on 2022-12-31 and re-open them on 2023-01-01:--$ hledger close --clopen -f 2022.journal -p 2022-# copy/paste the closing transaction to the end of 2022.journal-# copy/paste the opening transaction to the start of 2023.journal--   After this, to see 2022's end-of-year balances you must exclude the-closing balances transaction:--$ hledger -f 2022.journal bs not:desc:'closing balances'--   For more flexibility, it helps to tag closing and opening-transactions with eg 'clopen:NEWYEAR', then you can ensure correct-balances by excluding all opening/closing transactions except the first,-like so:--$ hledger bs -Y -f 2021.j -f 2022.j -f 2023.j expr:'tag:clopen=2021 or not tag:clopen'-$ hledger bs -Y -f 2021.j -f 2022.j           expr:'tag:clopen=2021 or not tag:clopen'-$ hledger bs -Y -f 2022.j -f 2023.j           expr:'tag:clopen=2022 or not tag:clopen'-$ hledger bs -Y -f 2021.j                     expr:'tag:clopen=2021 or not tag:clopen'-$ hledger bs -Y -f 2022.j                     expr:'tag:clopen=2022 or not tag:clopen'-$ hledger bs -Y -f 2023.j                     # unclosed file, no query needed---File: hledger.info,  Node: More detailed close examples,  Prev: Migrate balances to a new file,  Up: close examples--31.1.9.3 More detailed close examples-.....................................--See examples/multi-year.---File: hledger.info,  Node: rewrite,  Prev: close,  Up: Data generation commands--31.2 rewrite-============--Print all transactions, rewriting the postings of matched transactions.-For now the only rewrite available is adding new postings, like print--auto.--Flags:-     --add-posting='ACCT  AMTEXPR'  add a posting to ACCT, which may be-                                    parenthesised. AMTEXPR is either a literal-                                    amount, or *N which means the transaction's-                                    first matched amount multiplied by N (a-                                    decimal number). Two spaces separate ACCT-                                    and AMTEXPR.-     --diff                         generate diff suitable as an input for-                                    patch tool--   This is a start at a generic rewriter of transaction entries.  It-reads the default journal and prints the transactions, like print, but-adds one or more specified postings to any transactions matching QUERY.-The posting amounts can be fixed, or a multiplier of the existing-transaction's first posting amount.--   Examples:--$ hledger-rewrite.hs ^income --add-posting '(liabilities:tax)  *.33  ; income tax' --add-posting '(reserve:gifts)  $100'-$ hledger-rewrite.hs expenses:gifts --add-posting '(reserve:gifts)  *-1"'-$ hledger-rewrite.hs -f rewrites.hledger--   rewrites.hledger may consist of entries like:--= ^income amt:<0 date:2017-  (liabilities:tax)  *0.33  ; tax on income-  (reserve:grocery)  *0.25  ; reserve 25% for grocery-  (reserve:)  *0.25  ; reserve 25% for grocery--   Note the single quotes to protect the dollar sign from bash, and the-two spaces between account and amount.--   More:--$ hledger rewrite [QUERY]        --add-posting "ACCT  AMTEXPR" ...-$ hledger rewrite ^income        --add-posting '(liabilities:tax)  *.33'-$ hledger rewrite expenses:gifts --add-posting '(budget:gifts)  *-1"'-$ hledger rewrite ^income        --add-posting '(budget:foreign currency)  *0.25 JPY; diversify'--   Argument for '--add-posting' option is a usual posting of transaction-with an exception for amount specification.  More precisely, you can use-''*'' (star symbol) before the amount to indicate that that this is a-factor for an amount of original matched posting.  If the amount-includes a commodity name, the new posting amount will be in the new-commodity; otherwise, it will be in the matched posting amount's-commodity.--* Menu:--* Re-write rules in a file::-* Diff output format::-* rewrite vs print --auto::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Re-write rules in a file,  Next: Diff output format,  Up: rewrite--31.2.1 Re-write rules in a file----------------------------------During the run this tool will execute so called "Automated Transactions"-found in any journal it process.  I.e instead of specifying this-operations in command line you can put them in a journal file.--$ rewrite-rules.journal--   Make contents look like this:--= ^income-    (liabilities:tax)  *.33--= expenses:gifts-    budget:gifts  *-1-    assets:budget  *1--   Note that ''='' (equality symbol) that is used instead of date in-transactions you usually write.  It indicates the query by which you-want to match the posting to add new ones.--$ hledger rewrite -f input.journal -f rewrite-rules.journal > rewritten-tidy-output.journal--   This is something similar to the commands pipeline:--$ hledger rewrite -f input.journal '^income' --add-posting '(liabilities:tax)  *.33' \-  | hledger rewrite -f - expenses:gifts      --add-posting 'budget:gifts  *-1'       \-                                                --add-posting 'assets:budget  *1'       \-  > rewritten-tidy-output.journal--   It is important to understand that relative order of such entries in-journal is important.  You can re-use result of previously added-postings.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Diff output format,  Next: rewrite vs print --auto,  Prev: Re-write rules in a file,  Up: rewrite--31.2.2 Diff output format----------------------------To use this tool for batch modification of your journal files you may-find useful output in form of unified diff.--$ hledger rewrite --diff -f examples/sample.journal '^income' --add-posting '(liabilities:tax)  *.33'--   Output might look like:----- /tmp/examples/sample.journal-+++ /tmp/examples/sample.journal-@@ -18,3 +18,4 @@- 2008/01/01 income--    assets:bank:checking  $1-+    assets:bank:checking            $1-     income:salary-+    (liabilities:tax)                0-@@ -22,3 +23,4 @@- 2008/06/01 gift--    assets:bank:checking  $1-+    assets:bank:checking            $1-     income:gifts-+    (liabilities:tax)                0--   If you'll pass this through 'patch' tool you'll get transactions-containing the posting that matches your query be updated.  Note that-multiple files might be update according to list of input files-specified via '--file' options and 'include' directives inside of these-files.--   Be careful.  Whole transaction being re-formatted in a style of-output from 'hledger print'.--   See also:--   https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/99---File: hledger.info,  Node: rewrite vs print --auto,  Prev: Diff output format,  Up: rewrite--31.2.3 rewrite vs. print -auto---------------------------------This command predates print -auto, and currently does much the same-thing, but with these differences:--   * with multiple files, rewrite lets rules in any file affect all-     other files.  print -auto uses standard directive scoping; rules-     affect only child files.--   * rewrite's query limits which transactions can be rewritten; all are-     printed.  print -auto's query limits which transactions are-     printed.--   * rewrite applies rules specified on command line or in the journal.-     print -auto applies rules specified in the journal.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Maintenance commands,  Next: PART 5 COMMON TASKS,  Prev: Data generation commands,  Up: Top--32 Maintenance commands-***********************--* Menu:--* check::-* diff::-* setup::-* test::---File: hledger.info,  Node: check,  Next: diff,  Up: Maintenance commands--32.1 check-==========--Check for various kinds of errors in your data.--Flags:-no command-specific flags--   hledger provides a number of built-in correctness checks to help-validate your data and prevent errors.  Some are run automatically, some-when you enable '--strict' mode; or you can run any of them on demand by-providing them as arguments to the 'check' command.  'check' produces no-output and a zero exit code if all is well.  Eg:--hledger check                      # run basic checks-hledger check -s                   # run basic and strict checks-hledger check ordereddates payees  # run basic checks and two others--   If you are an Emacs user, you can also configure flycheck-hledger to-run these checks, providing instant feedback as you edit the journal.--   Here are the checks currently available.  They are generally checked-in the order they are shown here, and only the first failure will be-reported.--* Menu:--* Basic checks::-* Strict checks::-* Other checks::-* Custom checks::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Basic checks,  Next: Strict checks,  Up: check--32.1.1 Basic checks----------------------These important checks are performed by default, by almost all hledger-commands:--   * *parseable* - data files are in a supported format, with no syntax-     errors and no invalid include directives.  This ensures that all-     files exist and are readable.--   * *autobalanced* - all transactions are balanced, after automatically-     inferring missing amounts and conversion rates and then converting-     amounts to cost.  This ensures that each transaction's journal-     entry is well formed.--   * *assertions* - all balance assertions in the journal are passing.-     Balance assertions are a strong defense against errors, catching-     many problems.  This check is on by default, but if it gets in your-     way, you can disable it temporarily with-     '-I'/'--ignore-assertions', or as a default by adding that flag to-     your config file.  (Then use '-s'/'--strict' or 'hledger check-     assertions' when you want to enable it).---File: hledger.info,  Node: Strict checks,  Next: Other checks,  Prev: Basic checks,  Up: check--32.1.2 Strict checks-----------------------When the '-s'/'--strict' flag is used (AKA strict mode), all commands-will perform the following additional checks (and 'assertions', above).-These provide extra error-catching power to help you keep your data-clean and correct:--   * *balanced* - like 'autobalanced', but implicit conversions between-     commodities are not allowed; all conversion transactions must use-     cost notation or equity postings.  This prevents wrong conversions-     caused by typos.--   * *commodities* - all commodity symbols used must be declared.  This-     guards against mistyping or omitting commodity symbols.--   * *accounts* - all account names used must be declared.  This-     prevents the use of mis-spelled or outdated account names.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Other checks,  Next: Custom checks,  Prev: Strict checks,  Up: check--32.1.3 Other checks----------------------These are not wanted by everyone, but can be run using the 'check'-command:--   * *tags* - all tags used must be declared.  This prevents mis-spelled-     tag names.  Note hledger fairly often finds unintended tags in-     comments.--   * *payees* - all payees used in transactions must be declared.  This-     will force you to declare any new payee name before using it.  Most-     people will probably find this a bit too strict.--   * *ordereddates* - within each file, transactions must be ordered by-     date.  This is a simple and effective error catcher.  It's not-     included in strict mode, but you can add it by running 'hledger-     check -s ordereddates'.  If enabled, this check is performed before-     balance assertions.--   * *recentassertions* - all accounts with balance assertions must have-     one that's within the 7 days before their latest posting.  This-     will encourage adding balance assertions for your active-     asset/liability accounts, which in turn should encourage you to-     reconcile regularly with those real world balances - another strong-     defense against errors.  ('hledger close --assert >>$LEDGER_FILE'-     is a convenient way to add new balance assertions.  Later these-     become quite redundant, and you might choose to remove them to-     reduce clutter.)--   * *uniqueleafnames* - no two accounts may have the same last account-     name part (eg the 'checking' in 'assets:bank:checking').  This-     ensures each account can be matched by a unique short name, easier-     to remember and to type.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Custom checks,  Prev: Other checks,  Up: check--32.1.4 Custom checks-----------------------You can build your own custom checks with add-on command scripts.  See-also Cookbook > Scripting.  Here are some examples from hledger/bin/:--   * *hledger-check-tagfiles* - all tag values containing '/' exist as-     file paths--   * *hledger-check-fancyassertions* - more complex balance assertions-     are passing---File: hledger.info,  Node: diff,  Next: setup,  Prev: check,  Up: Maintenance commands--32.2 diff-=========--Compares a particular account's transactions in two input files.  It-shows any transactions to this account which are in one file but not in-the other.--Flags:-no command-specific flags--   More precisely: for each posting affecting this account in either-file, this command looks for a corresponding posting in the other file-which posts the same amount to the same account (ignoring date,-description, etc).--   Since it compares postings, not transactions, this also works when-multiple bank transactions have been combined into a single journal-entry.--   This command is useful eg if you have downloaded an account's-transactions from your bank (eg as CSV data): when hledger and your bank-disagree about the account balance, you can compare the bank data with-your journal to find out the cause.--   Examples:--$ hledger diff -f $LEDGER_FILE -f bank.csv assets:bank:giro -These transactions are in the first file only:--2014/01/01 Opening Balances-    assets:bank:giro              EUR ...-    ...-    equity:opening balances       EUR -...--These transactions are in the second file only:---File: hledger.info,  Node: setup,  Next: test,  Prev: diff,  Up: Maintenance commands--32.3 setup-==========--Check the status of the hledger installation.--Flags:-no command-specific flags--   'setup' tests your hledger installation and prints a list of results,-sometimes with helpful hints.  This is a good first command to run after-installing hledger.  Also after upgrading, or when something's not-working, or just when you want a reminder of where things are.--   It makes one network request to detect the latest hledger release-version.  It's ok if this fails or times out.  It will use ANSI color by-default, unless disabled by NO_COLOR or -color=n.  It does not use a-pager or a config file.--   It expects that the hledger version you are running is installed in-your PATH. If not, it will stop until you have done that (to keep things-simple).--   Example:--$ hledger setup-Checking your hledger setup..-Legend: good, neutral, unknown, warning--hledger-* is a released version ?                   no  hledger 1.42.99-gbca4b39c5-20250425, mac-aarch64-* is up to date ?                          yes  1.42.99 installed, latest is 1.42.1-* is a native binary for this machine ?    yes  aarch64-* is installed in PATH ?                   yes  /Users/simon/.local/bin/hledger-* has a system text encoding configured ?  yes  UTF-8, data files should use this encoding-* has a user config file ? (optional)       no  -* current directory has a local config ?   yes  /Users/simon/src/hledger/hledger.conf-* the config file is readable ?            yes  /Users/simon/src/hledger/hledger.conf--terminal-* the NO_COLOR variable is defined ?        no  -* --color is configured by config file ?    no  -* hledger will use color by default ?      yes  -* the PAGER variable is defined ?          yes  less-* --pager is configured by config file ?    no  -* hledger will use a pager when needed ?   yes  /opt/homebrew/bin/less-* the LESS variable is defined ?           yes  -* the HLEDGER_LESS variable is defined ?    no  -* adjusting LESS variable for color etc. ? yes  -* --pretty is enabled by config file ?      no  tables will use ASCII characters-* bash shell completions are installed ?     ?  -* zsh shell completions are installed ?      ?  --journal-* the LEDGER_FILE variable is defined ?    yes  /Users/simon/finance/2025/2025.journal-* a default journal file is readable ?     yes  /Users/simon/finance/2025/2025.journal-* it includes additional files ?           yes  15-* all commodities are declared ?           yes  10-* all accounts are declared ?              yes  160-* all accounts have types ?                 no  14 untyped-* accounts of each type were detected ?    yes  ALERXCV-* commodities/accounts are checked ?        no  use -s to check commodities/accounts-* balance assertions are checked ?         yes  use -I to ignore assertions---File: hledger.info,  Node: test,  Prev: setup,  Up: Maintenance commands--32.4 test-=========--Run built-in unit tests.--Flags:-no command-specific flags--   This command runs the unit tests built in to hledger and hledger-lib,-printing the results on stdout.  If any test fails, the exit code will-be non-zero.--   This is mainly used by hledger developers, but you can also use it to-sanity-check the installed hledger executable on your platform.  All-tests are expected to pass - if you ever see a failure, please report as-a bug!--   Any arguments before a '--' argument will be passed to the 'tasty'-test runner as test-selecting -p patterns, and any arguments after '--'-will be passed to tasty unchanged.--   Examples:--$ hledger test               # run all unit tests-$ hledger test balance       # run tests with "balance" in their name-$ hledger test -- -h         # show tasty's options---File: hledger.info,  Node: PART 5 COMMON TASKS,  Next: BUGS,  Prev: Maintenance commands,  Up: Top--33 PART 5: COMMON TASKS-***********************--Here are some quick examples of how to do some basic tasks with hledger.--* Menu:--* Getting help::-* Constructing command lines::-* Starting a journal file::-* Setting LEDGER_FILE::-* Setting opening balances::-* Recording transactions::-* Reconciling::-* Reporting::-* Migrating to a new file::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Getting help,  Next: Constructing command lines,  Up: PART 5 COMMON TASKS--33.1 Getting help-=================--Here's how to list commands and view options and command docs:--$ hledger                # show available commands-$ hledger --help         # show common options-$ hledger CMD --help     # show CMD's options, common options and CMD's documentation--   You can also view your hledger version's manual in several formats by-using the help command.  Eg:--$ hledger help           # show the hledger manual with info, man or $PAGER (best available)-$ hledger help journal   # show the journal topic in the hledger manual-$ hledger help --help    # find out more about the help command--   To view manuals and introductory docs on the web, visit-https://hledger.org.  Chat and mail list support and discussion archives-can be found at https://hledger.org/support.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Constructing command lines,  Next: Starting a journal file,  Prev: Getting help,  Up: PART 5 COMMON TASKS--33.2 Constructing command lines-===============================--hledger has a flexible command line interface.  We strive to keep it-simple and ergonomic, but if you run into one of the sharp edges-described in OPTIONS, here are some tips that might help:--   * command-specific options must go after the command (it's fine to-     put common options there too: 'hledger CMD OPTS ARGS')-   * you can run addon commands via hledger ('hledger ui [ARGS]') or-     directly ('hledger-ui [ARGS]')-   * enclose "problematic" arguments in single quotes-   * if needed, also add a backslash to hide regular expression-     metacharacters from the shell-   * to see how a misbehaving command line is being parsed, add-     '--debug=2'.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Starting a journal file,  Next: Setting LEDGER_FILE,  Prev: Constructing command lines,  Up: PART 5 COMMON TASKS--33.3 Starting a journal file-============================--hledger looks for your accounting data in a journal file,-'$HOME/.hledger.journal' by default:--$ hledger stats-The hledger journal file "/Users/simon/.hledger.journal" was not found.-Please create it first, eg with "hledger add" or a text editor.-Or, specify an existing journal file with -f or LEDGER_FILE.--   You can override this by setting the 'LEDGER_FILE' environment-variable (see below).  It's a good practice to keep this important file-under version control, and to start a new file each year.  So you could-do something like this:--$ mkdir ~/finance-$ cd ~/finance-$ git init-Initialized empty Git repository in /Users/simon/finance/.git/-$ touch 2023.journal-$ echo "export LEDGER_FILE=$HOME/finance/2023.journal" >> ~/.profile-$ source ~/.profile-$ hledger stats-Main file                : /Users/simon/finance/2023.journal-Included files           : -Transactions span        :  to  (0 days)-Last transaction         : none-Transactions             : 0 (0.0 per day)-Transactions last 30 days: 0 (0.0 per day)-Transactions last 7 days : 0 (0.0 per day)-Payees/descriptions      : 0-Accounts                 : 0 (depth 0)-Commodities              : 0 ()-Market prices            : 0 ()---File: hledger.info,  Node: Setting LEDGER_FILE,  Next: Setting opening balances,  Prev: Starting a journal file,  Up: PART 5 COMMON TASKS--33.4 Setting LEDGER_FILE-========================--* Menu:--* Set LEDGER_FILE on unix::-* Set LEDGER_FILE on mac::-* Set LEDGER_FILE on Windows::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Set LEDGER_FILE on unix,  Next: Set LEDGER_FILE on mac,  Up: Setting LEDGER_FILE--33.4.1 Set LEDGER_FILE on unix---------------------------------It depends on your shell, but running these commands in the terminal-will work for many people; adapt if needed:--$ echo 'export LEDGER_FILE=~/finance/my.journal' >> ~/.profile-$ source ~/.profile--   When correctly configured:--   * 'env | grep LEDGER_FILE' will show your new setting-   * and so should 'hledger setup' and 'hledger files'.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Set LEDGER_FILE on mac,  Next: Set LEDGER_FILE on Windows,  Prev: Set LEDGER_FILE on unix,  Up: Setting LEDGER_FILE--33.4.2 Set LEDGER_FILE on mac--------------------------------In a terminal window, follow the unix procedure above.--   Also, this optional step may be helpful for GUI applications:--  1. Add an entry to '~/.MacOSX/environment.plist' like--     {-       "LEDGER_FILE" : "~/finance/my.journal"-     }--  2. Run 'killall Dock' in a terminal window (or restart the machine),-     to complete the change.--   When correctly configured for GUI applications:--   * apps started from the dock or a spotlight search, such as a GUI-     Emacs, will be aware of the new LEDGER_FILE setting.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Set LEDGER_FILE on Windows,  Prev: Set LEDGER_FILE on mac,  Up: Setting LEDGER_FILE--33.4.3 Set LEDGER_FILE on Windows------------------------------------Using the gui is easiest:--  1. In task bar, search for 'environment variables', and choose "Edit-     environment variables for your account".-  2. Create or change a 'LEDGER_FILE' setting in the User variables-     pane.  A typical value would be-     'C:\Users\USERNAME\finance\my.journal'.-  3. Click OK to complete the change.-  4. And open a new powershell window.  (Existing windows won't see the-     change.)--   Or at the command line, you can do it this way:--  1. In a powershell window, run-     '[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("LEDGER_FILE",-     "C:\User\USERNAME\finance\my.journal",-     [System.EnvironmentVariableTarget]::User)'-  2. And open a new powershell window.  (Existing windows won't see the-     change.)--   Warning, doing this from the Windows command line can be tricky;-other methods you may find online:--   * may not affect the current window-   * may not be persistent-   * may not work unless you are an administrator-   * may limit values to 1024 characters-   * may break dynamic references to other variables-   * may require a new-enough version of powershell-   * or may be intended for the older command window.-   * If you still have trouble, see eg Setting Windows PowerShell-     environment variables or Adding path permanently to windows using-     powershell doesn't appear to work.--   When correctly configured:--   * in a new powershell window, '$env:LEDGER_FILE' will show your new-     setting-   * and so should 'hledger setup' and (once the file exists) 'hledger-     files'.---File: hledger.info,  Node: Setting opening balances,  Next: Recording transactions,  Prev: Setting LEDGER_FILE,  Up: PART 5 COMMON TASKS--33.5 Setting opening balances-=============================--Pick a starting date for which you can look up the balances of some-real-world assets (bank accounts, wallet..)  and liabilities (credit-cards..).--   To avoid a lot of data entry, you may want to start with just one or-two accounts, like your checking account or cash wallet; and pick a-recent starting date, like today or the start of the week.  You can-always come back later and add more accounts and older transactions, eg-going back to january 1st.--   Add an opening balances transaction to the journal, declaring the-balances on this date.  Here are two ways to do it:--   * The first way: open the journal in any text editor and save an-     entry like this:--     2023-01-01 * opening balances-         assets:bank:checking                $1000   = $1000-         assets:bank:savings                 $2000   = $2000-         assets:cash                          $100   = $100-         liabilities:creditcard               $-50   = $-50-         equity:opening/closing balances--     These are start-of-day balances, ie whatever was in the account at-     the end of the previous day.--     The * after the date is an optional status flag.  Here it means-     "cleared & confirmed".--     The currency symbols are optional, but usually a good idea as-     you'll be dealing with multiple currencies sooner or later.--     The = amounts are optional balance assertions, providing extra-     error checking.--   * The second way: run 'hledger add' and follow the prompts to record-     a similar transaction:--     $ hledger add-     Adding transactions to journal file /Users/simon/finance/2023.journal-     Any command line arguments will be used as defaults.-     Use tab key to complete, readline keys to edit, enter to accept defaults.-     An optional (CODE) may follow transaction dates.-     An optional ; COMMENT may follow descriptions or amounts.-     If you make a mistake, enter < at any prompt to go one step backward.-     To end a transaction, enter . when prompted.-     To quit, enter . at a date prompt or press control-d or control-c.-     Date [2023-02-07]: 2023-01-01-     Description: * opening balances-     Account 1: assets:bank:checking-     Amount  1: $1000-     Account 2: assets:bank:savings-     Amount  2 [$-1000]: $2000-     Account 3: assets:cash-     Amount  3 [$-3000]: $100-     Account 4: liabilities:creditcard-     Amount  4 [$-3100]: $-50-     Account 5: equity:opening/closing balances-     Amount  5 [$-3050]: -     Account 6 (or . or enter to finish this transaction): .-     2023-01-01 * opening balances-         assets:bank:checking                      $1000-         assets:bank:savings                       $2000-         assets:cash                                $100-         liabilities:creditcard                     $-50-         equity:opening/closing balances          $-3050-     -     Save this transaction to the journal ? [y]: -     Saved.-     Starting the next transaction (. or ctrl-D/ctrl-C to quit)-     Date [2023-01-01]: .--   If you're using version control, this could be a good time to commit-the journal.  Eg:--$ git commit -m 'initial balances' 2023.journal---File: hledger.info,  Node: Recording transactions,  Next: Reconciling,  Prev: Setting opening balances,  Up: PART 5 COMMON TASKS--33.6 Recording transactions-===========================--As you spend or receive money, you can record these transactions using-one of the methods above (text editor, hledger add) or by using the-hledger-iadd or hledger-web add-ons, or by using the import command to-convert CSV data downloaded from your bank.--   Here are some simple transactions, see the hledger_journal(5) manual-and hledger.org for more ideas:--2023/1/10 * gift received-  assets:cash   $20-  income:gifts--2023.1.12 * farmers market-  expenses:food    $13-  assets:cash--2023-01-15 paycheck-  income:salary-  assets:bank:checking    $1000---File: hledger.info,  Node: Reconciling,  Next: Reporting,  Prev: Recording transactions,  Up: PART 5 COMMON TASKS--33.7 Reconciling-================--Periodically you should reconcile - compare your hledger-reported-balances against external sources of truth, like bank statements or your-bank's website - to be sure that your ledger accurately represents the-real-world balances (and, that the real-world institutions have not made-a mistake!).  This gets easy and fast with (1) practice and (2)-frequency.  If you do it daily, it can take 2-10 minutes.  If you let it-pile up, expect it to take longer as you hunt down errors and-discrepancies.--   A typical workflow:--  1. Reconcile cash.  Count what's in your wallet.  Compare with what-     hledger reports ('hledger bal cash').  If they are different, try-     to remember the missing transaction, or look for the error in the-     already-recorded transactions.  A register report can be helpful-     ('hledger reg cash').  If you can't find the error, add an-     adjustment transaction.  Eg if you have $105 after the above, and-     can't explain the missing $2, it could be:--     2023-01-16 * adjust cash-         assets:cash    $-2 = $105-         expenses:misc--  2. Reconcile checking.  Log in to your bank's website.  Compare-     today's (cleared) balance with hledger's cleared balance ('hledger-     bal checking -C').  If they are different, track down the error or-     record the missing transaction(s) or add an adjustment transaction,-     similar to the above.  Unlike the cash case, you can usually-     compare the transaction history and running balance from your bank-     with the one reported by 'hledger reg checking -C'.  This will be-     easier if you generally record transaction dates quite similar to-     your bank's clearing dates.--  3. Repeat for other asset/liability accounts.--   Tip: instead of the register command, use hledger-ui to see a-live-updating register while you edit the journal: 'hledger-ui --watch---register checking -C'--   After reconciling, it could be a good time to mark the reconciled-transactions' status as "cleared and confirmed", if you want to track-that, by adding the '*' marker.  Eg in the paycheck transaction above,-insert '*' between '2023-01-15' and 'paycheck'--   If you're using version control, this can be another good time to-commit:--$ git commit -m 'txns' 2023.journal---File: hledger.info,  Node: Reporting,  Next: Migrating to a new file,  Prev: Reconciling,  Up: PART 5 COMMON TASKS--33.8 Reporting-==============--Here are some basic reports.--   Show all transactions:--$ hledger print-2023-01-01 * opening balances-    assets:bank:checking                      $1000-    assets:bank:savings                       $2000-    assets:cash                                $100-    liabilities:creditcard                     $-50-    equity:opening/closing balances          $-3050--2023-01-10 * gift received-    assets:cash              $20-    income:gifts--2023-01-12 * farmers market-    expenses:food             $13-    assets:cash--2023-01-15 * paycheck-    income:salary-    assets:bank:checking           $1000--2023-01-16 * adjust cash-    assets:cash               $-2 = $105-    expenses:misc--   Show account names, and their hierarchy:--$ hledger accounts --tree-assets-  bank-    checking-    savings-  cash-equity-  opening/closing balances-expenses-  food-  misc-income-  gifts-  salary-liabilities-  creditcard--   Show all account totals:--$ hledger balance-               $4105  assets-               $4000    bank-               $2000      checking-               $2000      savings-                $105    cash-              $-3050  equity:opening/closing balances-                 $15  expenses-                 $13    food-                  $2    misc-              $-1020  income-                $-20    gifts-              $-1000    salary-                $-50  liabilities:creditcard----------------------                   0--   Show only asset and liability balances, as a flat list, limited to-depth 2:--$ hledger bal assets liabilities -2-               $4000  assets:bank-                $105  assets:cash-                $-50  liabilities:creditcard----------------------               $4055--   Show the same thing without negative numbers, formatted as a simple-balance sheet:--$ hledger bs -2-Balance Sheet 2023-01-16--                        || 2023-01-16 -========================++============- Assets                 ||            -------------------------++------------- assets:bank            ||      $4000 - assets:cash            ||       $105 -------------------------++-------------                        ||      $4105 -========================++============- Liabilities            ||            -------------------------++------------- liabilities:creditcard ||        $50 -------------------------++-------------                        ||        $50 -========================++============- Net:                   ||      $4055 --   The final total is your "net worth" on the end date.  (Or use 'bse'-for a full balance sheet with equity.)--   Show income and expense totals, formatted as an income statement:--hledger is -Income Statement 2023-01-01-2023-01-16--               || 2023-01-01-2023-01-16 -===============++=======================- Revenues      ||                       ----------------++------------------------ income:gifts  ||                   $20 - income:salary ||                 $1000 ----------------++------------------------               ||                 $1020 -===============++=======================- Expenses      ||                       ----------------++------------------------ expenses:food ||                   $13 - expenses:misc ||                    $2 ----------------++------------------------               ||                   $15 -===============++=======================- Net:          ||                 $1005 --   The final total is your net income during this period.--   Show transactions affecting your wallet, with running total:--$ hledger register cash-2023-01-01 opening balances     assets:cash                   $100          $100-2023-01-10 gift received        assets:cash                    $20          $120-2023-01-12 farmers market       assets:cash                   $-13          $107-2023-01-16 adjust cash          assets:cash                    $-2          $105--   Show weekly posting counts as a bar chart:--$ hledger activity -W-2019-12-30 *****-2023-01-06 ****-2023-01-13 ****---File: hledger.info,  Node: Migrating to a new file,  Prev: Reporting,  Up: PART 5 COMMON TASKS--33.9 Migrating to a new file-============================--At the end of the year, you may want to continue your journal in a new-file, so that old transactions don't slow down or clutter your reports,-and to help ensure the integrity of your accounting history.  See the-close command.--   If using version control, don't forget to 'git add' the new file.---File: hledger.info,  Node: BUGS,  Prev: PART 5 COMMON TASKS,  Up: Top--34 BUGS-*******--We welcome bug reports in the hledger issue tracker-(https://bugs.hledger.org), or on the hledger chat or mail list-(https://hledger.org/support).--   Some known issues and limitations:--   hledger uses the system's text encoding when reading non-ascii text.-If no system encoding is configured, or if the data's encoding is-different, hledger will give an error.  (See Text encoding,-Troubleshooting.)--   On Microsoft Windows, depending what kind of terminal window you use,-non-ascii characters, ANSI text formatting, and/or the add command's TAB-key, may not be fully supported.  (For best results, try a powershell-window.)--   When processing large data files, hledger uses more memory than-Ledger.--* Menu:--* Troubleshooting::---File: hledger.info,  Node: Troubleshooting,  Up: BUGS--34.1 Troubleshooting-====================--Here are some common issues you might encounter when you run hledger,-and how to resolve them (and remember also you can usually get quick-Support):--   *PATH issues: I get an error like "No command 'hledger' found"*-Depending how you installed hledger, the executables may not be in your-shell's PATH. Eg on unix systems, stack installs hledger in-'~/.local/bin' and cabal installs it in '~/.cabal/bin'.  You may need to-add one of these directories to your shell's PATH, and/or open a new-terminal window.--   *LEDGER_FILE issues: I configured LEDGER_FILE but hledger is not-using it*--   * 'LEDGER_FILE' should be a real environment variable, not just a-     shell variable.  Eg on unix, the command 'env | grep LEDGER_FILE'-     should show it.  You may need to use 'export' (see-     https://stackoverflow.com/a/7411509).  On Windows,-     '$env:LEDGER_FILE' should show it.-   * You may need to force your shell to see the new configuration.  A-     simple way is to close your terminal window and open a new one.--   *Text decoding issues: I get errors like "Illegal byte sequence" or-"Invalid or incomplete multibyte or wide character" or-"commitAndReleaseBuffer: invalid argument (invalid character)"*-hledger usually needs its input to be decodable with the system locale's-text encoding.  See Text encoding and Install: Text encoding.--   *COMPATIBILITY ISSUES: hledger gives an error with my Ledger file*-Not all of Ledger's journal file syntax or feature set is supported.-See hledger and Ledger for full details.---Tag Table:-Node: Top208-Node: PART 1 USER INTERFACE4092-Node: Input4231-Node: Text encoding5323-Node: Data formats6072-Node: Standard input7806-Node: Multiple files8195-Node: Strict mode8932-Node: Commands9766-Node: Add-on commands11048-Node: Options12099-Node: Special characters19249-Node: Escaping shell special characters20239-Node: Escaping regular expression special characters21598-Node: Escaping in other situations23113-Node: Unicode characters24261-Node: Regular expressions25682-Node: hledger's regular expressions28941-Node: Argument files30582-Node: Config files31479-Node: Shell completions34748-Node: Output35237-Node: Output destination35428-Node: Output format35986-Node: Text output37772-Node: Box-drawing characters38756-Node: Colour39256-Node: Paging39842-Node: HTML output41361-Node: CSV / TSV output41779-Node: FODS output42033-Node: Beancount output42837-Node: Beancount account names44338-Node: Beancount commodity names44879-Node: Beancount virtual postings45526-Node: Beancount metadata45842-Node: Beancount costs46622-Node: Beancount operating currency47038-Node: SQL output47488-Node: JSON output48279-Node: Commodity styles49096-Node: Debug output50106-Node: Environment50938-Node: PART 2 DATA FORMATS52107-Node: Journal52250-Node: Journal cheatsheet54715-Node: Comments60966-Node: Transactions61910-Node: Dates63047-Node: Simple dates63199-Node: Posting dates63815-Node: Status64988-Node: Code66754-Node: Description67089-Node: Payee and note67776-Node: Transaction comments68867-Node: Postings69383-Node: Debits and credits70699-Node: Account names71258-Node: Two space delimiter72215-Node: Account hierarchy73620-Node: Other account name features74503-Node: Amounts74921-Node: Decimal marks75950-Node: Digit group marks77054-Node: Commodity77689-Node: Costs78806-Node: Balance assertions81058-Node: Assertions and ordering82306-Node: Assertions and multiple files83025-Node: Assertions and costs84193-Node: Assertions and commodities84840-Node: Assertions and subaccounts86499-Node: Assertions and status87159-Node: Assertions and virtual postings87579-Node: Assertions and auto postings87944-Node: Assertions and precision88819-Node: Assertions and hledger add89303-Node: Posting comments90051-Node: Transaction balancing90591-Node: Tags92799-Node: Tag propagation94318-Node: Displaying tags95817-Node: When to use tags ?96210-Node: Tag names96874-Node: Directives98855-Node: Directives and multiple files100312-Node: Directive effects101257-Node: account directive104413-Node: Account comments105863-Node: Account error checking106522-Node: Account display order108059-Node: Account types109257-Node: alias directive112532-Node: Basic aliases113743-Node: Regex aliases114618-Node: Combining aliases115665-Node: Aliases and multiple files117119-Node: end aliases directive117902-Node: Aliases can generate bad account names118270-Node: Aliases and account types119103-Node: commodity directive119995-Node: Commodity directive syntax121788-Node: Commodity error checking123437-Node: decimal-mark directive123912-Node: include directive124491-Node: P directive126714-Node: payee directive127748-Node: tag directive128370-Node: Periodic transactions128982-Node: Periodic rule syntax131136-Node: Periodic rules and relative dates131959-Node: Two spaces between period expression and description!132736-Node: Auto postings133697-Node: Auto postings and multiple files136983-Node: Auto postings and dates137388-Node: Auto postings and transaction balancing / inferred amounts / balance assertions137829-Node: Auto posting tags138675-Node: Auto postings on forecast transactions only139570-Node: Other syntax140040-Node: Balance assignments140812-Node: Balance assignments and costs142340-Node: Balance assignments and multiple files142762-Node: Bracketed posting dates143185-Node: D directive143883-Node: apply account directive145656-Node: Y directive146523-Node: Secondary dates147511-Node: Star comments148996-Node: Valuation expressions149688-Node: Virtual postings149987-Node: Other Ledger directives151611-Node: Other cost/lot notations152373-Node: CSV155214-Node: CSV rules cheatsheet157414-Node: source159712-Node: Data cleaning / data generating commands161116-Node: archive163015-Node: encoding163943-Node: separator164986-Node: skip165639-Node: date-format166289-Node: timezone167234-Node: newest-first168360-Node: intra-day-reversed169073-Node: decimal-mark169675-Node: CSV fields and hledger fields170173-Node: fields list172049-Node: Field assignment173874-Node: Field names175093-Node: date field176425-Node: date2 field176589-Node: status field176784-Node: code field176974-Node: description field177162-Node: comment field177379-Node: account field177936-Node: amount field178654-Node: currency field181493-Node: balance field181901-Node: if block182424-Node: Matchers183951-Node: Multiple matchers185879-Node: Match groups186687-Node: if table187580-Node: balance-type189643-Node: include190470-Node: Working with CSV191039-Node: Rapid feedback191628-Node: Valid CSV192211-Node: File Extension193087-Node: Reading CSV from standard input193822-Node: Reading multiple CSV files194208-Node: Reading files specified by rule194684-Node: Valid transactions196081-Node: Deduplicating importing196906-Node: Regular expressions in CSV rules198152-Node: Setting amounts199644-Node: Amount signs202182-Node: Setting currency/commodity203247-Node: Amount decimal places204623-Node: Referencing other fields205880-Node: How CSV rules are evaluated206988-Node: Well factored rules209705-Node: CSV rules examples210195-Node: Bank of Ireland210393-Node: Coinbase211990-Node: Amazon213173-Node: Paypal215015-Node: Timeclock222765-Node: Timedot226818-Node: Timedot examples230295-Node: PART 3 REPORTING CONCEPTS232572-Node: Time periods232736-Node: Report start & end date233009-Node: Smart dates234485-Node: Report intervals236608-Node: Date adjustments237182-Node: Start date adjustment237402-Node: End date adjustment238305-Node: Period headings239086-Node: Period expressions240019-Node: Period expressions with a report interval241924-Node: More complex report intervals242372-Node: Multiple weekday intervals244488-Node: Depth245499-Node: Combining depth options246485-Node: Queries247435-Node: Query types250107-Node: acct query250482-Node: amt query250793-Node: code query251490-Node: cur query251685-Node: desc query252291-Node: date query252474-Node: date2 query252870-Node: depth query253161-Node: note query253497-Node: payee query253763-Node: real query254044-Node: status query254249-Node: type query254489-Node: tag query255022-Node: Negative queries255651-Node: not query255833-Node: Space-separated queries256120-Node: Boolean queries256808-Node: expr query258126-Node: any query258806-Node: all query259259-Node: Queries and command options259841-Node: Queries and account aliases260289-Node: Queries and valuation260614-Node: Pivoting260976-Node: Generating data263259-Node: Forecasting265059-Node: --forecast265715-Node: Inspecting forecast transactions266816-Node: Forecast reports268149-Node: Forecast tags269258-Node: Forecast period in detail269878-Node: Forecast troubleshooting270966-Node: Budgeting272037-Node: Amount formatting272597-Node: Commodity display style272841-Node: Rounding274682-Node: Trailing decimal marks275287-Node: Amount parseability276220-Node: Cost reporting277829-Node: Recording costs278660-Node: Reporting at cost280387-Node: Equity conversion postings281152-Node: Inferring equity conversion postings283797-Node: Combining costs and equity conversion postings284939-Node: Requirements for detecting equity conversion postings286164-Node: Infer cost and equity by default ?287686-Node: Value reporting288123-Node: -X Value in specified commodity289081-Node: -V Value in default commoditys289941-Node: Valuation date290678-Node: Finding market price291510-Node: --infer-market-prices market prices from transactions292890-Node: Valuation commodity295934-Node: --value Flexible valuation297367-Node: Valuation examples299210-Node: Interaction of valuation and queries301354-Node: Effect of valuation on reports302071-Node: PART 4 COMMANDS309921-Node: Help commands312710-Node: commands312896-Node: demo313104-Node: help314197-Node: User interface commands315902-Node: repl316113-Node: Examples318377-Node: run318935-Node: Examples 2321350-Node: ui322374-Node: web322511-Node: Data entry commands322639-Node: add322900-Node: add and balance assertions325474-Node: add and balance assignments326048-Node: import326741-Node: Import dry run327820-Node: Overlap detection328768-Node: First import331654-Node: Importing balance assignments332849-Node: Import and commodity styles333904-Node: Import archiving334338-Node: Import special cases335163-Node: Deduplication335381-Node: Varying file name335872-Node: Multiple versions336256-Node: Basic report commands337363-Node: accounts337664-Node: codes340176-Node: commodities341198-Node: descriptions342206-Node: files342666-Node: notes342963-Node: payees343475-Node: prices344632-Node: stats345524-Node: tags347582-Node: Standard report commands349406-Node: print349711-Node: print amount explicitness352442-Node: print alignment353380-Node: print amount style353694-Node: print parseability354924-Node: print other features356201-Node: print output format357163-Node: aregister360448-Node: aregister and posting dates364913-Node: register365814-Node: Custom register output373054-Node: balancesheet374239-Node: balancesheetequity379204-Node: cashflow384539-Node: incomestatement389352-Node: Advanced report commands394201-Node: balance394409-Node: balance features399830-Node: Simple balance report401933-Node: Balance report line format403743-Node: Filtered balance report406103-Node: List or tree mode406622-Node: Depth limiting408135-Node: Dropping top-level accounts408902-Node: Showing declared accounts409412-Node: Sorting by amount410142-Node: Percentages410996-Node: Multi-period balance report411703-Node: Balance change end balance414455-Node: Balance report modes416092-Node: Calculation mode416771-Node: Accumulation mode417475-Node: Valuation mode418576-Node: Combining balance report modes419920-Node: Budget report421950-Node: Using the budget report424250-Node: Budget date surprises426526-Node: Selecting budget goals427890-Node: Budgeting vs forecasting428838-Node: Balance report layout430515-Node: Wide layout431720-Node: Tall layout434125-Node: Bare layout435431-Node: Tidy layout437495-Node: Balance report output439039-Node: Some useful balance reports439813-Node: roi441073-Node: Spaces and special characters in --inv and --pnl443320-Node: Semantics of --inv and --pnl444046-Node: IRR and TWR explained446133-Node: Chart commands449544-Node: activity449725-Node: Data generation commands450222-Node: close450428-Node: close --clopen453493-Node: close --close455389-Node: close --open455913-Node: close --assert456163-Node: close --assign456490-Node: close --retain457169-Node: close customisation458026-Node: close and balance assertions459704-Node: close examples461226-Node: Retain earnings461463-Node: Migrate balances to a new file461966-Node: More detailed close examples463328-Node: rewrite463550-Node: Re-write rules in a file466110-Node: Diff output format467411-Node: rewrite vs print --auto468681-Node: Maintenance commands469395-Node: check469614-Node: Basic checks470697-Node: Strict checks471763-Node: Other checks472636-Node: Custom checks474338-Node: diff474777-Node: setup475985-Node: test478852-Node: PART 5 COMMON TASKS479755-Node: Getting help480204-Node: Constructing command lines481105-Node: Starting a journal file481970-Node: Setting LEDGER_FILE483374-Node: Set LEDGER_FILE on unix483662-Node: Set LEDGER_FILE on mac484179-Node: Set LEDGER_FILE on Windows484907-Node: Setting opening balances486630-Node: Recording transactions489972-Node: Reconciling490717-Node: Reporting493126-Node: Migrating to a new file497260-Node: BUGS497716-Node: Troubleshooting498542+This is hledger.info, produced by makeinfo version 7.3 from stdin.++INFO-DIR-SECTION User Applications+START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY+* hledger: (hledger).  Command-line plain text accounting tool.+END-INFO-DIR-ENTRY+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Top,  Next: PART 1 USER INTERFACE,  Up: (dir)++hledger(1)+**********++hledger - a robust, friendly plain text accounting app (command line+version).++   'hledger'+or+'hledger COMMAND [OPTS] [ARGS]'++   hledger is a robust, user-friendly, cross-platform set of programs+for tracking money, time, or any other commodity, using double-entry+accounting and a simple, editable file format.  hledger is inspired by+and largely compatible with ledger(1), and largely interconvertible with+beancount(1).++   This manual is for hledger's command line interface, version 1.52.+It also describes the common options, file formats and concepts used by+all hledger programs.  It might accidentally teach you some+bookkeeping/accounting as well!  You don't need to know everything in+here to use hledger productively, but when you have a question about+functionality, this doc should answer it.  It is detailed, so do skip+ahead or skim when needed.  You can read it on hledger.org, or as an+info manual or man page on your system.  You can also open a built-in+copy, at a point of interest, by running+'hledger --man [CMD]', 'hledger --info [CMD]' or 'hledger help [TOPIC]'.++   (And for shorter help, try 'hledger --tldr [CMD]'.)++   The main function of the hledger CLI is to read plain text files+describing financial transactions, crunch the numbers, and print a+useful report on the terminal (or save it as HTML, CSV, JSON or SQL).+Many reports are available, as subcommands.  hledger will also detect+other 'hledger-*' executables as extra subcommands.++   hledger usually reads from (and appends to) a journal file specified+by the 'LEDGER_FILE' environment variable (defaulting to+'$HOME/.hledger.journal'); or you can specify files with '-f' options.+It can also read timeclock files, timedot files, or any CSV/SSV/TSV file+with a date field.++   Here is a small journal file describing one transaction:++2015-10-16 bought food+  expenses:food          $10+  assets:cash++   Transactions are dated movements of money (etc.)  between two or more+_accounts_: bank accounts, your wallet, revenue/expense categories,+people, etc.  You can choose any account names you wish, using ':' to+indicate subaccounts.  There must be at least two spaces between account+name and amount.  Positive amounts are inflow to that account (_debit_),+negatives are outflow from it (_credit_).  (Some reports show revenue,+liability and equity account balances as negative numbers as a result;+this is normal.)++   hledger's add command can help you add transactions, or you can+install other data entry UIs like hledger-web or hledger-iadd.  For more+extensive/efficient changes, use a text editor: Emacs + ledger-mode, VIM++ vim-ledger, or VS Code + hledger-vscode are some good choices (see+https://hledger.org/editors.html).++   To get started, run 'hledger add' and follow the prompts, or save+some entries like the above in '$HOME/.hledger.journal', then try+commands like:++$ hledger print -x+$ hledger aregister assets+$ hledger balance+$ hledger balancesheet+$ hledger incomestatement++   Run 'hledger' to list the commands.  See also the "Starting a journal+file" and "Setting opening balances" sections in PART 5: COMMON TASKS.++* Menu:++* PART 1 USER INTERFACE::+* Input::+* Commands::+* Options::+* Output::+* Environment::+* PART 2 DATA FORMATS::+* Journal::+* CSV::+* Timeclock::+* Timedot::+* PART 3 REPORTING CONCEPTS::+* Time periods::+* Depth::+* Queries::+* Pivoting::+* Generating data::+* Forecasting::+* Budgeting::+* Amount formatting::+* Cost reporting::+* Value reporting::+* PART 4 COMMANDS::+* Help commands::+* User interface commands::+* Data entry commands::+* Basic report commands::+* Standard report commands::+* Advanced report commands::+* Chart commands::+* Data generation commands::+* Maintenance commands::+* PART 5 COMMON TASKS::+* BUGS::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: PART 1 USER INTERFACE,  Next: Input,  Prev: Top,  Up: Top++1 PART 1: USER INTERFACE+************************+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Input,  Next: Commands,  Prev: PART 1 USER INTERFACE,  Up: Top++2 Input+*******++hledger reads one or more data files, each time you run it.  You can+specify a file with '-f', like so++$ hledger -f FILE [-f FILE2 ...] print++   Files are most often in hledger's journal format, with the '.journal'+file extension ('.hledger' or '.j' also work); these files describe+transactions, like an accounting general journal.++   When no file is specified, hledger looks for '.hledger.journal' in+your home directory.++   But most people prefer to keep financial files in a dedicated folder,+perhaps with version control.  Also, starting a new journal file each+year is common (it's not required, but helps keep things fast and+organised).  So we usually configure a different journal file, by+setting the 'LEDGER_FILE' environment variable, to something like+'~/finance/2023.journal'.  For more about how to do that on your system,+see Common tasks > Setting LEDGER_FILE.++* Menu:++* Text encoding::+* Data formats::+* Standard input::+* Multiple files::+* Strict mode::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Text encoding,  Next: Data formats,  Up: Input++2.1 Text encoding+=================++hledger expects non-ascii input to be decodable with the system locale's+text encoding.  (For CSV/SSV/TSV files, this can be overridden by the+'encoding' CSV rule.)++   So, trying to read non-ascii files which have the wrong text+encoding, or when no system locale is configured, will fail.  To fix+this, configure your system locale appropriately, and/or convert the+files to your system's text encoding (using 'iconv' on unix, or+powershell or notepad on Windows).  See Install: Text encoding for more+tips.++   hledger's output will use the system locale's encoding.++   hledger's docs and example files mostly use UTF-8 encoding.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Data formats,  Next: Standard input,  Prev: Text encoding,  Up: Input++2.2 Data formats+================++Usually the data file is in hledger's journal format, but it can be in+any of the supported file formats, which currently are:++Reader:        Reads:                             Automatically used for+                                                  files with extensions:+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+'journal'      hledger journal files and some     '.journal' '.j'+               Ledger journals, for               '.hledger' '.ledger'+               transactions+'timeclock'    timeclock files, for precise       '.timeclock'+               time logging+'timedot'      timedot files, for approximate     '.timedot'+               time logging+'csv'          Comma- or other                    '.csv'+               delimiter-separated values, for+               data import+'ssv'          Semicolon separated values         '.ssv'+'tsv'          Tab separated values               '.tsv'+'rules'        CSV/SSV/TSV/other separated        '.rules'+               values, alternate way++   These formats are described in more detail below.++   hledger detects the format automatically based on the file extensions+shown above.  If it can't recognise the file extension, it assumes+'journal' format.  So for non-journal files, it's important to use a+recognised file extension, so as to either read successfully or to show+relevant error messages.++   You can also force a specific reader/format by prefixing the file+path with the format and a colon.  Eg, to read a .dat file containing+tab separated values:++$ hledger -f tsv:/some/file.dat stats+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Standard input,  Next: Multiple files,  Prev: Data formats,  Up: Input++2.3 Standard input+==================++The file name '-' means standard input:++$ cat FILE | hledger -f- print++   If reading non-journal data in this way, you'll need to write the+format as a prefix, like 'timeclock:' here:++$ echo 'i 2009/13/1 08:00:00' | hledger print -f timeclock:-+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Multiple files,  Next: Strict mode,  Prev: Standard input,  Up: Input++2.4 Multiple files+==================++You can specify multiple '-f' options, to read multiple files as one big+journal.  When doing this, note that certain features (described below)+will be affected:++   * Balance assertions will not see the effect of transactions in+     previous files.  (Usually this doesn't matter as each file will set+     the corresponding opening balances.)+   * Some directives will not affect previous or subsequent files.++   If needed, you can work around these by using a single parent file+which includes the others, or concatenating the files into one, eg: 'cat+a.journal b.journal | hledger -f- CMD'.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Strict mode,  Prev: Multiple files,  Up: Input++2.5 Strict mode+===============++hledger checks input files for valid data.  By default, the most+important errors are detected, while still accepting easy journal files+without a lot of declarations:++   * Are the input files parseable, with valid syntax ?+   * Are all transactions balanced ?+   * Do all balance assertions pass ?++   With the '-s'/'--strict' flag, additional checks are performed:++   * Are all accounts posted to, declared with an 'account' directive ?+     (Account error checking)+   * Are all commodities declared with a 'commodity' directive ?+     (Commodity error checking)+   * Are all commodity conversions declared explicitly ?++   You can use the check command to run individual checks - the ones+listed above and some more.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Commands,  Next: Options,  Prev: Input,  Up: Top++3 Commands+**********++hledger provides various subcommands for getting things done.  Most of+these commands do not change the journal file; they just read it and+output a report.  A few commands assist with adding data and file+management.  Some often-used commands are 'add', 'print', 'register',+'balancesheet' and 'incomestatement'.++   To show a summary of commands, run 'hledger' with no arguments.  You+can see the same commands summary at the start of PART 4: COMMANDS+below.++   To use a particular command, run 'hledger CMD [CMDOPTS] [CMDARGS]',++   * CMD is the full command name, or its standard abbreviation shown in+     the commands list, or any unambiguous prefix of the name.++   * CMDOPTS are command-specific options, if any.  Command-specific+     options must be written after the command name.  Eg: 'hledger print+     -x'.++   * CMDARGS are additional arguments to the command, if any.  Most+     hledger commands accept arguments representing a query, to limit+     the data in some way.  Eg: 'hledger reg assets:checking'.++   To list a command's options, arguments, and documentation in the+terminal, run 'hledger CMD -h'.  Eg: 'hledger bal -h'.++* Menu:++* Add-on commands::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Add-on commands,  Up: Commands++3.1 Add-on commands+===================++In addition to the built-in commands, you can install _add-on commands_,+which will also appear in hledger's commands list.  Some of these can be+installed as separate packages; others can be found in hledger's bin/+directory, documented at https://hledger.org/scripts.html.++   Add-on commands are programs or scripts in your shell's PATH, whose+name starts with "hledger-" and ends with no extension or a recognised+extension (".bat", ".com", ".exe", ".hs", ".js", ".lhs", ".lua", ".php",+".pl", ".py", ".rb", ".rkt", or ".sh"), and (on unix and mac) which has+executable permission for the current user.++   You can run add-on commands directly: 'hledger-ui --watch'.++   Or you can run them with hledger, like built-in commands: 'hledger ui+--watch'.  In this case hledger's config file will be used, so you can+set custom options for the addon there.  (Before hledger 1.50, an '--'+argument was needed before addon options, but not any more.)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Options,  Next: Output,  Prev: Commands,  Up: Top++4 Options+*********++Run 'hledger -h' to see general command line help.  Options can be+written either before or after the command name.  These options are+specific to the 'hledger' CLI:++Flags:+     --conf=CONFFILE        Use extra options defined in this config file. If+                            not specified, searches upward and in XDG config+                            dir for hledger.conf (or .hledger.conf in $HOME).+  -n --no-conf              ignore any config file++   And the following general options are common to most hledger+commands:++General input/data transformation flags:+  -f --file=[FMT:]FILE      Read data from FILE, or from stdin if FILE is -,+                            inferring format from extension or a FMT: prefix.+                            Can be specified more than once. If not specified,+                            reads from $LEDGER_FILE or $HOME/.hledger.journal.+     --rules=RULESFILE      Use rules defined in this rules file for+                            converting subsequent CSV/SSV/TSV files. If not+                            specified, uses FILE.csv.rules for each FILE.csv.+     --alias=A=B|/RGX/=RPL  transform account names from A to B, or by+                            replacing regular expression matches+     --auto                 generate extra postings by applying auto posting+                            rules ("=") to all transactions+     --forecast[=PERIOD]    Generate extra transactions from periodic rules+                            ("~"), from after the latest ordinary transaction+                            until 6 months from now. Or, during the specified+                            PERIOD (the equals is required). Auto posting rules+                            will also be applied to these transactions. In+                            hledger-ui, also make future-dated transactions+                            visible at startup.+  -I --ignore-assertions    don't check balance assertions by default+     --txn-balancing=...    how to check that transactions are balanced:+                            'old':   use global display precision+                            'exact': use transaction precision (default)+     --infer-costs          infer conversion equity postings from costs+     --infer-equity         infer costs from conversion equity postings+     --infer-market-prices  infer market prices from costs+     --pivot=TAGNAME        use a different field or tag as account names+  -s --strict               do extra error checks (and override -I)+     --verbose-tags         add tags indicating generated/modified data++General output/reporting flags (supported by some commands):+  -b --begin=DATE           include postings/transactions on/after this date+  -e --end=DATE             include postings/transactions before this date+                            (with a report interval, will be adjusted to+                            following subperiod end)+  -D --daily                multiperiod report with 1 day interval+  -W --weekly               multiperiod report with 1 week interval+  -M --monthly              multiperiod report with 1 month interval+  -Q --quarterly            multiperiod report with 1 quarter interval+  -Y --yearly               multiperiod report with 1 year interval+  -p --period=PERIODEXP     set begin date, end date, and/or report interval,+                            with more flexibility+     --today=DATE           override today's date (affects relative dates)+     --date2                match/use secondary dates instead (deprecated)+  -U --unmarked             include only unmarked postings/transactions+  -P --pending              include only pending postings/transactions+  -C --cleared              include only cleared postings/transactions+                            (-U/-P/-C can be combined)+  -R --real                 include only non-virtual postings+  -E --empty                Show zero items, which are normally hidden.+                            In hledger-ui & hledger-web, do the opposite.+     --depth=DEPTHEXP       if a number (or -NUM): show only top NUM levels+                            of accounts. If REGEXP=NUM, only apply limiting to+                            accounts matching the regular expression.+  -B --cost                 show amounts converted to their cost/sale amount+  -V --market               Show amounts converted to their value at period+                            end(s) in their default valuation commodity.+                            Equivalent to --value=end.+  -X --exchange=COMM        Show amounts converted to their value at period+                            end(s) in the specified commodity.+                            Equivalent to --value=end,COMM.+     --value=WHEN[,COMM]    show amounts converted to their value on the+                            specified date(s) in their default valuation+                            commodity or a specified commodity. WHEN can be:+                            'then':     value on transaction dates+                            'end':      value at period end(s)+                            'now':      value today+                            YYYY-MM-DD: value on given date+  -c --commodity-style=S    Override a commodity's display style.+                            Eg: -c '.' or -c '1.000,00 EUR'+     --pretty[=YN]          Use box-drawing characters in text output? Can be+                            'y'/'yes' or 'n'/'no'.+                            If YN is specified, the equals is required.++General help flags:+  -h --help                 show command line help+     --tldr                 show command examples with tldr+     --info                 show the manual with info+     --man                  show the manual with man+     --version              show version information+     --debug=[1-9]          show this much debug output (default: 1)+     --pager=YN             use a pager when needed ? y/yes (default) or n/no+     --color=YNA --colour   use ANSI color ? y/yes, n/no, or auto (default)++   Usually hledger accepts any unambiguous flag prefix, eg you can write+'--tl' instead of '--tldr' or '--dry' instead of '--dry-run'.++   You can combine short flags which don't take arguments, eg you can+write '-MAST' instead of '-M -A -S -T'.  Flags requiring an argument+can't be combined in this way ('-If FILE' won't work).++   If the same option appears more than once in a command line, usually+the last (right-most) wins.  Similarly, if mutually exclusive flags are+used together, the right-most wins.  (When flags are mutually exclusive,+they'll usually have a group prefix in -help.)++   With most commands, arguments are interpreted as a hledger query+which filter the data.  Some queries can be expressed either with+options or with arguments.++   Below are more tips for using the command line interface - feel free+to skip these until you need them.++* Menu:++* Special characters::+* Unicode characters::+* Regular expressions::+* Argument files::+* Config files::+* Shell completions::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Special characters,  Next: Unicode characters,  Up: Options++4.1 Special characters+======================++In commands you type at the command line, certain characters have+special meaning and sometimes need to be "escaped" or "quoted", by+prefixing backslashes or enclosing in quotes.++   If you are able to minimise the use of special characters in your+data, you won't have to deal with this as much.  For example, you could+use hyphen '-' or underscore '_' instead of spaces in account names, and+you could use the 'USD' currency code instead of the '$' currency symbol+in amounts.++   But if you prefer to use spaced account names and '$', it's fine.+Just be aware of this topic so you can check this doc when needed.+(These examples are mostly tested on unix; some details might need to be+adapted if you're on Windows.)++* Menu:++* Escaping shell special characters::+* Escaping regular expression special characters::+* Escaping in other situations::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Escaping shell special characters,  Next: Escaping regular expression special characters,  Up: Special characters++4.1.1 Escaping shell special characters+---------------------------------------++These are some characters which may have special meaning to your shell+(the program which interprets command lines):++   * SPACE, '<', '>', '(', ')', '|', '\', '%'+   * '$' if followed by a word character++   So for example, to match an account name containing spaces, like+"credit card", don't write:++$ hledger register credit card++   Instead, enclose the name in single quotes:++$ hledger register 'credit card'++   On unix or in Windows powershell, if you use double quotes your shell+will silently treat '$' as variable interpolation.  So you should+probably avoid double quotes, unless you want that behaviour, eg in a+script:++$ hledger register "assets:$SOMEACCT"++   But in an older Windows CMD.EXE window, you must use double quotes:++C:\Users\Me> hledger register "credit card"++   On unix or in Windows powershell, as an alternative to quotes you can+write a backslash before each special character:++$ hledger register credit\ card++   Finally, since hledger's query arguments are regular expressions+(described below), you could also fill that gap with '.' which matches+any character:++$ hledger register credit.card+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Escaping regular expression special characters,  Next: Escaping in other situations,  Prev: Escaping shell special characters,  Up: Special characters++4.1.2 Escaping regular expression special characters+----------------------------------------------------++Some characters also have special meaning in regular expressions, which+hledger's arguments often are.  Those include:++   * '.', '^', '$', '[', ']', '(', ')', '|', '\'++   To escape one of these, write '\' before it.  But note this is in+addition to the shell escaping above.  So for characters which are+special to both shell and regular expressions, like '\' and '$', you+will sometimes need two levels of escaping.++   For example, a balance report that uses a 'cur:' query restricting it+to just the $ currency, should be written like this:++$ hledger balance cur:\\$++   Explanation:++  1. Add a backslash '\' before the dollar sign '$' to protect it from+     regular expressions (so it will be matched literally with no+     special meaning).+  2. Add another backslash before that backslash, to protect it from the+     shell (so the shell won't consume it).+  3. '$' doesn't need to be protected from the shell in this case,+     because it's not followed by a word character; but it would be+     harmless to do so.++   But here's another way to write that, which tends to be easier: add+backslashes to escape from regular expressions, then enclose with quotes+to escape from the shell:++$ hledger balance cur:'\$'+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Escaping in other situations,  Prev: Escaping regular expression special characters,  Up: Special characters++4.1.3 Escaping in other situations+----------------------------------++hledger options and arguments are sometimes used in places other than+the command line, where the escaping/quoting rules are different.  For+example, backslash-quoting may not be available.  Here's a quick+reference:++In unix shell      Use single quotes and/or backslash (or double quotes+                   for variable interpolation)+In Windows         Use single quotes (or double quotes for variable+'powershell'       interpolation)+In Windows 'cmd'   Use double quotes+In hledger-ui's    Use single or double quotes+filter prompt+In hledger-web's   Use single or double quotes+search form+In an argument     Don't use spaces, don't shell-escape, do+file               regex-escape, write one argument/option per line+In a config file   Use single or double quotes, and enclose the whole+                   argument (''desc:a b'' not 'desc:'a b'')+In 'ghci' (the     Use double quotes, and enclose the whole argument+Haskell REPL)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Unicode characters,  Next: Regular expressions,  Prev: Special characters,  Up: Options++4.2 Unicode characters+======================++hledger is expected to handle non-ascii characters correctly:++   * they should be parsed correctly in input files and on the command+     line, by all hledger tools (add, iadd, hledger-web's+     search/add/edit forms, etc.)++   * they should be displayed correctly by all hledger tools, and+     on-screen alignment should be preserved.++   This requires a well-configured environment.  Here are some tips:++   * A system locale must be configured, which can decode the characters+     being used.  This is essential - see Text encoding and Install:+     Text encoding.++   * Your terminal software (eg Terminal.app, iTerm, CMD.exe, xterm..)+     must support unicode.  On Windows, you may need to use Windows+     Terminal.++   * The terminal must be using a font which includes the required+     unicode glyphs.++   * The terminal should be configured to display wide characters as+     double width (for report alignment).++   * On Windows, for best results you should run hledger in the same+     kind of environment in which it was built.  Eg hledger built in the+     standard CMD.EXE environment (like the binaries on our download+     page) might show display problems when run in a cygwin or msys+     terminal, and vice versa.  (See eg #961).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Regular expressions,  Next: Argument files,  Prev: Unicode characters,  Up: Options++4.3 Regular expressions+=======================++A regular expression (regexp) is a small piece of text where certain+characters (like '.', '^', '$', '+', '*', '()', '|', '[]', '\') have+special meanings, forming a tiny language for matching text precisely -+very useful in hledger and elsewhere.  To learn all about them, visit+regular-expressions.info.++   hledger supports regexps whenever you are entering a pattern to match+something, eg in query arguments, account aliases, CSV if rules,+hledger-web's search form, hledger-ui's '/' search, etc.  You may need+to wrap them in quotes, especially at the command line (see Special+characters above).  Here are some examples:++   Account name queries (quoted for command line use):++Regular expression:  Matches:+-------------------  ------------------------------------------------------------+bank                 assets:bank, assets:bank:savings, expenses:art:banksy, ...+:bank                assets:bank:savings, expenses:art:banksy+:bank:               assets:bank:savings+'^bank'              none of those ( ^ matches beginning of text )+'bank$'              assets:bank   ( $ matches end of text )+'big \$ bank'        big $ bank    ( \ disables following character's special meaning )+'\bbank\b'           assets:bank, assets:bank:savings  ( \b matches word boundaries )+'(sav|check)ing'     saving or checking  ( (|) matches either alternative )+'saving|checking'    saving or checking  ( outer parentheses are not needed )+'savings?'           saving or savings   ( ? matches 0 or 1 of the preceding thing )+'my +bank'           my bank, my  bank, ... ( + matches 1 or more of the preceding thing )+'my *bank'           mybank, my bank, my  bank, ... ( * matches 0 or more of the preceding thing )+'b.nk'               bank, bonk, b nk, ... ( . matches any character )++   Some other queries:++desc:'amazon|amzn|audible'  Amazon transactions+cur:EUR              amounts with commodity symbol containing EUR+cur:'\$'             amounts with commodity symbol containing $+cur:'^\$$'           only $ amounts, not eg AU$ or CA$+cur:....?            amounts with 4-or-more-character symbols+tag:.=202[1-3]       things with any tag whose value contains 2021, 2022 or 2023++   Account name aliases: accept '.' instead of ':' as account separator:++alias /\./=:         replaces all periods in account names with colons++   Show multiple top-level accounts combined as one:++--alias='/^[^:]+/=combined'  ( [^:] matches any character other than : )++   Show accounts with the second-level part removed:++--alias '/^([^:]+):[^:]+/ = \1'+                     match a top-level account and a second-level account+                     and replace those with just the top-level account+                     ( \1 in the replacement text means "whatever was matched+                     by the first parenthesised part of the regexp"++   CSV rules: match CSV records containing dining-related MCC codes:++if \?MCC581[124]++   Match CSV records with a specific amount around the end/start of+month:++if %amount \b3\.99+&  %date   (29|30|31|01|02|03)$++* Menu:++* hledger's regular expressions::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: hledger's regular expressions,  Up: Regular expressions++4.3.1 hledger's regular expressions+-----------------------------------++hledger's regular expressions come from the regex-tdfa library.  If+they're not doing what you expect, it's important to know exactly what+they support:++  1. they are case insensitive+  2. they are infix matching (they do not need to match the entire thing+     being matched)+  3. they are POSIX ERE (extended regular expressions)+  4. they also support GNU word boundaries ('\b', '\B', '\<', '\>')+  5. backreferences are supported when doing text replacement in account+     aliases or CSV rules, where backreferences can be used in the+     replacement string to reference capturing groups in the search+     regexp.  Otherwise, if you write '\1', it will match the digit '1'.+  6. they do not support lazy quantifiers ('*?'), mode modifiers+     ('(?s)'), character classes ('\w', '\d'), or anything else not+     mentioned above.+  7. they may not (I'm guessing not) properly support right-to-left or+     bidirectional text.++   Some things to note:++   * In the 'alias' directive and '--alias' option, regular expressions+     must be enclosed in forward slashes ('/REGEX/').  Elsewhere in+     hledger, these are not required.++   * In queries, to match a regular expression metacharacter like '$' as+     a literal character, prepend a backslash.  Eg to search for amounts+     with the dollar sign in hledger-web, write 'cur:\$'.++   * On the command line, some metacharacters like '$' have a special+     meaning to the shell and so must be escaped at least once more.+     See Special characters.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Argument files,  Next: Config files,  Prev: Regular expressions,  Up: Options++4.4 Argument files+==================++You can save a set of command line options and arguments in a file, and+then use them by writing '@FILE.args' as a hledger command argument.+The '.args' file extension is conventional, but not required.  In an+argument file,++   * Each line can contain one argument, flag, or option.+   * Blank lines or lines beginning with '#' are ignored.+   * An option's flag and value should be joined by '='.+   * An option value or an argument may contain spaces.  Don't use+     single or double quotes.+   * And generally, use one less level of quoting/escaping than at the+     command line.  Eg 'cur:\$', not 'cur:\\$' as on the command line.++   For example:++# cash.args++assets:cash+assets:charles schwab:sweep+cur:\$+-c=$1.++$ hledger bal @cash.args+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Config files,  Next: Shell completions,  Prev: Argument files,  Up: Options++4.5 Config files+================++With hledger 1.40+, you can save extra command line options and+arguments in a more featureful hledger config file.  Here's a small+example:++# General options are listed first, and used with hledger commands that support them.+--pretty++# Options following a `[COMMAND]` heading are used with that hledger command only.+[print]+--explicit --infer-costs++   To use a config file, specify it with the '--conf' option.  Its+options will be inserted near the start of your command line, so you can+override them with command line options if needed.++   Or, you can set up an automatic config file that is used whenever you+run hledger, by creating 'hledger.conf' in the current directory or+above, or '.hledger.conf' in your home directory ('~/.hledger.conf'), or+'hledger.conf' in your XDG config directory+('~/.config/hledger/hledger.conf').++   Here is another example config you could start with:+https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/blob/master/hledger.conf.sample++   You can put not only options, but also arguments in a config file.+If the first word in a config file's top (general) section does not+begin with a dash (eg: 'print'), it is treated as the command argument+(overriding any argument on the command line).++   On unix machines, you can add a shebang line at the top of a config+file, set executable permission on the file, and use it like a script.+Eg (the '-S' is needed on some operating systems):++#!/usr/bin/env -S hledger --conf++   You can ignore config files by adding the '-n'/'--no-conf' flag to+the command line.  This is useful when using hledger in scripts, or when+troubleshooting.  When both '--conf' and '--no-conf' options are used,+the right-most wins.++   To inspect the processing of config files, use '--debug' or+'--debug=8'.  Or, run the 'setup' command, which will display any active+config files.  ('setup' is not affected by config files itself, unlike+other commands.)++   *Warning!*++   There aren't many hledger features that need a warning, but this is+one!++   Automatic config files, while convenient, also make hledger less+predictable and dependable.  It's easy to make a config file that+changes a report's behaviour, or breaks your hledger-using+scripts/applications, in ways that will surprise you later.++   If you don't want this,++  1. Just don't create a hledger.conf file on your machine.+  2. Also be alert to downloaded directories which may contain a+     hledger.conf file.+  3. Also if you are sharing scripts or examples or support, consider+     that others may have a hledger.conf file.++   Conversely, once you decide to use this feature, try to remember:++  1. Whenever a hledger command does not work as expected, try it again+     with '-n' ('--no-conf') to see if a config file was to blame.+  2. Whenever you call hledger from a script, consider whether that call+     should use '-n' or not.+  3. Be conservative about what you put in your config file; try to+     consider the effect on all your reports.+  4. To troubleshoot the effect of config files, run with '--debug' or+     '--debug 8'.++   The config file feature was added in hledger 1.40.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Shell completions,  Prev: Config files,  Up: Options++4.6 Shell completions+=====================++If you use the bash or zsh shells, you can optionally set up+context-sensitive autocompletion for hledger command lines.  Try+pressing 'hledger<SPACE><TAB><TAB>' (should list all hledger commands)+or 'hledger reg acct:<TAB><TAB>' (should list your top-level account+names).  If completions aren't working, or for more details, see Install+> Shell completions.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Output,  Next: Environment,  Prev: Options,  Up: Top++5 Output+********++* Menu:++* Output destination::+* Output format::+* Commodity styles::+* Debug output::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Output destination,  Next: Output format,  Up: Output++5.1 Output destination+======================++hledger commands send their output to the terminal by default.  You can+of course redirect this, eg into a file, using standard shell syntax:++$ hledger print > foo.txt++   Some commands (print, register, stats, the balance commands) also+provide the '-o'/'--output-file' option, which does the same thing+without needing the shell.  Eg:++$ hledger print -o foo.txt+$ hledger print -o -        # write to stdout (the default)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Output format,  Next: Commodity styles,  Prev: Output destination,  Up: Output++5.2 Output format+=================++Some commands offer other kinds of output, not just text on the+terminal.  Here are those commands and the formats currently supported:++command               txt   html   csv/tsv   fods   beancount    sql   json+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+aregister             Y     Y      Y         Y                         Y+balance               Y     Y      Y         Y                         Y+balancesheet          Y     Y      Y         Y                         Y+balancesheetequity    Y     Y      Y         Y                         Y+cashflow              Y     Y      Y         Y                         Y+incomestatement       Y     Y      Y         Y                         Y+print                 Y     Y      Y         Y      Y            Y     Y+register              Y     Y      Y         Y                         Y++   You can also see which output formats a command supports by running+'hledger CMD -h' and looking for the '-O'/'--output-format=FMT' option,++   You can select the output format by using that option:++$ hledger print -O csv    # print CSV to standard output++   or by choosing a suitable filename extension with the+'-o'/'--output-file=FILE.FMT' option:++$ hledger balancesheet -o foo.csv    # write CSV to foo.csv++   The '-O' option can be combined with '-o' to override the file+extension if needed:++$ hledger balancesheet -o foo.txt -O csv    # write CSV to foo.txt++   Here are some notes about the various output formats.++* Menu:++* Text output::+* HTML output::+* CSV / TSV output::+* FODS output::+* Beancount output::+* SQL output::+* JSON output::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Text output,  Next: HTML output,  Up: Output format++5.2.1 Text output+-----------------++This is the default: human readable, plain text report output, suitable+for viewing with a monospace font in a terminal.  If your data contains+unicode or wide characters, you'll need a terminal and font that render+those correctly.  (This can be challenging on MS Windows.)++   Some reports ('register', 'aregister') will normally use the full+window width.  If this isn't working or you want to override it, you can+use the '-w'/'--width' option.++   Balance reports ('balance', 'balancesheet', 'incomestatement'...)+use whatever width they need.  Multi-period multi-currency reports can+often be wider than the window.  Besides using a pager, helpful+techniques for this situation include '--layout=bare', '-X COMM',+'cur:', '--transpose', '--tree', '--depth', '--drop', switching to html+output, etc.++* Menu:++* Box-drawing characters::+* Colour::+* Paging::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Box-drawing characters,  Next: Colour,  Up: Text output++5.2.1.1 Box-drawing characters+..............................++hledger draws simple table borders by default, to minimise the risk of+display problems caused by a terminal/font not supporting box-drawing+characters.++   But your terminal and font probably do support them, so we recommend+using the '--pretty' flag to show prettier tables in the terminal.  This+is a good flag to add to your hledger config file.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Colour,  Next: Paging,  Prev: Box-drawing characters,  Up: Text output++5.2.1.2 Colour+..............++hledger tries to automatically detect ANSI colour and text styling+support and use it when appropriate.  (Currently, it is used rather+minimally: some reports show negative numbers in red, and help output+uses bold text for emphasis.)++   You can override this by setting the 'NO_COLOR' environment variable+to disable it, or by using the '--color/--colour' option, perhaps in+your config file, with a 'y'/'yes' or 'n'/'no' value to force it on or+off.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Paging,  Prev: Colour,  Up: Text output++5.2.1.3 Paging+..............++In unix-like environments, when displaying large output (in any output+format) in the terminal, hledger tries to use a pager when appropriate.+(You can disable this with the '--pager=no' option, perhaps in your+config file.)++   The pager shows one page of text at a time, and lets you scroll+around to see more.  While it is active, usually 'SPACE' shows the next+page, 'h' shows help, and 'q' quits.  The home/end/page up/page+down/cursor keys, and mouse scrolling, may also work.++   hledger will use the pager specified by the 'PAGER' environment+variable, otherwise 'less' if available, otherwise 'more' if available.+(With one exception: 'hledger help -p TOPIC' will always use 'less', so+that it can scroll to the topic.)++   The pager is expected to display hledger's ANSI colour and text+styling.  If you see junk characters, you might need to configure your+pager to handle ANSI codes.  Or you could disable colour as described+above.++   If you are using the 'less' pager, hledger tries to provide a+consistently pleasant experience by running it with some extra options+added to your 'LESS' environment variable:++   -chop-long-lines -hilite-unread -ignore-case -no-init+-quit-if-one-screen -shift=8 -squeeze-blank-lines -use-backslash++   and when colour output is enabled:++   -RAW-CONTROL-CHARS++   You can prevent this by setting your preferred options in the+'HLEDGER_LESS' variable, which will be used instead of 'LESS'.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: HTML output,  Next: CSV / TSV output,  Prev: Text output,  Up: Output format++5.2.2 HTML output+-----------------++HTML output can be styled by an optional 'hledger.css' file in the same+directory.++   HTML output will be a HTML fragment, not a complete HTML document.+Like other hledger output, for non-ascii characters it will use the+system locale's text encoding (see Text encoding).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: CSV / TSV output,  Next: FODS output,  Prev: HTML output,  Up: Output format++5.2.3 CSV / TSV output+----------------------++In CSV or TSV output, digit group marks (such as thousands separators)+are disabled automatically.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: FODS output,  Next: Beancount output,  Prev: CSV / TSV output,  Up: Output format++5.2.4 FODS output+-----------------++FODS is the OpenDocument Spreadsheet format as plain XML, as accepted by+LibreOffice and OpenOffice.  If you use their spreadsheet applications,+this is better than CSV because it works across locales (decimal point+vs.  decimal comma, character encoding stored in XML header, thus no+problems with umlauts), it supports fixed header rows and columns, cell+types (string vs.  number vs.  date), separation of number and currency+(currency is displayed but the cell type is still a number accessible+for computation), styles (bold), borders.  Btw.  you can still extract+CSV from FODS/ODS using various utilities like 'libreoffice --headless'+or ods2csv.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Beancount output,  Next: SQL output,  Prev: FODS output,  Up: Output format++5.2.5 Beancount output+----------------------++This is Beancount's journal format.  You can use this to export your+hledger data to Beancount, eg to use the Fava web app.++   hledger will try to adjust your data to suit Beancount,+automatically.  Be cautious and check the conversion until you are+confident it is good.  If you plan to export to Beancount often, you may+want to follow its conventions, for a cleaner conversion:++   * use Beancount-friendly account names+   * use currency codes instead of currency symbols+   * use cost notation instead of equity conversion postings+   * avoid virtual postings, balance assignments, and secondary dates.++   There is one big adjustment you must handle yourself: for Beancount,+the top level account names must be 'Assets', 'Liabilities', 'Equity',+'Income', and/or 'Expenses'.  You can use account aliases to rewrite+your account names temporarily, if needed, as in this+hledger2beancount.conf config file.++   2024-12-20: Some more things not yet handled for you:++   * P directives are not converted automatically - convert those+     yourself.+   * Balance assignments are not converted (Beancount doesn't support+     them) - replace those with explicit amounts.++* Menu:++* Beancount account names::+* Beancount commodity names::+* Beancount virtual postings::+* Beancount metadata::+* Beancount costs::+* Beancount operating currency::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Beancount account names,  Next: Beancount commodity names,  Up: Beancount output++5.2.5.1 Beancount account names+...............................++Aside from the top-level names, hledger will adjust your account names+to make valid Beancount account names, by capitalising each part,+replacing spaces with '-', replacing other unsupported characters with+'C<HEXBYTES>', prepending 'A' to account name parts which don't begin+with a letter or digit, and appending ':A' to account names which have+only one part.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Beancount commodity names,  Next: Beancount virtual postings,  Prev: Beancount account names,  Up: Beancount output++5.2.5.2 Beancount commodity names+.................................++hledger will adjust your commodity names to make valid Beancount+commodity/currency names, which must be 2-24 uppercase letters, digits,+or ''', '.', '_', '-', beginning with a letter and ending with a letter+or digit.  hledger will convert known currency symbols to ISO 4217+currency codes, capitalise letters, replace spaces with '-', replace+other unsupported characters with 'C<HEXBYTES>', and prepend or append+'C' if needed.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Beancount virtual postings,  Next: Beancount metadata,  Prev: Beancount commodity names,  Up: Beancount output++5.2.5.3 Beancount virtual postings+..................................++Beancount doesn't allow virtual postings; if you have any, they will be+omitted from beancount output.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Beancount metadata,  Next: Beancount costs,  Prev: Beancount virtual postings,  Up: Beancount output++5.2.5.4 Beancount metadata+..........................++hledger tags will be converted to Beancount metadata (except for tags+whose name begins with '_').  Metadata names will be adjusted to be+Beancount-compatible: beginning with a lowercase letter, at least two+characters long, and with unsupported characters encoded.  Metadata+values will use Beancount's string type.++   In hledger, objects can have the same tag repeated with multiple+values.  Eg an 'assets:cash' account might have both 'type:Asset' and+'type:Cash' tags.  For Beancount these will be combined into one, with+the values combined, comma separated.  Eg: 'type: "Asset, Cash"'.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Beancount costs,  Next: Beancount operating currency,  Prev: Beancount metadata,  Up: Beancount output++5.2.5.5 Beancount costs+.......................++Beancount doesn't allow redundant costs and conversion postings as+hledger does.  If you have any of these, the conversion postings will be+omitted.  Currently we support at most one cost + conversion postings+group per transaction.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Beancount operating currency,  Prev: Beancount costs,  Up: Beancount output++5.2.5.6 Beancount operating currency+....................................++Declaring an operating currency (or several) improves Beancount and Fava+reports.  Currently hledger will declare each currency used in cost+amounts as an operating currency.  If needed, replace these with your+own declaration, like++option "operating_currency" "USD"+++File: hledger.info,  Node: SQL output,  Next: JSON output,  Prev: Beancount output,  Up: Output format++5.2.6 SQL output+----------------++SQL output is expected to work at least with SQLite, MySQL and Postgres.++   The SQL statements are expected to be executed in the empty database.+If you already have tables created via SQL output of hledger, you would+probably want to either clear data from these (via 'delete' or+'truncate' SQL statements) or 'drop' the tables completely before+import; otherwise your postings would be duplicated.++   For SQLite, it is more useful if you modify the generated 'id' field+to be a PRIMARY KEY. Eg:++$ hledger print -O sql | sed 's/id serial/id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT NOT NULL/g' | ...++   This is not yet much used; feedback is welcome.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: JSON output,  Prev: SQL output,  Up: Output format++5.2.7 JSON output+-----------------++Our JSON is rather large and verbose, since it is a faithful+representation of hledger's internal data types.  To understand its+structure, read the Haskell type definitions, which are mostly in+https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/blob/master/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs.+hledger-web's OpenAPI specification may also be relevant.++   hledger stores numbers with sometimes up to 255 significant digits.+This is too many digits for most JSON consumers, so in JSON output we+round numbers to at most 10 decimal places.  (We don't limit the number+of integer digits.)  If you find this causing problems, please let us+know.  Related: #1195++   This is not yet much used; feedback is welcome.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Commodity styles,  Next: Debug output,  Prev: Output format,  Up: Output++5.3 Commodity styles+====================++When displaying amounts, hledger infers a standard display style for+each commodity/currency, as described below in Commodity display style.++   If needed, this can be overridden by a '-c/--commodity-style' option+(except for cost amounts and amounts displayed by the 'print' command,+which are always displayed with all decimal digits).  For example, the+following will force dollar amounts to be displayed as shown:++$ hledger print -c '$1.000,0'++   This option can be repeated to set the display style for multiple+commodities/currencies.  Its argument is as described in the commodity+directive.  Note that omitting the commodity symbol will set the display+style for just the no-symbol commodity, not all commodities.++   In some cases hledger will adjust number formatting to improve their+parseability (such as adding trailing decimal marks when needed).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Debug output,  Prev: Commodity styles,  Up: Output++5.4 Debug output+================++We intend hledger to be relatively easy to troubleshoot, introspect and+develop.  You can add '--debug[=N]' to any hledger command line to see+additional debug output.  N ranges from 1 (least output, the default) to+9 (maximum output).  Typically you would start with 1 and increase until+you are seeing enough.  Debug output goes to stderr, and is not affected+by '-o/--output-file' (unless you redirect stderr to stdout, eg:+'2>&1').  It will be interleaved with normal output, which can help+reveal when parts of the code are evaluated.  To capture debug output in+a log file instead, you can usually redirect stderr, eg:++hledger bal --debug=3 2>hledger.log++   (This option doesn't work in a config file yet.)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Environment,  Next: PART 2 DATA FORMATS,  Prev: Output,  Up: Top++6 Environment+*************++These environment variables affect hledger:++   *HLEDGER_LESS* If 'less' is your pager, this variable specifies the+'less' options hledger should use.  (Otherwise, 'LESS' + custom options+are used.)++   *LEDGER_FILE* The default journal file, to be used when no+'-f/--file' option is provided.  For example, it could be+'~/finance/main.journal'.  This can also be a glob pattern, eg+'./2???.journal'.  (If the glob matches multiple files, only the+alphanumerically first one is used.)  If LEDGER_FILE points to a+non-existent file, an error will be raised.  If the value is the empty+string, it is ignored.++   If LEDGER_FILE is not set and '-f' is not provided, the default+journal file is '$HOME/.hledger.journal' (or if a home directory can't+be detected, './.hledger.journal').++   See also Common tasks > Setting LEDGER_FILE.++   *NO_COLOR* If this environment variable exists (with any value,+including empty), hledger will not use ANSI color codes in terminal+output, unless overridden by an explicit '--color=y' or '--colour=y'+option.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: PART 2 DATA FORMATS,  Next: Journal,  Prev: Environment,  Up: Top++7 PART 2: DATA FORMATS+**********************+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Journal,  Next: CSV,  Prev: PART 2 DATA FORMATS,  Up: Top++8 Journal+*********++hledger's usual data source is a plain text file containing journal+entries in hledger 'journal' format.  If you're looking for a quick+reference, jump ahead to the journal cheatsheet (or use the table of+contents at https://hledger.org/hledger.html).++   This file represents an accounting General Journal.  The '.journal'+file extension is most often used, though not strictly required.  The+journal file contains a number of transaction entries, each describing a+transfer of money (or any commodity) between two or more named accounts,+in a simple format readable by both hledger and humans.++   hledger's journal format is compatible with most of Ledger's journal+format, but not all of it.  The differences and interoperation tips are+described at hledger and Ledger.  With some care, and by avoiding+incompatible features, you can keep your hledger journal readable by+Ledger and vice versa.  This can useful eg for comparing the behaviour+of one app against the other.++   You can use hledger without learning any more about this file; just+use the add or web or import commands to create and update it.++   Many users, though, edit the journal file with a text editor, and+track changes with a version control system such as git.  Editor add-ons+such as ledger-mode or hledger-mode for Emacs, vim-ledger for Vim, and+hledger-vscode for Visual Studio Code, make this easier, adding colour,+formatting, tab completion, and useful commands.  See Editors at+hledger.org for the full list.++   A hledger journal file can contain three kinds of thing: comment+lines, transactions, and/or directives (including periodic transaction+rules and auto posting rules).  Understanding the journal file format+will also give you a good understanding of hledger's data model.  Here's+a quick cheatsheet/overview, followed by detailed descriptions of each+part.++* Menu:++* Journal cheatsheet::+* Comments::+* Transactions::+* Dates::+* Status::+* Code::+* Description::+* Transaction comments::+* Postings::+* Account names::+* Amounts::+* Costs::+* Cost basis / lot syntax::+* Balance assertions::+* Posting comments::+* Transaction balancing::+* Tags::+* Directives::+* account directive::+* alias directive::+* commodity directive::+* decimal-mark directive::+* include directive::+* P directive::+* payee directive::+* tag directive::+* Periodic transactions::+* Auto postings::+* Other syntax::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Journal cheatsheet,  Next: Comments,  Up: Journal++8.1 Journal cheatsheet+======================++# Here is the main syntax of hledger's journal format+# (omitting extra Ledger compatibility syntax).++###############################################################################++# 1. These are comment lines, for notes or temporarily disabling things.+; They begin with # or ;++comment+Or, lines can be enclosed within "comment" / "end comment".+This is a block of +commented lines.+end comment++# Some journal entries can have semicolon comments at end of line  ; like this+# Some of them require 2 or more spaces before the semicolon.++###############################################################################++# 2. Directives customise processing or output in some way.+# You don't need any directives to get started.+# But they can add more error checking, or change how things are displayed.+# They begin with a word, letter, or symbol. +# They are most often placed at the top, before transactions.++account assets             ; Declare valid account names and display order.+account assets:savings     ; A subaccount. This one represents a bank account.+account assets:checking    ; Another. Note, 2+ spaces after the account name.+account assets:receivable  ; Accounting type is inferred from english names,+account passifs            ; or declared with a "type" tag, type:L+account expenses           ; type:X+                           ; A follow-on comment line, indented.+account expenses:rent      ; Expense and revenue categories are also accounts.+                           ; Subaccounts inherit their parent's type.++commodity $0.00         ; Declare valid commodities and their display styles.+commodity 1.000,00 EUR++decimal-mark .          ; The decimal mark used in this file (if ambiguous).++payee Whole Foods       ; Declare a valid payee name.++tag trip                ; Declare a valid tag name.++P 2024-03-01 AAPL $179  ; Declare a market price for AAPL in $ on this date.++include other.journal   ; Include another journal file here.++# Declare a recurring "periodic transaction", for budget/forecast reports+~ monthly  set budget goals  ; <- Note, 2+ spaces before the description.+    (expenses:rent)      $1000+    (expenses:food)       $500++# Declare an auto posting rule, to modify existing transactions in reports+= revenues:consulting+    liabilities:tax:2024:us          *0.25  ; Add a tax liability & expense+    expenses:tax:2024:us            *-0.25  ; for 25% of the revenue.++###############################################################################++# 3. Transactions are what it's all about.+# They are dated events, usually movements of money between 2 or more accounts.+# They begin with a numeric date.+# Here is their basic shape:+#+# DATE DESCRIPTION    ; The transaction's date and optional description.+#   ACCOUNT1  AMOUNT  ; A posting of an amount to/from this account, indented.+#   ACCOUNT2  AMOUNT  ; A second posting, balancing the first.+#   ...               ; More if needed. Amounts must sum to zero.+#                     ; Note, 2+ spaces between account names and amounts.++2024-01-01 opening balances         ; At the start, declare pre-existing balances this way.+    assets:savings          $10000  ; Account names can be anything. lower case is easy to type.+    assets:checking          $1000  ; assets, liabilities, equity, revenues, expenses are common.+    liabilities:credit card  $-500  ; liabilities, equity, revenues balances are usually negative.+    equity:start                    ; One amount can be left blank. $-10500 is inferred here.+                                    ; Some of these accounts we didn't declare above,+                                    ; so -s/--strict would complain.++2024-01-03 ! (12345) pay rent+    ; Additional transaction comment lines, indented.+    ; There can be a ! or * after the date meaning "pending" or "cleared".+    ; There can be a parenthesised (code) after the date/status.+                                    ; Amounts' sign shows direction of flow.+    assets:checking          $-500  ; Minus means removed from this account (credit).+    expenses:rent             $500  ; Plus means added to this account (debit).++; Keeping transactions in date order is optional (but helps error checking).++2024-01-02 Gringott's Bank | withdrawal  ; Description can be PAYEE | NOTE+    assets:bank:gold       -10 gold+    assets:pouch            10 gold++2024-01-02 shopping+    expenses:clothing        1 gold+    expenses:wands           5 gold+    assets:pouch            -6 gold++2024-01-02 receive gift+    revenues:gifts          -3 "Chocolate Frogs"  ; Complex commodity symbols+    assets:pouch             3 "Chocolate Frogs"  ; must be in double quotes.++2024-01-15 buy some shares, in two lots                 ; Cost can be noted.+    assets:investments:2024-01-15     2.0 AAAA @ $1.50  ; @  means per-unit cost+    assets:investments:2024-01-15-02  3.0 AAAA @@ $4    ; @@ means total cost+                      ; ^ Per-lot subaccounts are sometimes useful.+    assets:checking                 $-7++2024-01-15 assert some account balances on this date+    ; Balances can be asserted in any transaction, with =, for extra error checking.+    ; Assertion txns like this one can be made with hledger close --assert --show-costs+    ;+    assets:savings                    $0                   = $10000+    assets:checking                   $0                   =   $493+    assets:bank:gold                   0 gold              =    -10 gold+    assets:pouch                       0 gold              =      4 gold+    assets:pouch                       0 "Chocolate Frogs" =      3 "Chocolate Frogs"+    assets:investments:2024-01-15      0.0 AAAA            =      2.0 AAAA @  $1.50+    assets:investments:2024-01-15-02   0.0 AAAA            =      3.0 AAAA @@ $4+    liabilities:credit card           $0                   =  $-500++2024-02-01 note some event, or a transaction not yet fully entered, on this date+    ; Postings are not required.++# Consistent YYYY-MM-DD date format is recommended,+# but you can use . or / and omit leading zeros if you prefer.+2024.01.01+2024/1/1+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Comments,  Next: Transactions,  Prev: Journal cheatsheet,  Up: Journal++8.2 Comments+============++Lines in the journal will be ignored if they begin with a hash ('#') or+a semicolon (';').  (See also Other syntax.)  hledger will also ignore+regions beginning with a 'comment' line and ending with an 'end comment'+line (or file end).  Here's a suggestion for choosing between them:++   * '#' for top-level notes+   * ';' for commenting out things temporarily+   * 'comment' for quickly commenting large regions (remember it's+     there, or you might get confused)++   Eg:++# a comment line+; another commentline+comment+A multi-line comment block,+continuing until "end comment" directive+or the end of the current file.+end comment++   Some hledger entries can have same-line comments attached to them,+from ; (semicolon) to end of line.  See Transaction comments, Posting+comments, and Account comments below.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Transactions,  Next: Dates,  Prev: Comments,  Up: Journal++8.3 Transactions+================++Transactions are the main unit of information in a journal file.  They+represent events, typically a movement of some quantity of commodities+between two or more named accounts.++   Each transaction is recorded as a journal entry, beginning with a+simple date in column 0.  This can be followed by any of the following+optional fields, separated by spaces:++   * a status character (empty, '!', or '*')+   * a code (any short number or text, enclosed in parentheses)+   * a description (any remaining text until end of line or a semicolon)+   * a comment (any remaining text following a semicolon until end of+     line, and any following indented lines beginning with a semicolon)+   * 0 or more indented _posting_ lines, describing what was transferred+     and the accounts involved (indented comment lines are also allowed,+     but not blank lines or non-indented lines).++   Here's a simple journal file containing one transaction:++2008/01/01 income+  assets:bank:checking   $1+  income:salary         $-1+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Dates,  Next: Status,  Prev: Transactions,  Up: Journal++8.4 Dates+=========++* Menu:++* Simple dates::+* Posting dates::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Simple dates,  Next: Posting dates,  Up: Dates++8.4.1 Simple dates+------------------++Dates in the journal file use _simple dates_ format: 'YYYY-MM-DD' or+'YYYY/MM/DD' or 'YYYY.MM.DD', with leading zeros optional.  The year may+be omitted, in which case it will be inferred from the context: the+current transaction, the default year set with a 'Y' directive, or the+current date when the command is run.  Some examples: '2010-01-31',+'2010/01/31', '2010.1.31', '1/31'.++   (The UI also accepts simple dates, as well as the more flexible smart+dates documented in the hledger manual.)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Posting dates,  Prev: Simple dates,  Up: Dates++8.4.2 Posting dates+-------------------++You can give individual postings a different date from their parent+transaction, by adding a posting comment containing a tag (see below)+like '; date:DATE'.  (There's also a Ledger-compatible syntax, ';+[DATE]', which can be convenient.)++   This is probably the best way to control posting dates precisely.  Eg+in this example the expense should appear in May reports, and the+deduction from checking should be reported on 6/1 for easy bank+reconciliation:++2015/5/30+    expenses:food     $10  ; food purchased on saturday 5/30+    assets:checking        ; bank cleared it on monday, date:6/1++$ hledger -f t.j register food+2015-05-30                      expenses:food                  $10           $10++$ hledger -f t.j register checking+2015-06-01                      assets:checking               $-10          $-10++   DATE should be a simple date; if the year is not specified it will+use the year of the transaction's date.+The 'date:' tag must have a valid simple date value if it is present, eg+a 'date:' tag with no value is not allowed.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Status,  Next: Code,  Prev: Dates,  Up: Journal++8.5 Status+==========++Transactions (or individual postings within a transaction) can have a+status mark, which is a single character before the transaction+description (or posting account name), separated from it by a space,+indicating one of three statuses:++mark  status+ +-----------------+      unmarked+'!'   pending+'*'   cleared++   When reporting, you can filter by status with the '-U/--unmarked',+'-P/--pending', and '-C/--cleared' flags (and you can combine these, eg+'-UP' to match all except cleared things).  Or you can use the+'status:', 'status:!', and 'status:*' queries, or the U, P, C keys in+hledger-ui.++   (Note: in Ledger the "unmarked" state is called "uncleared"; in+hledger we renamed it to "unmarked" for semantic clarity.)++   Status marks are optional, but can be helpful eg for reconciling with+real-world accounts.  Some editor modes provide highlighting and+shortcuts for working with status.  Eg in Emacs ledger-mode, you can+toggle transaction status with C-c C-e, or posting status with C-c C-c.++   What "uncleared", "pending", and "cleared" actually mean is up to+you.  Here's one suggestion:++status     meaning+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+uncleared  recorded but not yet reconciled; needs review+pending    tentatively reconciled (if needed, eg during a big+           reconciliation)+cleared    complete, reconciled as far as possible, and considered+           correct++   With this scheme, you would use '-PC' to see the current balance at+your bank, '-U' to see things which will probably hit your bank soon+(like uncashed checks), and no flags to see the most up-to-date state of+your finances.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Code,  Next: Description,  Prev: Status,  Up: Journal++8.6 Code+========++After the status mark, but before the description, you can optionally+write a transaction "code", such as a check number or transaction id,+enclosed in parentheses,++   This has a few limitations: The code must not contain a closing+parenthesis (or it will be truncated).  Codes tend to disrupt alignment+of the register report, making it harder to scan visually.  And you+can't store more than one value there per transaction.  For these+reasons you might want to avoid the code field and use tags(#tags]+instead.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Description,  Next: Transaction comments,  Prev: Code,  Up: Journal++8.7 Description+===============++After the date, status mark and/or code fields, the rest of the line (or+until a comment is begun with ';') is the transaction's description.+Here you can describe the transaction (called the "narration" in+traditional bookkeeping), or you can record a payee/payer name, or you+can leave it empty.++   Transaction descriptions show up in print output and in register+reports, and can be listed with the descriptions command.++   You can query by description with 'desc:DESCREGEX', or pivot on+description with '--pivot desc'.++* Menu:++* Payee and note::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Payee and note,  Up: Description++8.7.1 Payee and note+--------------------++Sometimes people want a dedicated payee/payer field that can be queried+and checked more strictly.  If you want that, you can write a '|' (pipe)+character in the description.  This divides it into a "payee" field on+the left, and a "note" field on the right.  (Either can be empty.)++   You can query these with 'payee:PAYEEREGEX' and 'note:NOTEREGEX',+list their values with the payees and notes commands, or pivot on+'payee' or 'note'.++   Note: in transactions with no '|' character, description, payee, and+note all have the same value.  Once a '|' is added, they become+distinct.  (If you'd like to change this behaviour, please propose it on+the mail list.)++   If you want more strict error checking, you can declare the valid+payee names with payee directives, and then enforce these with hledger+check payees.  (Note: because of the above, for this you'll need to+ensure every transaction description contains a '|' and therefore a+checkable payee name, even if it's empty.)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Transaction comments,  Next: Postings,  Prev: Description,  Up: Journal++8.8 Transaction comments+========================++Text following ';', after a transaction description, and/or on indented+lines immediately below it, form comments for that transaction.  They+are reproduced by 'print' but otherwise ignored, except they may contain+tags, which are not ignored.++2012-01-01 something  ; a transaction comment+    ; a second line of transaction comment+    expenses   1+    assets+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Postings,  Next: Account names,  Prev: Transaction comments,  Up: Journal++8.9 Postings+============++A posting is an addition of some amount to, or removal of some amount+from, an account.  Each posting line begins with at least one space or+tab (2 or 4 spaces is common), followed by:++   * (optional) a status character (empty, '!', or '*'), followed by a+     space+   * (required) an account name (any text, optionally including single+     spaces.  If anything follows the account name on the same line, the+     account name must be ended by *two or more spaces*.)+   * (optional) an amount+   * (optional) a same-line posting comment, beginning with a semicolon+     (';').++   If the amount is positive, it is being added to the account; if+negative, it is being removed from the account.++   The posting amounts in a transaction must sum up to zero, indicating+that the inflows and outflows are equal.  We call this a balanced+transaction.  (You can read more about the details of transaction+balancing below.)++   If no amount is written, it will be calculated automatically from the+other postings in the transaction, so as to balance the transaction.  In+other words, in any transaction you can leave one posting amountless to+save typing.++* Menu:++* Debits and credits::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Debits and credits,  Up: Postings++8.9.1 Debits and credits+------------------------++The traditional accounting concepts of debit and credit of course exist+in hledger, but we represent them with numeric sign.  Positive and+negative posting amounts represent debits and credits respectively.++   You don't need to remember that, but if you would like to - eg for+helping newcomers or for talking with your accountant - here's a handy+mnemonic:++   _'debit / plus / left / short words'_+_'credit / minus / right / longer words'_+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Account names,  Next: Amounts,  Prev: Postings,  Up: Journal++8.10 Account names+==================++Accounts are the main way of categorising things in hledger.  As in+Double Entry Bookkeeping, they can represent real world accounts (such+as a bank account), or more abstract categories such as "money spent on+food" or "money borrowed from Frank".++   Account names are flexible.  They may be capitalised or not; they may+contain letters, numbers, punctuation, symbols, or single spaces; they+may be in any language.++   Typically we use the five traditional accounting categories as the+starting point for account names.  In english they are:++   'assets', 'liabilities', 'equity', 'revenues', 'expenses'++   These will be discussed more in Account types below.  In hledger docs+you may see them referred to as A, L, E, R, X for short.++* Menu:++* Two space delimiter::+* Account hierarchy::+* Other account name features::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Two space delimiter,  Next: Account hierarchy,  Up: Account names++8.10.1 Two space delimiter+--------------------------++Note the *two or more spaces* delimiter that's sometimes required after+account names.  hledger's account names, inherited from Ledger, are very+permissive; they may contain pretty much any kind of text, including+single spaces and semicolons.  Because of this, they must be terminated+by *two or more spaces* if there is anything following them on the same+line.  For example, if an amount, balance assignment, or same-line+comment follows an account name, they must be preceded by two or more+spaces, else they would be considered part of the account name:++bad:     assets:accounts receivable $10        ; <- too close!+good:    assets:accounts receivable  $10++bad:     assets:accounts receivable =$1000     ; <- too close!+good:    assets:accounts receivable  =$1000++bad:     assets:accounts receivable ; comment.   <- too close!+good:    assets:accounts receivable  ; comment++   This two-space delimiter appears in a few places in hledger, such as+after account names in postings or account directives; also after the+period expression in periodic transaction rules.  When you are starting+out, expect it to catch you out at least once.  It's annoying sometimes,+but it lets us use expressive account names while still keeping the+syntax light.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Account hierarchy,  Next: Other account name features,  Prev: Two space delimiter,  Up: Account names++8.10.2 Account hierarchy+------------------------++For more precise reporting, we usually divide accounts into more+detailed subaccounts, subsubaccounts, and so on, by writing a full colon+between account name parts.  For example, instead of writing 'assets'+and 'expenses', we might write 'assets:bank:checking' and+'expenses:food'.  From these names hledger will infer this hierarchy of+five accounts:++assets+assets:bank+assets:bank:checking+expenses+expenses:food++   Or as an outline:++assets+ bank+  checking+expenses+ food++   hledger reports can summarise the account tree to any depth, so you+can make your subcategories as detailed as you like.  But don't go+overboard, especially when getting started; simpler categories can be+less work.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Other account name features,  Prev: Account hierarchy,  Up: Account names++8.10.3 Other account name features+----------------------------------++Enclosing the account name in parentheses or brackets, like+'(expenses:food)', enables a non-standard bookkeeping feature: virtual+postings.++   Account names can be rewritten and restructured, temporarily or+permanently, by account aliases.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Amounts,  Next: Costs,  Prev: Account names,  Up: Journal++8.11 Amounts+============++After the account name, there is usually an amount.  (Remember: between+account name and amount, there must be two or more spaces.)++   hledger's amount format is flexible, supporting several international+formats.  Here are some examples.  Amounts have a number (the+"quantity"):++1++   ..and usually a currency symbol or commodity name (more on this+below), to the left or right of the quantity, with or without a+separating space:++$1+4000 AAPL+3 "green apples"++   Amounts can be preceded by a minus sign (or a plus sign, though plus+is the default), The sign can be written before or after a left-side+commodity symbol:++-$1+$-1++   One or more spaces between the sign and the number are acceptable+when parsing (but they won't be displayed in output):+++ $1+$-      1++   Scientific E notation is allowed:++1E-6+EUR 1E3++* Menu:++* Decimal marks::+* Digit group marks::+* Commodity::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Decimal marks,  Next: Digit group marks,  Up: Amounts++8.11.1 Decimal marks+--------------------++A _decimal mark_ can be written as a period or a comma:++1.23+1,23++   Both of these are common in international number formats, so hledger+is not biased towards one or the other.  Because hledger also supports+digit group marks (eg thousands separators), this means that a number+like '1,000' or '1.000' containing just one period or comma is+ambiguous.  In such cases, hledger by default assumes it is a decimal+mark, and will parse both of those as 1.++   To help hledger parse such ambiguous numbers more accurately, if you+use digit group marks, we recommend declaring the decimal mark+explicitly.  The best way is to add a 'decimal-mark' directive at the+top of each data file, like this:++decimal-mark .++   Or you can declare it per commodity with 'commodity' directives,+described below.++   hledger also accepts numbers like '10.' with no digits after the+decimal mark (and will sometimes display numbers that way to+disambiguate them - see Trailing decimal marks).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Digit group marks,  Next: Commodity,  Prev: Decimal marks,  Up: Amounts++8.11.2 Digit group marks+------------------------++In the integer part of the amount quantity (left of the decimal mark),+groups of digits can optionally be separated by a _digit group mark_ - a+comma or period (whichever is not used as decimal mark), or a space+(several Unicode space variants, like no-break space, are also+accepted).  So these are all valid amounts in a journal file:++     $1,000,000.00+  EUR 2.000.000,00+INR 9,99,99,999.00+      1 000 000.00   ; <- ordinary space  +      1 000 000.00   ; <- no-break space+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Commodity,  Prev: Digit group marks,  Up: Amounts++8.11.3 Commodity+----------------++Amounts in hledger have both a "quantity", which is a signed decimal+number, and a "commodity", which is a currency symbol, stock ticker, or+any word or phrase describing something you are tracking.++   If the commodity name contains non-letters (spaces, numbers, or+punctuation), you must always write it inside double quotes ('"green+apples"', '"ABC123"').++   If you write just a bare number, that too will have a commodity, with+name '""'; we call that the "no-symbol commodity".++   Actually, hledger combines these single-commodity amounts into more+powerful multi-commodity amounts, which are what it works with most of+the time.  A multi-commodity amount could be, eg: '1 USD, 2 EUR, 3.456+TSLA'.  In practice, you will only see multi-commodity amounts in+hledger's output; you can't write them directly in the journal file.++   By default, the format of amounts in the journal influences how+hledger displays them in output.  This is explained in Commodity display+style below.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Costs,  Next: Cost basis / lot syntax,  Prev: Amounts,  Up: Journal++8.12 Costs+==========++In traditional double entry bookkeeping, to record a transaction where+one commodity is exchanged for another, you add extra equity postings to+balance the two commodities.  Eg:++2026-01-01 buy euros+  assets:dollars     $-123+  equity:conversion   $123+  equity:conversion  €-100+  assets:euros        €100++   hledger offers a more convenient @/@@ "cost notation" as an+alternative: instead of equity postings, you can write the "conversion+rate" or "transacted price" after a posting amount.  hledger docs+generically call this "cost", whether buying or selling.  It can be+written as either '@ UNITPRICE' or '@@ TOTALPRICE'.  Eg you could write+the above as:++2026-01-01 buy euros+  assets:dollars     $-123+  assets:euros        €100 @ $1.23    ; unit cost (exchange rate)++   or:++2026-01-01 buy euros+  assets:dollars     $-123+  assets:euros        €100 @@ $123    ; total cost++   The cost should normally be a positive amount.  Negative costs are+supported, but can be confusing, as discussed at -infer-market-prices:+market prices from transactions.++   Costs participate in transaction balancing.  Amounts are converted to+their cost before checking if the transaction is balanced.  You could+also write the above less redundantly, like so:++2026-01-01 buy euros+  assets:dollars                      ; $-123 is inferred+  assets:euros        €100 @ $1.23++   or:++2026-01-01 buy euros+  assets:dollars                      ; $-123 is inferred+  assets:euros        €100 @@ $123++   or even:++2026-01-01 buy euros+  assets:euros        €100            ;  @@ $123 is inferred+  assets:dollars     $-123++   This last form works for transactions involving exactly two+commodities, with neither cost notation nor equity postings.  Note, the+order of postings is significant: the cost will be attached to the first+(top) posting.  So we had to switch the order of postings, to get the+same meaning as above.  Also, this form is the easiest to make+undetected errors with; so it is rejected by 'hledger check balanced',+and by strict mode.++   Advantages of cost notation:++  1. it's more compact and easier to read and write+  2. hledger reports can show such amounts converted to their cost, when+     you add the '-B/--cost' flag (see Cost reporting).++   Advantages of equity postings++  1. they help to keep the accounting equation balanced (if you care+     about that)+  2. they translate easily to any other double entry accounting system.++   Most hledger users use cost notation and don't use equity postings.++   But you can always convert cost notation to equity postings by adding+'--infer-equity'.  Eg try 'hledger print -x --infer-equity'.++   And you can usually convert equity postings to cost notation by+adding '--infer-costs' (see Requirements for detecting equity conversion+postings).  Eg try 'hledger print -x --infer-costs'.++   Finally: using both equity postings and cost notation at the same+time is allowed, as long as the journal entry is well formed such that+the equity postings / cost equivalences can be detected.  (Otherwise+you'll get an error message saying that the transaction is unbalanced.):++2026-01-01 buy euros+  assets:dollars     $-123+  equity:conversion   $123+  equity:conversion  €-100+  assets:euros        €100 @ $1.23++   So in principle you could enable both '--infer-equity' and+'--infer-costs' in your config file, and your reports would have the+advantages of both.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Cost basis / lot syntax,  Next: Balance assertions,  Prev: Costs,  Up: Journal++8.13 Cost basis / lot syntax+============================++If you are buying some commodity to hold as an investment, it may be+important to keep track of++  1. its original acquisition cost+  2. its original acquisition date+  3. and a sequence number or label, if needed, to disambiguate multiple+     acquisitions on the same day, or to serve as a mnemonic for easy+     reference.++   In hledger we call these three the "cost basis"; and if an amount+being acquired has a cost basis, we call it a "lot".  Tax authorities+often require that lots are tracked carefully and disposed of (sold) in+a certain order.++   Note, though "cost basis" sounds similar to the "cost" (transacted+price) discussed above, they are distinct concepts.  In some+transactions the transacted price and basis cost are the same, but in+others they are not.++   So cost basis has its own syntax, also called "lot syntax".+hledger's lot syntax is like Ledger's: one or more of the following+annotations, following the main amount:++   * '{LOTUNITCOST}' or '{{LOTTOTALCOST}}' (see lot price)+   * '[LOTDATE]' (see lot date)+   * '(LOTLABEL)' (see lot note)++   hledger does not yet do anything with this lot syntax, except to+preserve it and show it in 'print''s 'txt', 'beancount', and 'json'+output.  This means you can use this syntax in your hledger journals+(plus an amountless extra posting to help transactions balance, if+needed), then use the 'print' command to export to Ledger or Beancount+or rustledger, to use their lots/gains reports (see Export Lots+workflow).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Balance assertions,  Next: Posting comments,  Prev: Cost basis / lot syntax,  Up: Journal++8.14 Balance assertions+=======================++hledger supports Ledger-style balance assertions in journal files.+These look like, for example, '= EXPECTEDBALANCE' following a posting's+amount.  Eg here we assert the expected dollar balance in accounts a and+b after each posting:++2013/1/1+  a   $1 =  $1+  b      = $-1++2013/1/2+  a   $1 =  $2+  b  $-1 = $-2++   After reading a journal file, hledger will check all balance+assertions and report an error if any of them fail.  Balance assertions+can protect you from, eg, inadvertently disrupting reconciled balances+while cleaning up old entries.  You can disable them temporarily with+the '-I/--ignore-assertions' flag, which can be useful for+troubleshooting or for reading Ledger files.  (Note: this flag currently+does not disable balance assignments, described below).++* Menu:++* Assertions and ordering::+* Assertions and multiple files::+* Assertions and costs::+* Assertions and commodities::+* Assertions and subaccounts::+* Assertions and status::+* Assertions and virtual postings::+* Assertions and auto postings::+* Assertions and precision::+* Assertions and hledger add::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Assertions and ordering,  Next: Assertions and multiple files,  Up: Balance assertions++8.14.1 Assertions and ordering+------------------------------++hledger calculates and checks an account's balance assertions in date+order (and when there are multiple assertions on the same day, in parse+order).  Note this is different from Ledger, which checks assertions+always in parse order, ignoring dates.++   This means in hledger you can freely reorder transactions, postings,+or files, and balance assertions will usually keep working.  The+exception is when you reorder multiple postings on the same day, to the+same account, which have balance assertions; those will likely need+updating.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Assertions and multiple files,  Next: Assertions and costs,  Prev: Assertions and ordering,  Up: Balance assertions++8.14.2 Assertions and multiple files+------------------------------------++If an account has transactions appearing in multiple files, balance+assertions can still work - but _only if those files are part of a+hierarchy made by include directives_.++   If the same files are specified with two '-f' options on the command+line, the assertions in the second will not see the balances from the+first.++   To work around this, arrange your files in a hierarchy with+'include'.  Or, you could concatenate the files temporarily, and process+them like one big file.++   Why does it work this way ?  It might be related to hledger's goal of+stable predictable reports.  File hierarchy is considered "permanent",+part of your data, while the order of command line options/arguments is+not.  We don't want transient changes to be able to change the meaning+of the data.  Eg it would be frustrating if tomorrow all your balance+assertions broke because you wrote command line arguments in a different+order.  (Discussion welcome.)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Assertions and costs,  Next: Assertions and commodities,  Prev: Assertions and multiple files,  Up: Balance assertions++8.14.3 Assertions and costs+---------------------------++Balance assertions ignore costs, and should normally be written without+one:++2019/1/1+  (a)     $1 @ €1 = $1++   We do allow costs to be written in balance assertion amounts,+however, and print shows them, but they don't affect whether the+assertion passes or fails.  This is for backward compatibility+(hledger's close command used to generate balance assertions with+costs), and because balance _assignments_ do use costs (see below).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Assertions and commodities,  Next: Assertions and subaccounts,  Prev: Assertions and costs,  Up: Balance assertions++8.14.4 Assertions and commodities+---------------------------------++The balance assertions described so far are "*single commodity balance+assertions*": they assert and check the balance in one commodity,+ignoring any others that may be present.  This is how balance assertions+work in Ledger also.++   If an account contains multiple commodities, you can assert their+balances by writing multiple postings with balance assertions, one for+each commodity:++2013/1/1+  usd   $-1+  eur   €-1+  both++2013/1/2+  both    0 = $1+  both    0 = €1++   In hledger you can make a stronger "*sole commodity balance+assertion*" by writing two equals signs ('== EXPECTEDBALANCE').  This+also asserts that there are no other commodities in the account besides+the asserted one (or at least, that their current balance is zero):++2013/1/1+  usd   $-1  == $-1  ; these sole commodity assertions succeed+  eur   €-1  == €-1+  both      ;==  $1  ; this one would fail because 'both' contains $ and €++   It's less easy to make a "*sole commodities balance assertion*" (note+the plural) - ie, asserting that an account contains two or more+specified commodities and no others.  It can be done by++  1. isolating each commodity in a subaccount, and asserting those+  2. and also asserting there are no commodities in the parent account+     itself:++2013/1/1+  usd       $-1+  eur       €-1+  both        0 == 0   ; nothing up my sleeve+  both:usd   $1 == $1  ; a dollar here+  both:eur   €1 == €1  ; a euro there+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Assertions and subaccounts,  Next: Assertions and status,  Prev: Assertions and commodities,  Up: Balance assertions++8.14.5 Assertions and subaccounts+---------------------------------++All of the balance assertions above (both '=' and '==') are+"*subaccount-exclusive balance assertions*"; they ignore any balances+that exist in deeper subaccounts.++   In hledger you can make "*subaccount-inclusive balance assertions*"+by adding a star after the equals ('=*' or '==*'):++2019/1/1+  equity:start+  assets:checking  $10+  assets:savings   $10+  assets            $0 ==* $20  ; assets + subaccounts contains $20 and nothing else+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Assertions and status,  Next: Assertions and virtual postings,  Prev: Assertions and subaccounts,  Up: Balance assertions++8.14.6 Assertions and status+----------------------------++Balance assertions always consider postings of all statuses (unmarked,+pending, or cleared); they are not affected by the '-U'/'--unmarked' /+'-P'/'--pending' / '-C'/'--cleared' flags or the 'status:' query.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Assertions and virtual postings,  Next: Assertions and auto postings,  Prev: Assertions and status,  Up: Balance assertions++8.14.7 Assertions and virtual postings+--------------------------------------++Balance assertions always consider both real and virtual postings; they+are not affected by the '--real/-R' flag or 'real:' query.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Assertions and auto postings,  Next: Assertions and precision,  Prev: Assertions and virtual postings,  Up: Balance assertions++8.14.8 Assertions and auto postings+-----------------------------------++Balance assertions _are_ affected by the '--auto' flag, which generates+auto postings, which can alter account balances.  Because auto postings+are optional in hledger, accounts affected by them effectively have two+balances.  But balance assertions can only test one or the other of+these.  So to avoid making fragile assertions, either:++   * assert the balance calculated with '--auto', and always use+     '--auto' with that file+   * or assert the balance calculated without '--auto', and never use+     '--auto' with that file+   * or avoid balance assertions on accounts affected by auto postings+     (or avoid auto postings entirely).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Assertions and precision,  Next: Assertions and hledger add,  Prev: Assertions and auto postings,  Up: Balance assertions++8.14.9 Assertions and precision+-------------------------------++Balance assertions compare the exactly calculated amounts, which are not+always what is shown by reports.  Eg a commodity directive may limit the+display precision, but this will not affect balance assertions.  Balance+assertion failure messages show exact amounts.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Assertions and hledger add,  Prev: Assertions and precision,  Up: Balance assertions++8.14.10 Assertions and hledger add+----------------------------------++Balance assertions can be included in the amounts given in 'add'.  All+types of assertions are supported, and assertions can be used as in a+normal journal file.++   All transactions, not just those that have an explicit assertion, are+validated against the existing assertions in the journal.  This means it+is possible for an added transaction to fail even if its assertions are+correct as of the transaction date.++   If this assertion checking is not desired, then it can be disabled+with '-I'.++   However, balance assignments are currently not supported.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Posting comments,  Next: Transaction balancing,  Prev: Balance assertions,  Up: Journal++8.15 Posting comments+=====================++Text following ';', at the end of a posting line, and/or on indented+lines immediately below it, form comments for that posting.  They are+reproduced by 'print' but otherwise ignored, except they may contain+tags, which are not ignored.++2012-01-01+    expenses   1  ; a comment for posting 1+    assets+    ; a comment for posting 2+    ; a second comment line for posting 2+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Transaction balancing,  Next: Tags,  Prev: Posting comments,  Up: Journal++8.16 Transaction balancing+==========================++How exactly does hledger decide when a transaction is balanced ?+Especially when it involves costs, which often are not exact, because of+repeating decimals, or imperfect data from financial institutions ?  In+each commodity, hledger sums the transaction's posting amounts, after+converting any with costs; then it checks if that sum is zero, when+rounded to a suitable number of decimal digits - which we call the+_balancing precision_.++   Since version 1.50, hledger infers balancing precision in each+transaction from the amounts in that transaction's journal entry (like+Ledger).  Ie, when checking the balance of commodity A, it uses the+highest decimal precision seen for A in the journal entry (excluding+cost amounts).  This makes transaction balancing robust; any imbalances+must be visibly accounted for in the journal entry, display precision+can be freely increased with '-c', and compatibility with Ledger and+Beancount journals is good.++   Note that hledger versions before 1.50 worked differently: they+allowed display precision to override the balancing precision.  This+masked small imbalances and caused fragility (see issue #2402).  As a+result, some journal entries (or CSV rules) that worked with hledger+<1.50, are now rejected with an "unbalanced transaction" error.  If you+hit this problem, it's easy to fix:++   * You can restore the old behaviour, by adding '--txn-balancing=old'+     to the command or to your '~/.hledger.conf' file.  This lets you+     keep using old journals unchanged, though without the above+     benefits.++   * Or you can fix the problem entries (recommended).  There are three+     ways, use whichever seems best:++       1. make cost amounts more precise (add more/better decimal+          digits)+       2. or make non-cost amounts less precise (remove unnecessary+          decimal digits that are raising the precision)+       3. or add a posting to absorb the imbalance (eg+          "expenses:rounding".  Remember that one posting may omit the+          amount; that's convenient here.)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Tags,  Next: Directives,  Prev: Transaction balancing,  Up: Journal++8.17 Tags+=========++Tags are a way to add extra labels or data fields to transactions,+postings, or accounts, which you can match with a 'tag:' query in+reports.  (See queries below.)++   Tags are a single word or hyphenated word, immediately followed by a+full colon, written within a comment.  (Yes, storing data in comments is+slightly weird.)  Here's a transaction with a tag:++2025-01-01 groceries        ; some-tag:+    assets:checking+    expenses:food       $1++   A tag can have a value, a single line of text written after the+colon.  Tag values can't contain newlines.:++2025-01-01 groceries        ; tag1: this is tag1's value++   Multiple tags can be separated by comma.  Tag values can't contain+commas.:++2025-01-01 groceries        ; tag1:value 1, tag2:value 2, comment text++   A tag can have multiple values:++2025-01-01 groceries        ; tag1:value 1, tag1:value 2++   You can write each tag on its own line of you prefer (but they still+can't contain commas):++2025-01-01 groceries+    ; tag1: value 1+    ; tag2: value 2++   Tags can be attached to individual postings, rather than the overall+transaction:++2025-01-01 rent+    assets:checking+    expenses:rent       $1000  ; postingtag:++   Tags can be attached to accounts, in their account directive:++account assets:checking    ; acct-number: 123-45-6789++* Menu:++* Tag propagation::+* Displaying tags::+* When to use tags ?::+* Tag names::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Tag propagation,  Next: Displaying tags,  Up: Tags++8.17.1 Tag propagation+----------------------++In addition to what they are attached to, tags also affect related data+in a few ways, allowing more powerful queries:++  1. Accounts -> postings.  Postings inherit tags from their account.+  2. Transactions -> postings.  Postings inherit tags from their+     transaction.+  3. Postings -> transactions.  Transactions also acquire the tags of+     their postings.++   So when you use a 'tag:' query to match whole transactions,+individual postings, or accounts, it's good to understand how tags+behave.  Here's an example showing all three kinds of propagation:++account assets:checking+account expenses:food           ; atag:++2025-01-01 groceries            ; ttag:+    assets:checking             ; p1tag:+    expenses:food           $1  ; p2tag:++data part      has tags       explanation+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+assets:checking account       no tags attached+expenses:food  atag           atag: in comment+account+assets:checkingp1tag, ttag    p1tag: in comment, ttag acquired from+posting                       transaction+expenses:food  p2tag, atag,   p2tag: in comment, atag from account, ttag+posting        ttag           from transaction+groceries      ttag, p1tag,   ttag: in comment, p1tag from first+transaction    p2tag, atag    posting, p2tag and atag from second+                              posting+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Displaying tags,  Next: When to use tags ?,  Prev: Tag propagation,  Up: Tags++8.17.2 Displaying tags+----------------------++You can use the 'tags' command to list tag names or values.++   The 'print' command also shows tags.++   You can use -pivot to display tag values in other reports, in various+ways (eg appended to account names, like pseudo subaccounts).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: When to use tags ?,  Next: Tag names,  Prev: Displaying tags,  Up: Tags++8.17.3 When to use tags ?+-------------------------++Tags provide more dimensions of categorisation, complementing accounts+and transaction descriptions.  When to use each of these is somewhat a+matter of taste.  Accounts have the most built-in support, and regex+queries on descriptions are also quite powerful.  So you may not need+tags at all.  But if you want to track multiple cross-cutting+categories, they can be a good fit.  For example, you could tag+trip-related transactions with 'trip: YEAR:PLACE', without disturbing+your usual account categories.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Tag names,  Prev: When to use tags ?,  Up: Tags++8.17.4 Tag names+----------------++What is allowed in a tag name ?  Most non-whitespace characters.  Eg '😀+:' is a valid tag.++   For extra error checking, you can declare valid tag names with the+'tag' directive, and then enforce these with the 'check' command.  But+note that tags are detected quite loosely at present, sometimes where+you didn't intend them.  Eg a comment like '; see https://foo.com' adds+a 'https' tag.++   There are several tag names which have special significance to+hledger.  They are explained elsewhere, but here's a quick reference:++ type                   -- declares an account's type+ date                   -- overrides a posting's date+ date2                  -- overrides a posting's secondary date+ assert                 -- appears on txns generated by close --assert+ retain                 -- appears on txns generated by close --retain+ start                  -- appears on txns generated by close --migrate/--close/--open/--assign+ t                      -- appears on postings generated from timedot letters++ generated-transaction  -- appears on txns generated by a periodic rule+ modified-transaction   -- appears on txns which have had auto postings added+ generated-posting      -- appears on generated postings+ cost-posting           -- appears on postings which have (or could have) a cost,+                           and which have equivalent conversion postings in the transaction+ conversion-posting     -- appears on postings which are to a V/Conversion account+                           and which have an equivalent cost posting in the transaction++   The second group above (generated-transaction, etc.)  are normally+hidden, with a '_' prefix added.  This means 'print' doesn't show them+by default; but you can still use them in queries.  You can add the+'--verbose-tags' flag to make them visible in 'print' output, which can+be useful for troubleshooting.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Directives,  Next: account directive,  Prev: Tags,  Up: Journal++8.18 Directives+===============++Besides transactions, there is something else you can put in a 'journal'+file: directives.  These are declarations, beginning with a keyword,+that modify hledger's behaviour.  Some directives can have more specific+subdirectives, indented below them.  hledger's directives are similar to+Ledger's in many cases, but there are also many differences.  Directives+are not required, but can be useful.  Here are the main directives:++purpose                                   directive+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+*READING DATA:*+Rewrite account names                     'alias'+Comment out sections of the file          'comment'+Declare file's decimal mark, to help      'decimal-mark'+parse amounts accurately+Include other data files                  'include'+*GENERATING DATA:*+Generate recurring transactions or        '~'+budget goals+Generate extra postings on existing       '='+transactions+*CHECKING FOR ERRORS:*+Define valid entities to provide more     'account', 'commodity',+error checking                            'payee', 'tag'+*REPORTING:*+Declare accounts' type and display        'account'+order+Declare commodity display styles          'commodity'+Declare market prices                     'P'++* Menu:++* Directives and multiple files::+* Directive effects::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Directives and multiple files,  Next: Directive effects,  Up: Directives++8.18.1 Directives and multiple files+------------------------------------++Directives vary in their scope, ie which journal entries and which input+files they affect.  Most often, a directive will affect the following+entries and included files if any, until the end of the current file -+and no further.  You might find this inconvenient!  For example, 'alias'+directives do not affect parent or sibling files.  But there are usually+workarounds; for example, put 'alias' directives in your top-most file,+before including other files.++   The restriction, though it may be annoying at first, is in a good+cause; it allows reports to be stable and deterministic, independent of+the order of input.  Without it, reports could show different numbers+depending on the order of -f options, or the positions of include+directives in your files.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Directive effects,  Prev: Directives and multiple files,  Up: Directives++8.18.2 Directive effects+------------------------++Here are all hledger's directives, with their effects and scope+summarised - nine main directives, plus four others which we consider+non-essential:++directivewhat it does                                                   ends+                                                                        at+                                                                        file+                                                                        end?+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+*'account'*Declares an account, for checking all entries in all files; andN+     its display order and type.  Subdirectives: any text, ignored.+*'alias'*Rewrites account names, in following entries until end of      Y+     current file or 'end aliases'.  Command line equivalent:+     '--alias'+*'comment'*Ignores part of the journal file, until end of current file orY+     'end comment'.+*'commodity'*Declares up to four things: 1.  a commodity symbol, for checkingN,N,Y,Y+     all amounts in all files 2.  the display style for all amounts+     of this commodity 3.  the decimal mark for parsing amounts of+     this commodity, in the rest of this file and its children, if+     there is no 'decimal-mark' directive 4.  the precision to use+     for balanced-transaction checking in this commodity, in this+     file and its children.  Takes precedence over 'D'.+     Subdirectives: 'format' (ignored).  Command line equivalent:+     '-c/--commodity-style'+*'decimal-mark'*Declares the decimal mark, for parsing amounts of all   Y+     commodities in following entries until next 'decimal-mark' or+     end of current file.  Included files can override.  Takes+     precedence over 'commodity' and 'D'.+*'include'*Includes entries and directives from another file, as if theyN+     were written inline.  Command line alternative: multiple+     '-f/--file'+*'payee'*Declares a payee name, for checking all entries in all files.  N+*'P'*Declares the market price of a commodity on some date, for value   N+     reports.+*'~'*Declares a periodic transaction rule that generates future         N+(tilde)transactions with '--forecast' and budget goals with 'balance+     --budget'.+Other+syntax:+*'applyPrepends a common parent account to all account names, in        Y+account'*following entries until end of current file or 'end apply+     account'.+*'D'*Sets a default commodity to use for no-symbol amounts;and, if      Y,Y,N,N+     there is no 'commodity' directive for this commodity: its+     decimal mark, balancing precision, and display style, as above.+*'Y'*Sets a default year to use for any yearless dates, in following    Y+     entries until end of current file.+*'='*Declares an auto posting rule that generates extra postings on     partly+(equals)matched transactions with '--auto', in current, parent, and+     child files (but not sibling files, see #1212).+*OtherOther directives from Ledger's file format are accepted but+Ledgerignored.+directives*+++File: hledger.info,  Node: account directive,  Next: alias directive,  Prev: Directives,  Up: Journal++8.19 'account' directive+========================++'account' directives can be used to declare accounts (ie, the places+that amounts are transferred from and to).  Though not required, these+declarations can provide several benefits:++   * They can document your intended chart of accounts, providing a+     reference.+   * They can store additional account information as comments, or as+     tags which can be used to filter or pivot reports.+   * They can restrict which accounts may be posted to by transactions,+     eg in strict mode, which helps prevent errors.+   * They influence account display order in reports, allowing+     non-alphabetic sorting (eg Revenues to appear above Expenses).+   * They can help hledger know your accounts' types (asset, liability,+     equity, revenue, expense), enabling reports like balancesheet and+     incomestatement.+   * They help with account name completion (in hledger add,+     hledger-web, hledger-iadd, ledger-mode, etc.)++   They are written as the word 'account' followed by a hledger-style+account name.  Eg:++account assets:bank:checking++   Ledger-style indented subdirectives are also accepted, but ignored:++account assets:bank:checking+  format subdirective  ; currently ignored++* Menu:++* Account comments::+* Account tags::+* Account error checking::+* Account display order::+* Account types::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Account comments,  Next: Account tags,  Up: account directive++8.19.1 Account comments+-----------------------++Text following *two or more spaces* and ';' at the end of an account+directive line, and/or following ';' on indented lines immediately below+it, form comments for that account.++   Same-line account comments require two+ spaces before ';' because+that character can appear in account names.++account assets:bank:checking    ; same-line comment, at least 2 spaces before the semicolon+  ; next-line comment+  ; some tags - type:A, acctnum:12345+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Account tags,  Next: Account error checking,  Prev: Account comments,  Up: account directive++8.19.2 Account tags+-------------------++An account directive's comment may contain tags.  These will be+propagated to all postings using that account, as hidden but queryable+posting tags, except where the posting already a tag of the same name.+(Posting tags override account tags.)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Account error checking,  Next: Account display order,  Prev: Account tags,  Up: account directive++8.19.3 Account error checking+-----------------------------++By default, accounts need not be declared; they come into existence when+a posting references them.  This is convenient, but it means hledger+can't warn you when you mis-spell an account name in the journal.+Usually you'll find that error later, as an extra account in balance+reports, or an incorrect balance when reconciling.++   In strict mode, enabled with the '-s'/'--strict' flag, or when you+run 'hledger check accounts', hledger will report an error if any+transaction uses an account name that has not been declared by an+account directive.  Some notes:++   * The declaration is case-sensitive; transactions must use the+     correct account name capitalisation.+   * The account directive's scope is "whole file and below" (see+     directives).  This means it affects all of the current file, and+     any files it includes, but not parent or sibling files.  The+     position of account directives within the file does not matter,+     though it's usual to put them at the top.+   * Accounts can only be declared in 'journal' files, but will affect+     included files of all types.+   * It's currently not possible to declare "all possible subaccounts"+     with a wildcard; every account posted to must be declared.+   * If you use the -infer-equity flag, you will also need declarations+     for the account names it generates.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Account display order,  Next: Account types,  Prev: Account error checking,  Up: account directive++8.19.4 Account display order+----------------------------++Account directives also cause hledger to display accounts in a+particular order, not just alphabetically.  Eg, here is a conventional+ordering for the top-level accounts:++account assets+account liabilities+account equity+account revenues+account expenses++   Now hledger displays them in that order:++$ hledger accounts+assets+liabilities+equity+revenues+expenses++   If there are undeclared accounts, those will be displayed last, in+alphabetical order.++   Sorting is done within each group of sibling accounts, at each level+of the account tree.  Eg, a declaration like 'account parent:child'+influences 'child''s position among its siblings.++   Note, it does not affect 'parent''s position; for that, you need an+'account parent' declaration.++   Sibling accounts are always displayed together; hledger won't display+'x:y' in between 'a:b' and 'a:c'.++   An account directive both declares an account as a valid posting+target, and declares its display order; you can't easily do one without+the other.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Account types,  Prev: Account display order,  Up: account directive++8.19.5 Account types+--------------------++hledger knows that in accounting there are three main account types:++'Asset'       'A'   things you own+'Liability'   'L'   things you owe+'Equity'      'E'   owner's investment, balances the two above++   and two more representing changes in these:++'Revenue'   'R'   inflows (also known as 'Income')+'Expense'   'X'   outflows++   hledger also uses a few subtypes:++'Cash'                   'C'                      liquid assets (subtype+                                                  of Asset)+'Conversion'             'V'                      commodity conversions+                                                  equity (subtype of+                                                  Equity)+'Gain'                   'G'                      capital gains/losses+                                                  (subtype of Revenue)++   As a convenience, hledger will detect most of these types+automatically from english account names.  But it's better to declare+them explicitly by adding a 'type:' tag in the account directives.  The+tag's value can be any of the types or one-letter abbreviations above.++   Here is a typical set of account type declarations.  Subaccounts will+inherit their parent's type, or can override it:++account assets             ; type: A+account liabilities        ; type: L+account equity             ; type: E+account revenues           ; type: R+account expenses           ; type: X++account assets:bank        ; type: C+account assets:cash        ; type: C++account equity:conversion  ; type: V++account revenues:capital   ; type: G++   This enables the easy balancesheet, balancesheetequity, cashflow and+incomestatement reports, and querying by type:.++   Tips:++   * You can list accounts and their types, for troubleshooting:++     $ hledger accounts --types [ACCTPAT] [type:TYPECODES] [-DEPTH] [--locations]++   * It's a good idea to declare at least one account for each account+     type.  Having some types declared and some inferred can disrupt+     certain reports.++   * The rules for inferring types from account names are as follows+     (using Regular expressions).+     If they don't work for you, just ignore them and declare your types+     with 'type:' tags.++     If account's name contains this case insensitive regular expression | its type is+     --------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------+     ^assets?(:.+)?:(cash|bank|che(ck|que?)(ing)?|savings?|current)(:|$) | Cash+     ^assets?(:|$)                                                       | Asset+     ^(debts?|liabilit(y|ies))(:|$)                                      | Liability+     ^equity:(trad(e|ing)|conversion)s?(:|$)                             | Conversion+     ^equity(:|$)                                                        | Equity+     ^(income|revenue)s?(:|$)                                            | Revenue+     ^expenses?(:|$)                                                     | Expense++   * As mentioned above, subaccounts will inherit a type from their+     parent account.  To be precise, an account's type is decided by the+     first of these that exists:++       1. A 'type:' declaration for this account.+       2. A 'type:' declaration in the parent accounts above it,+          preferring the nearest.+       3. An account type inferred from this account's name.+       4. An account type inferred from a parent account's name,+          preferring the nearest parent.+       5. Otherwise, it will have no type.++   * Account aliases can disrupt account types.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: alias directive,  Next: commodity directive,  Prev: account directive,  Up: Journal++8.20 'alias' directive+======================++You can define account alias rules which rewrite your account names, or+parts of them, before generating reports.  This can be useful for:++   * expanding shorthand account names to their full form, allowing+     easier data entry and a less verbose journal+   * adapting old journals to your current chart of accounts+   * experimenting with new account organisations, like a new hierarchy+   * combining two accounts into one, eg to see their sum or difference+     on one line+   * customising reports++   Account aliases also rewrite account names in account directives.+They do not affect account names being entered via hledger add or+hledger-web.++   Account aliases are very powerful.  They are generally easy to use+correctly, but you can also generate invalid account names with them;+more on this below.++   See also Rewrite account names.++* Menu:++* Basic aliases::+* Regex aliases::+* Combining aliases::+* Aliases and multiple files::+* end aliases directive::+* Aliases can generate bad account names::+* Aliases and account types::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Basic aliases,  Next: Regex aliases,  Up: alias directive++8.20.1 Basic aliases+--------------------++To set an account alias, use the 'alias' directive in your journal file.+This affects all subsequent journal entries in the current file or its+included files (but note: not sibling or parent files).  The spaces+around the = are optional:++alias OLD = NEW++   Or, you can use the '--alias 'OLD=NEW'' option on the command line.+This affects all entries.  It's useful for trying out aliases+interactively.++   OLD and NEW are case sensitive full account names.  hledger will+replace any occurrence of the old account name with the new one.+Subaccounts are also affected.  Eg:++alias checking = assets:bank:wells fargo:checking+; rewrites "checking" to "assets:bank:wells fargo:checking", or "checking:a" to "assets:bank:wells fargo:checking:a"+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Regex aliases,  Next: Combining aliases,  Prev: Basic aliases,  Up: alias directive++8.20.2 Regex aliases+--------------------++There is also a more powerful variant that uses a regular expression,+indicated by wrapping the pattern in forward slashes.  (This is the only+place where hledger requires forward slashes around a regular+expression.)++   Eg:++alias /REGEX/ = REPLACEMENT++   or:++$ hledger --alias '/REGEX/=REPLACEMENT' ...++   Any part of an account name matched by REGEX will be replaced by+REPLACEMENT. REGEX is case-insensitive as usual.++   If you need to match a forward slash, escape it with a backslash, eg+'/\/=:'.++   If REGEX contains parenthesised match groups, these can be referenced+by the usual backslash and number in REPLACEMENT:++alias /^(.+):bank:([^:]+):(.*)/ = \1:\2 \3+; rewrites "assets:bank:wells fargo:checking" to  "assets:wells fargo checking"++   REPLACEMENT continues to the end of line (or on command line, to end+of option argument), so it can contain trailing whitespace.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Combining aliases,  Next: Aliases and multiple files,  Prev: Regex aliases,  Up: alias directive++8.20.3 Combining aliases+------------------------++You can define as many aliases as you like, using journal directives+and/or command line options.++   Recursive aliases - where an account name is rewritten by one alias,+then by another alias, and so on - are allowed.  Each alias sees the+effect of previously applied aliases.++   In such cases it can be important to understand which aliases will be+applied and in which order.  For (each account name in) each journal+entry, we apply:++  1. 'alias' directives preceding the journal entry, most recently+     parsed first (ie, reading upward from the journal entry, bottom to+     top)+  2. '--alias' options, in the order they appeared on the command line+     (left to right).++   In other words, for (an account name in) a given journal entry:++   * the nearest alias declaration before/above the entry is applied+     first+   * the next alias before/above that will be be applied next, and so on+   * aliases defined after/below the entry do not affect it.++   This gives nearby aliases precedence over distant ones, and helps+provide semantic stability - aliases will keep working the same way+independent of which files are being read and in which order.++   In case of trouble, adding '--debug=6' to the command line will show+which aliases are being applied when.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Aliases and multiple files,  Next: end aliases directive,  Prev: Combining aliases,  Up: alias directive++8.20.4 Aliases and multiple files+---------------------------------++As explained at Directives and multiple files, 'alias' directives do not+affect parent or sibling files.  Eg in this command,++hledger -f a.aliases -f b.journal++   account aliases defined in a.aliases will not affect b.journal.+Including the aliases doesn't work either:++include a.aliases++2023-01-01  ; not affected by a.aliases+  foo  1+  bar++   This means that account aliases should usually be declared at the+start of your top-most file, like this:++alias foo=Foo+alias bar=Bar++2023-01-01  ; affected by aliases above+  foo  1+  bar++include c.journal  ; also affected+++File: hledger.info,  Node: end aliases directive,  Next: Aliases can generate bad account names,  Prev: Aliases and multiple files,  Up: alias directive++8.20.5 'end aliases' directive+------------------------------++You can clear (forget) all currently defined aliases (seen in the+journal so far, or defined on the command line) with this directive:++end aliases+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Aliases can generate bad account names,  Next: Aliases and account types,  Prev: end aliases directive,  Up: alias directive++8.20.6 Aliases can generate bad account names+---------------------------------------------++Be aware that account aliases can produce malformed account names, which+could cause confusing reports or invalid 'print' output.  For example,+you could erase all account names:++2021-01-01+  a:aa     1+  b++$ hledger print --alias '/.*/='+2021-01-01+                   1++   The above 'print' output is not a valid journal.  Or you could insert+an illegal double space, causing 'print' output that would give a+different journal when reparsed:++2021-01-01+  old    1+  other++$ hledger print --alias old="new  USD" | hledger -f- print+2021-01-01+    new             USD 1+    other+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Aliases and account types,  Prev: Aliases can generate bad account names,  Up: alias directive++8.20.7 Aliases and account types+--------------------------------++If an account with a type declaration (see Declaring accounts > Account+types) is renamed by an alias, normally the account type remains in+effect.++   However, renaming in a way that reshapes the account tree (eg+renaming parent accounts but not their children, or vice versa) could+prevent child accounts from inheriting the account type of their+parents.++   Secondly, if an account's type is being inferred from its name,+renaming it by an alias could prevent or alter that.++   If you are using account aliases and the 'type:' query is not+matching accounts as you expect, try troubleshooting with the accounts+command, eg something like:++$ hledger accounts --types -1 --alias assets=bassetts+++File: hledger.info,  Node: commodity directive,  Next: decimal-mark directive,  Prev: alias directive,  Up: Journal++8.21 'commodity' directive+==========================++The 'commodity' directive performs several functions:++  1. It declares which commodity symbols may be used in the journal,+     enabling useful error checking with strict mode or the check+     command.  See Commodity error checking below.++  2. It declares how all amounts in this commodity should be displayed,+     eg how many decimals to show.  See Commodity display style above.++  3. (If no 'decimal-mark' directive is in effect:) It sets the decimal+     mark to expect (period or comma) when parsing amounts in this+     commodity, in this file and files it includes, from the directive+     until end of current file.  See Decimal marks above.++  4. It declares the precision with which this commodity's amounts+     should be compared when checking for balanced transactions,+     anywhere in this file and files it includes, until end of current+     file.++   Declaring commodities solves several common parsing/display problems,+so we recommend it.++   Note that effects 3 and 4 above end at the end of the directive's+file, and will not affect sibling or parent files.  So if you are+relying on them (especially 4) and using multiple files, placing your+commodity directives in a top-level parent file might be important.  Or,+keep your decimal marks unambiguous and your entries well balanced and+precise.++   Omitting the commodity symbol will set the display style for just the+no-symbol commodity, not all commodities.++   Commodity styles can be overridden by the '-c/--commodity-style'+command line option.++   (Related: #793)++* Menu:++* Commodity directive syntax::+* Commodity tags::+* Commodity error checking::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Commodity directive syntax,  Next: Commodity tags,  Up: commodity directive++8.21.1 Commodity directive syntax+---------------------------------++A commodity directive is normally the word 'commodity' followed by a+sample amount, and optionally a comment.  Only the amount's symbol and+the number's format is significant.  Eg:++commodity $1000.00+commodity 1.000,00 EUR+commodity 1 000 000.0000   ; the no-symbol commodity++   A commodity directive's sample amount must always include a period or+comma decimal mark (this rule helps disambiguate decimal marks and digit+group marks).  If you don't want to show any decimal digits, write the+decimal mark at the end:++commodity 1000. AAAA       ; show AAAA with no decimals++   Commodity symbols containing spaces, numbers, or punctuation must be+enclosed in double quotes, as usual:++commodity 1.0000 "AAAA 2023"++   Commodity directives normally include a sample amount, but can+declare only a symbol (ie, just function 1 above):++commodity $+commodity INR+commodity "AAAA 2023"+commodity ""               ; the no-symbol commodity++   Commodity directives may also be written with an indented 'format'+subdirective, as in Ledger.  The symbol is repeated and must be the same+in both places.  Other subdirectives are currently ignored:++; display indian rupees with currency name on the left,+; thousands, lakhs and crores comma-separated,+; period as decimal point, and two decimal places.+commodity INR+  format INR 1,00,00,000.00+  an unsupported subdirective  ; ignored by hledger+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Commodity tags,  Next: Commodity error checking,  Prev: Commodity directive syntax,  Up: commodity directive++8.21.2 Commodity tags+---------------------++A commodity directive's comment may contain tags.  These will be+propagated to all postings using that commodity in their main amount, as+hidden but queryable posting tags, except where the posting already a+tag of the same name.  (Posting tags override account tags override+commodity tags.)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Commodity error checking,  Prev: Commodity tags,  Up: commodity directive++8.21.3 Commodity error checking+-------------------------------++In strict mode ('-s'/'--strict') (or when you run 'hledger check+commodities'), hledger will report an error if an undeclared commodity+symbol is used.  (With one exception: zero amounts are always allowed to+have no commodity symbol.)  It works like account error checking+(described above).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: decimal-mark directive,  Next: include directive,  Prev: commodity directive,  Up: Journal++8.22 'decimal-mark' directive+=============================++You can use a 'decimal-mark' directive - usually one per file, at the+top of the file - to declare which character represents a decimal mark+when parsing amounts in this file.  It can look like++decimal-mark .++   or++decimal-mark ,++   This prevents any ambiguity when parsing numbers in the file, so we+recommend it, especially if the file contains digit group marks (eg+thousands separators).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: include directive,  Next: P directive,  Prev: decimal-mark directive,  Up: Journal++8.23 'include' directive+========================++You can pull in the content of additional files by writing an include+directive, like this:++include SOMEFILE++   This has the same effect as if SOMEFILE's content was inlined at this+point.  (With any include directives in SOMEFILE processed similarly,+recursively.)++   Only journal files can include other files.  They can include+journal, timeclock or timedot files, but not CSV files.++   If the file path begins with a tilde, that means your home directory:+'include ~/main.journal'.++   If it begins with a slash, it is an absolute path: 'include+/home/user/main.journal'.  Otherwise it is relative to the including+file's folder: 'include ../finances/main.journal'.++   Also, the path may have a file type prefix to force a specific file+format, overriding the file extension(s) (as described in Data formats):+'include timedot:notes/2023.md'.++   The path may contain glob patterns to match multiple files.+hledger's globs are similar to zsh's: '?' to match any character;+'[a-z]' to match any character in a range; '*' to match zero or more+characters that aren't a path separator (like '/'); '**' to match zero+or more subdirectories and/or zero or more characters at the start of a+file name; etc.  For convenience, 'include' always excludes the current+file.  So, you can do++   * 'include *.journal' to include all other journal files in the+     current directory (excluding dot files)+   * 'include **.journal' to include all other journal files in this+     directory and below (excluding dot files and top-level dot+     directories)+   * 'include timelogs/2???.timedot' to include all timedot files named+     like a year number.++   Note '*' and '**' usually won't match dot files or dot directories,+with one exception: '**' does search non-top-level dot directories.  If+this causes problems, make your glob pattern more specific (eg+'**.journal' instead of '**').++   If you are using many, or deeply nested, include files, and have an+error that's hard to pinpoint: a good troubleshooting command is+'hledger files --debug=6' (or 7).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: P directive,  Next: payee directive,  Prev: include directive,  Up: Journal++8.24 'P' directive+==================++The 'P' directive declares a market price, which is a conversion rate+between two commodities on a certain date.  This allows value reports to+convert amounts of one commodity to their value in another, on or after+that date.  These prices are often obtained from a stock exchange,+cryptocurrency exchange, or the foreign exchange market.++   The format is:++P DATE COMMODITY1SYMBOL COMMODITY2AMOUNT++   DATE is a simple date, COMMODITY1SYMBOL is the symbol of the+commodity being priced, and COMMODITY2AMOUNT is the amount (symbol and+quantity) of commodity 2 that one unit of commodity 1 is worth on this+date.  Examples:++# one euro was worth $1.35 from 2009-01-01 onward:+P 2009-01-01 € $1.35++# and $1.40 from 2010-01-01 onward:+P 2010-01-01 € $1.40++   The '-V', '-X' and '--value' flags use these market prices to show+amount values in another commodity.  See Value reporting.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: payee directive,  Next: tag directive,  Prev: P directive,  Up: Journal++8.25 'payee' directive+======================++     payee PAYEE NAME++   This directive can be used to declare a limited set of payees which+may appear in transaction descriptions.  The "payees" check will report+an error if any transaction refers to a payee that has not been+declared.  Eg:++payee Whole Foods    ; a comment++   Payees do not have tags (tags in the comment will be ignored).++   To declare the empty payee name, use '""'.++payee ""++   Ledger-style indented subdirectives, if any, are currently ignored.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: tag directive,  Next: Periodic transactions,  Prev: payee directive,  Up: Journal++8.26 'tag' directive+====================++     tag TAGNAME++   This directive can be used to declare a limited set of tag names+allowed in tags.  TAGNAME should be a valid tag name (no spaces).  Eg:++tag  item-id++   Any indented subdirectives are currently ignored.++   The "tags" check will report an error if any undeclared tag name is+used.  It is quite easy to accidentally create a tag through normal use+of colons in comments; if you want to prevent this, you can declare and+check your tags .+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Periodic transactions,  Next: Auto postings,  Prev: tag directive,  Up: Journal++8.27 Periodic transactions+==========================++The '~' directive declares a "periodic rule" which generates temporary+extra transactions, usually recurring at some interval, when hledger is+run with the '--forecast' flag.  These "forecast transactions" are+useful for forecasting future activity.  They exist only for the+duration of the report, and only when '--forecast' is used; they are not+saved in the journal file by hledger.++   Periodic rules also have a second use: with the '--budget' flag they+set budget goals for budgeting.++   Periodic rules can be a little tricky, so before you use them, read+this whole section, or at least the following tips:++  1. Two spaces accidentally added or omitted will cause you trouble -+     read about this below.+  2. For troubleshooting, show the generated transactions with 'hledger+     print --forecast tag:generated' or 'hledger register --forecast+     tag:generated'.+  3. Forecasted transactions will begin only after the last+     non-forecasted transaction's date.+  4. Forecasted transactions will end 6 months from today, by default.+     See below for the exact start/end rules.+  5. period expressions can be tricky.  Their documentation needs+     improvement, but is worth studying.+  6. Some period expressions with a repeating interval must begin on a+     natural boundary of that interval.  Eg in 'weekly from DATE', DATE+     must be a monday.  '~ weekly from 2019/10/1' (a tuesday) will give+     an error.+  7. Other period expressions with an interval are automatically+     expanded to cover a whole number of that interval.  (This is done+     to improve reports, but it also affects periodic transactions.+     Yes, it's a bit inconsistent with the above.)  Eg: '~ every 10th+     day of month from 2023/01', which is equivalent to '~ every 10th+     day of month from 2023/01/01', will be adjusted to start on+     2019/12/10.++* Menu:++* Periodic rule syntax::+* Periodic rules and relative dates::+* Two spaces between period expression and description!::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Periodic rule syntax,  Next: Periodic rules and relative dates,  Up: Periodic transactions++8.27.1 Periodic rule syntax+---------------------------++A periodic transaction rule looks like a normal journal entry, with the+date replaced by a tilde ('~') followed by a period expression+(mnemonic: '~' looks like a recurring sine wave.):++# every first of month+~ monthly+    expenses:rent          $2000+    assets:bank:checking++# every 15th of month in 2023's first quarter:+~ monthly from 2023-04-15 to 2023-06-16+    expenses:utilities          $400+    assets:bank:checking++   The period expression is the same syntax used for specifying+multi-period reports, just interpreted differently; there, it specifies+report periods; here it specifies recurrence dates (the periods' start+dates).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Periodic rules and relative dates,  Next: Two spaces between period expression and description!,  Prev: Periodic rule syntax,  Up: Periodic transactions++8.27.2 Periodic rules and relative dates+----------------------------------------++Partial or relative dates (like '12/31', '25', 'tomorrow', 'last week',+'next quarter') are usually not recommended in periodic rules, since the+results will change as time passes.  If used, they will be interpreted+relative to, in order of preference:++  1. the first day of the default year specified by a recent 'Y'+     directive+  2. or the date specified with '--today'+  3. or the date on which you are running the report.++   They will not be affected at all by report period or forecast period+dates.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Two spaces between period expression and description!,  Prev: Periodic rules and relative dates,  Up: Periodic transactions++8.27.3 Two spaces between period expression and description!+------------------------------------------------------------++If the period expression is followed by a transaction description, these+must be separated by *two or more spaces*.  This helps hledger know+where the period expression ends, so that descriptions can not+accidentally alter their meaning, as in this example:++; 2 or more spaces needed here, so the period is not understood as "every 2 months in 2023"+;               ||+;               vv+~ every 2 months  in 2023, we will review+    assets:bank:checking   $1500+    income:acme inc++   So,++   * Do write two spaces between your period expression and your+     transaction description, if any.+   * Don't accidentally write two spaces in the middle of your period+     expression.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Auto postings,  Next: Other syntax,  Prev: Periodic transactions,  Up: Journal++8.28 Auto postings+==================++The '=' directive declares an "auto posting rule", which adds extra+postings to existing transactions.  (Remember, postings are the account+name & amount lines below a transaction's date & description.)++   In the journal, an auto posting rule looks quite like a transaction,+but instead of date and description it has '=' (mnemonic: "match") and a+query, like this:++= QUERY+    ACCOUNT    AMOUNT+    ...++   Queries are just like command line queries; an account name substring+is most common.  Query terms containing spaces should be enclosed in+single or double quotes.++   Each '=' rule works like this: when hledger is run with the '--auto'+flag, wherever the QUERY matches a posting in the journal, the rule's+postings are added to that transaction, immediately below the matched+posting.  Note these generated postings are temporary, existing only for+the duration of the report, and only when '--auto' is used; they are not+saved in the journal file by hledger.++   The postings can contain the special string '%account' which will be+expanded to the account name of the matched account.++   Generated postings' amounts can depend on the matched posting's+amount.  So auto postings can be useful for, eg, adding tax postings+with a standard percentage.  AMOUNT can be:++   * a number with no commodity symbol, like '2'.  The matched posting's+     commodity symbol will be added to this.++   * a normal amount with a commodity symbol, like '$2'.  This will be+     used as-is.++   * an asterisk followed by a number, like '*2'.  This will multiply+     the matched posting's amount (and total price, if any) by the+     number.++   * an asterisk followed by an amount with commodity symbol, like+     '*$2'.  This multiplies and also replaces the commodity symbol with+     this new one.++   Some examples:++; every time I buy food, schedule a dollar donation+= expenses:food+    (liabilities:charity)   $-1++; when I buy a gift, also deduct that amount from a budget envelope subaccount+= expenses:gifts+    assets:checking:gifts  *-1+    assets:checking         *1++2017/12/1+  expenses:food    $10+  assets:checking++2017/12/14+  expenses:gifts   $20+  assets:checking++$ hledger print --auto+2017-12-01+    expenses:food              $10+    assets:checking+    (liabilities:charity)      $-1++2017-12-14+    expenses:gifts             $20+    assets:checking+    assets:checking:gifts     -$20+    assets:checking            $20++   Note that depending fully on generated data such as this has some+drawbacks - it's less portable, less future-proof, less auditable by+others, and less robust (eg your balance assertions will depend on+whether you use or don't use '--auto').  An alternative is to use auto+postings in "one time" fashion - use them to help build a complex+journal entry, view it with 'hledger print --auto', and then copy that+output into the journal file to make it permanent.++* Menu:++* Auto postings and multiple files::+* Auto postings and dates::+* Auto postings and transaction balancing / inferred amounts / balance assertions::+* Auto posting tags::+* Auto postings on forecast transactions only::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Auto postings and multiple files,  Next: Auto postings and dates,  Up: Auto postings++8.28.1 Auto postings and multiple files+---------------------------------------++An auto posting rule can affect any transaction in the current file, or+in any parent file or child file.  Note, currently it will not affect+sibling files (when multiple '-f'/'--file' are used - see #1212).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Auto postings and dates,  Next: Auto postings and transaction balancing / inferred amounts / balance assertions,  Prev: Auto postings and multiple files,  Up: Auto postings++8.28.2 Auto postings and dates+------------------------------++A posting date (or secondary date) in the matched posting, or (taking+precedence) a posting date in the auto posting rule itself, will also be+used in the generated posting.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Auto postings and transaction balancing / inferred amounts / balance assertions,  Next: Auto posting tags,  Prev: Auto postings and dates,  Up: Auto postings++8.28.3 Auto postings and transaction balancing / inferred amounts /+-------------------------------------------------------------------++balance assertions Currently, auto postings are added:++   * after missing amounts are inferred, and transactions are checked+     for balancedness,+   * but before balance assertions are checked.++   Note this means that journal entries must be balanced both before and+after auto postings are added.  This changed in hledger 1.12+; see #893+for background.++   This also means that you cannot have more than one auto-posting with+a missing amount applied to a given transaction, as it will be unable to+infer amounts.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Auto posting tags,  Next: Auto postings on forecast transactions only,  Prev: Auto postings and transaction balancing / inferred amounts / balance assertions,  Up: Auto postings++8.28.4 Auto posting tags+------------------------++Automated postings will have some extra tags:++   * 'generated-posting:= QUERY' - shows this was generated by an auto+     posting rule, and the query+   * '_generated-posting:= QUERY' - a hidden tag, which does not appear+     in hledger's output.  This can be used to match postings generated+     "just now", rather than generated in the past and saved to the+     journal.++   Also, any transaction that has been changed by auto posting rules+will have these tags added:++   * 'modified:' - this transaction was modified+   * '_modified:' - a hidden tag not appearing in the comment; this+     transaction was modified "just now".+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Auto postings on forecast transactions only,  Prev: Auto posting tags,  Up: Auto postings++8.28.5 Auto postings on forecast transactions only+--------------------------------------------------++Tip: you can can make auto postings that will apply to forecast+transactions but not recorded transactions, by adding+'tag:_generated-transaction' to their QUERY. This can be useful when+generating new journal entries to be saved in the journal.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Other syntax,  Prev: Auto postings,  Up: Journal++8.29 Other syntax+=================++hledger journal format supports quite a few other features, mainly to+make interoperating with or converting from Ledger easier.  Note some of+the features below are powerful and can be useful in special cases, but+in general, features in this section are considered less important or+even not recommended for most users.  Downsides are mentioned to help+you decide if you want to use them.++* Menu:++* Balance assignments::+* Bracketed posting dates::+* D directive::+* apply account directive::+* Y directive::+* Secondary dates::+* Star comments::+* Valuation expressions::+* Virtual postings::+* Other Ledger directives::+* Ledger virtual costs::+* Ledger lot syntax::+* Ledger fixed lot costs::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Balance assignments,  Next: Bracketed posting dates,  Up: Other syntax++8.29.1 Balance assignments+--------------------------++Ledger-style balance assignments are also supported.  These are like+balance assertions, but with no posting amount on the left side of the+equals sign; instead it is calculated automatically so as to satisfy the+assertion.  This can be a convenience during data entry, eg when setting+opening balances:++; starting a new journal, set asset account balances+2016/1/1 opening balances+  assets:checking            = $409.32+  assets:savings             = $735.24+  assets:cash                 = $42+  equity:opening balances++   or when adjusting a balance to reality:++; no cash left; update balance, record any untracked spending as a generic expense+2016/1/15+  assets:cash    = $0+  expenses:misc++   The calculated amount depends on the account's balance in the+commodity at that point (which depends on the previously-dated postings+of the commodity to that account since the last balance assertion or+assignment).++   Downsides: using balance assignments makes your journal less+explicit; to know the exact amount posted, you have to run hledger or do+the calculations yourself, instead of just reading it.  Also balance+assignments' forcing of balances can hide errors.  These things make+your financial data less portable, less future-proof, and less+trustworthy in an audit.++* Menu:++* Balance assignments and costs::+* Balance assignments and multiple files::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Balance assignments and costs,  Next: Balance assignments and multiple files,  Up: Balance assignments++8.29.1.1 Balance assignments and costs+......................................++A cost in a balance assignment will cause the calculated amount to have+that cost attached:++2019/1/1+  (a)             = $1 @ €2++$ hledger print --explicit+2019-01-01+    (a)         $1 @ €2 = $1 @ €2+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Balance assignments and multiple files,  Prev: Balance assignments and costs,  Up: Balance assignments++8.29.1.2 Balance assignments and multiple files+...............................................++Balance assignments handle multiple files like balance assertions.  They+see balance from other files previously included from the current file,+but not from previous sibling or parent files.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Bracketed posting dates,  Next: D directive,  Prev: Balance assignments,  Up: Other syntax++8.29.2 Bracketed posting dates+------------------------------++For setting posting dates and secondary posting dates, Ledger's+bracketed date syntax is also supported: '[DATE]', '[DATE=DATE2]' or+'[=DATE2]' in posting comments.  hledger will attempt to parse any+square-bracketed sequence of the '0123456789/-.=' characters in this+way.  With this syntax, DATE infers its year from the transaction and+DATE2 infers its year from DATE.++   Downsides: another syntax to learn, redundant with hledger's+'date:'/'date2:' tags, and confusingly similar to Ledger's lot date+syntax.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: D directive,  Next: apply account directive,  Prev: Bracketed posting dates,  Up: Other syntax++8.29.3 'D' directive+--------------------++     D AMOUNT++   This directive sets a default commodity, to be used for any+subsequent commodityless amounts (ie, plain numbers) seen while parsing+the journal.  This effect lasts until the next 'D' directive, or the end+of the current file.++   For compatibility/historical reasons, 'D' also acts like a+'commodity' directive (setting the commodity's decimal mark for parsing+and display style for output).  So its argument is not just a commodity+symbol, but a full amount demonstrating the style.  The amount must+include a decimal mark (either period or comma).  Eg:++; commodity-less amounts should be treated as dollars+; (and displayed with the dollar sign on the left, thousands separators and two decimal places)+D $1,000.00++1/1+  a     5  ; <- commodity-less amount, parsed as $5 and displayed as $5.00+  b++   Interactions with other directives:++   For setting a commodity's display style, a 'commodity' directive has+highest priority, then a 'D' directive.++   For detecting a commodity's decimal mark during parsing,+'decimal-mark' has highest priority, then 'commodity', then 'D'.++   For checking commodity symbols with the check command, a 'commodity'+directive is required ('hledger check commodities' ignores 'D'+directives).++   Downsides: omitting commodity symbols makes your financial data less+explicit, less portable, and less trustworthy in an audit.  It is+usually an unsustainable shortcut; sooner or later you will want to+track multiple commodities.  D is overloaded with functions redundant+with 'commodity' and 'decimal-mark'.  And it works differently from+Ledger's 'D'.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: apply account directive,  Next: Y directive,  Prev: D directive,  Up: Other syntax++8.29.4 'apply account' directive+--------------------------------++This directive sets a default parent account, which will be prepended to+all accounts in following entries, until an 'end apply account'+directive or end of current file.  Eg:++apply account home++2010/1/1+    food    $10+    cash++end apply account++   is equivalent to:++2010/01/01+    home:food           $10+    home:cash          $-10++   'account' directives are also affected, and so is any 'include'd+content.++   Account names entered via hledger add or hledger-web are not+affected.++   Account aliases, if any, are applied after the parent account is+prepended.++   Downsides: this can make your financial data less explicit, less+portable, and less trustworthy in an audit.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Y directive,  Next: Secondary dates,  Prev: apply account directive,  Up: Other syntax++8.29.5 'Y' directive+--------------------++     Y YEAR++   or (deprecated backward-compatible forms):++   'year YEAR' 'apply year YEAR'++   The space is optional.  This sets a default year to be used for+subsequent dates which don't specify a year.  Eg:++Y2009  ; set default year to 2009++12/15  ; equivalent to 2009/12/15+  expenses  1+  assets++year 2010  ; change default year to 2010++2009/1/30  ; specifies the year, not affected+  expenses  1+  assets++1/31   ; equivalent to 2010/1/31+  expenses  1+  assets++   Downsides: omitting the year (from primary transaction dates, at+least) makes your financial data less explicit, less portable, and less+trustworthy in an audit.  Such dates can get separated from their+corresponding Y directive, eg when evaluating a region of the journal in+your editor.  A missing Y directive makes reports dependent on today's+date.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Secondary dates,  Next: Star comments,  Prev: Y directive,  Up: Other syntax++8.29.6 Secondary dates+----------------------++A secondary date is written after the primary date, following an equals+sign: 'DATE1=DATE2'.  If the year is omitted, the primary date's year is+assumed.  When running reports, the primary (left side) date is used by+default, but with the '--date2' flag ('--aux-date' or'--effective' also+work, for Ledger users), the secondary (right side) date will be used+instead.++   The meaning of secondary dates is up to you.  Eg it could be "primary+is the bank's clearing date, secondary is the date the transaction was+initiated, if different".++   In practice, this feature usually adds confusion:++   * You have to remember the primary and secondary dates' meaning, and+     follow that consistently.+   * It splits your bookkeeping into two modes, and you have to remember+     which mode is appropriate for a given report.+   * Usually your balance assertions will work with only one of these+     modes.+   * It makes your financial data more complicated, less portable, and+     less clear in an audit.+   * It interacts with every feature, creating an ongoing cost for+     implementors.+   * It distracts new users and supporters.+   * Posting dates are simpler and work better.++   So secondary dates are officially deprecated in hledger, remaining+only as a Ledger compatibility aid; we recommend using posting dates+instead.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Star comments,  Next: Valuation expressions,  Prev: Secondary dates,  Up: Other syntax++8.29.7 Star comments+--------------------++Lines beginning with '*' (star/asterisk) are also comment lines.  This+feature allows Emacs users to insert org headings in their journal,+allowing them to fold/unfold/navigate it like an outline when viewed+with org mode.++   Downsides: another, unconventional comment syntax to learn.+Decreases your journal's portability.  And switching to Emacs org mode+just for folding/unfolding meant losing the benefits of ledger mode;+nowadays you can add outshine mode to ledger mode to get folding without+losing ledger mode's features.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Valuation expressions,  Next: Virtual postings,  Prev: Star comments,  Up: Other syntax++8.29.8 Valuation expressions+----------------------------++Ledger allows a valuation function or value to be written in double+parentheses after an amount.  hledger ignores these.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Virtual postings,  Next: Other Ledger directives,  Prev: Valuation expressions,  Up: Other syntax++8.29.9 Virtual postings+-----------------------++A posting with parentheses around the account name, like '(some:account)+10', is called an _unbalanced virtual posting_.  These postings do not+participate in transaction balancing.  (And if you write them without an+amount, a zero amount is always inferred.)  These can occasionally be+convenient for special circumstances, but they violate double entry+bookkeeping and make your data less portable across applications, so+many people avoid using them at all.++   A posting with brackets around the account name ('[some:account]') is+called a _balanced virtual posting_.  The balanced virtual postings in a+transaction must add up to zero, just like ordinary postings, but+separately from them.  These are not part of double entry bookkeeping+either, but they are at least balanced.  An example:++2022-01-01 buy food with cash, update budget envelope subaccounts, & something else+  assets:cash                    $-10  ; <- these balance each other+  expenses:food                    $7  ; <-+  expenses:food                    $3  ; <-+  [assets:checking:budget:food]  $-10  ;   <- and these balance each other+  [assets:checking:available]     $10  ;   <-+  (something:else)                 $5  ;     <- this is not required to balance++   Ordinary postings, whose account names are neither parenthesised nor+bracketed, are called _real postings_.  You can exclude virtual postings+from reports with the '-R/--real' flag or a 'real:1' query.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Other Ledger directives,  Next: Ledger virtual costs,  Prev: Virtual postings,  Up: Other syntax++8.29.10 Other Ledger directives+-------------------------------++These other Ledger directives are currently accepted but ignored.  This+allows hledger to read more Ledger files, but be aware that hledger's+reports may differ from Ledger's if you use these.++apply fixed COMM AMT+apply tag   TAG+assert      EXPR+bucket / A  ACCT+capture     ACCT REGEX+check       EXPR+define      VAR=EXPR+end apply fixed+end apply tag+end apply year+end tag+eval / expr EXPR+python+  PYTHONCODE+tag         NAME+value       EXPR+--command-line-flags++   See also https://hledger.org/ledger.html for a detailed+hledger/Ledger syntax comparison.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Ledger virtual costs,  Next: Ledger lot syntax,  Prev: Other Ledger directives,  Up: Other syntax++8.29.11 Ledger virtual costs+----------------------------++In Ledger, '(@) UNITCOST' and '(@@) TOTALCOST' are virtual costs, which+do not generate market prices.  In hledger, these are equivalent to '@'+and '@@'.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Ledger lot syntax,  Next: Ledger fixed lot costs,  Prev: Ledger virtual costs,  Up: Other syntax++8.29.12 Ledger lot syntax+-------------------------++In Ledger, these optional annotations after an amount help specify the+cost basis of a newly acquired lot, or select existing lot(s) to dispose+of:++   * '{LOTUNITCOST}' and '{{LOTTOTALCOST}}' (lot price)+   * '[LOTDATE]' (lot date)+   * '(LOTNOTE)' (lot note)++   hledger does not yet calculate lots itself, but it accepts these+annotations and will show them in 'print''s 'txt', 'beancount', and+'json' output formats.  This means you can use this syntax in your+hledger journals (with an amountless extra posting to help transactions+balance, when needed), and use the 'print' command to export to Ledger+or Beancount when you want to calculate lots and capital gains.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Ledger fixed lot costs,  Prev: Ledger lot syntax,  Up: Other syntax++8.29.13 Ledger fixed lot costs+------------------------------++   * '{=UNITCOST}' and '{{=TOTALCOST}}' (fixed price)+        * when buying, means "this cost is also the fixed value, don't+          let it fluctuate in value reports"++   Probably equivalent to '@'/'@@', I'm not sure.++   *Beancount* has simpler notation and different behaviour:++   * '@ UNITCOST' and '@@ TOTALCOST'+        * expresses a cost without creating a lot, as in hledger+        * when buying (acquiring) or selling (disposing of) a lot, and+          combined with '{...}': is not used except to document the+          cost/selling price++   * '{UNITCOST}' and '{{TOTALCOST}}'+        * when buying, expresses the cost for transaction balancing, and+          also creates a lot with this cost basis attached+        * when selling,+             * selects a lot by its cost basis+             * raises an error if that lot is not present or can not be+               selected unambiguously (depending on booking method+               configured)+             * expresses the selling price for transaction balancing++   * '{}', '{YYYY-MM-DD}', '{"LABEL"}', '{UNITCOST, "LABEL"}',+     '{UNITCOST, YYYY-MM-DD, "LABEL"}'+        * when selling, other combinations of date/cost/label, like the+          above, are accepted for selecting the lot.++   Currently, hledger++   * supports '@' and '@@'+   * accepts the '{UNITCOST}'/'{{TOTALCOST}}' notation, but ignores it+   * and rejects the rest.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: CSV,  Next: Timeclock,  Prev: Journal,  Up: Top++9 CSV+*****++hledger can read transactions from CSV (comma-separated values) files.+More precisely, it can read DSV (delimiter-separated values), from a+file or standard input.  Comma-separated, semicolon-separated and+tab-separated are the most common variants, and hledger will recognise+these three automatically based on a '.csv', '.ssv' or '.tsv' file name+extension or a 'csv:', 'ssv:' or 'tsv:' file path prefix.++   (To learn about producing CSV or TSV _output_, see Output format.)++   Each CSV file must be described by a corresponding _rules file_.+This contains rules describing the CSV data (header line, fields layout,+date format etc.), how to construct hledger transactions from it, and+how to categorise transactions based on description or other attributes.++   By default, hledger expects this rules file to be named like the CSV+file, with an extra '.rules' extension added, in the same directory.  Eg+when asked to read 'foo/FILE.csv', hledger looks for+'foo/FILE.csv.rules'.  You can specify a different rules file with the+'--rules' option.++   At minimum, the rules file must identify the date and amount fields,+and often it also specifies the date format and how many header lines+there are.  Here's a simple CSV file and a rules file for it:++Date, Description, Id, Amount+12/11/2019, Foo, 123, 10.23++# basic.csv.rules+skip         1+fields       date, description, , amount+date-format  %d/%m/%Y++$ hledger print -f basic.csv+2019-11-12 Foo+    expenses:unknown           10.23+    income:unknown            -10.23++   There's an introductory Tutorial: Import CSV data on hledger.org, and+more CSV rules examples below, and a larger collection at+https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/tree/master/examples/csv.++* Menu:++* CSV rules cheatsheet::+* source::+* archive::+* encoding::+* separator::+* skip::+* date-format::+* timezone::+* newest-first::+* intra-day-reversed::+* decimal-mark::+* CSV fields and hledger fields::+* fields list::+* Field assignment::+* Field names::+* if block::+* Matchers::+* if table::+* balance-type::+* include::+* Working with CSV::+* CSV rules examples::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: CSV rules cheatsheet,  Next: source,  Up: CSV++9.1 CSV rules cheatsheet+========================++The following kinds of rule can appear in the rules file, in any order.+(Blank lines and lines beginning with '#' or ';' or '*' are ignored.)++*'source'*               optionally declare which file to read data+                         from+*'archive'*              optionally enable an archive of imported files+*'encoding'*             optionally declare which text encoding the+                         data has+*'separator'*            declare the field separator, instead of+                         relying on file extension+*'decimal-mark'*         declare the decimal mark used in CSV amounts,+                         when ambiguous+*'date-format'*          declare how to parse CSV dates/date-times+*'timezone'*             declare the time zone of ambiguous CSV+                         date-times+*'newest-first'*         improve txn order when: there are multiple+                         records, newest first, all with the same date+*'intra-day-reversed'*   improve txn order when: same-day txns are in+                         opposite order to the overall file+*'skip'*                 (at top level) skip header line(s) at start of+                         file+*'fields' list*          name CSV fields for easy reference, and+                         optionally assign their values to hledger+                         fields+*Field assignment*       assign a CSV value or interpolated text value+                         to a hledger field+*'if' block*             conditionally assign values to hledger fields,+                         or 'skip' a record or 'end' (skip rest of+                         file)+*'if' table*             conditionally assign values to hledger fields,+                         using compact syntax+*'skip'*                 (inside an 'if' rule) skip current record(s)+*'end'*                  (inside an 'if' rule) skip all remaining+                         records+*'balance-type'*         select which type of balance+                         assertions/assignments to generate+*'include'*              inline another CSV rules file++   Working with CSV tips can be found below, including How CSV rules are+evaluated.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: source,  Next: archive,  Prev: CSV rules cheatsheet,  Up: CSV++9.2 'source'+============++If you tell hledger to read a csv file with '-f foo.csv', it will look+for rules in 'foo.csv.rules'.  Or, you can tell it to read the rules+file, with '-f foo.csv.rules', and it will look for data in 'foo.csv'+(since 1.30).  These are mostly equivalent, but the second method+provides some extra features.  For one, the data file can be missing,+without causing an error; it is just considered empty.++   For more flexibility, add a 'source' rule, which lets you specify a+different data file:++source ./Checking1.csv++   If the file does not exist, it is just considered empty, without+raising an error.++   If you specify just a file name with no path, hledger will look for+it in the '~/Downloads' folder:++source Checking1.csv++   You can use a glob pattern, to avoid specifying the file name+exactly:++source Checking1*.csv++   This has another benefit: if the pattern matches multiple files,+hledger will read the newest (most recently modified) one.  This avoids+problems if you have downloaded a file multiple times without cleaning+up.++   All this enables a convenient workflow where can you just download+CSV files, then run 'hledger import rules/*'.++   See also "Working with CSV > Reading files specified by rule".++* Menu:++* Data cleaning / data generating commands::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Data cleaning / data generating commands,  Up: source++9.2.1 Data cleaning / data generating commands+----------------------------------------------++After 'source''s file pattern, you can write '|' (pipe) and a data+cleaning command (or command pipeline).  If hledger's CSV rules aren't+enough, you can pre-process the downloaded data here with a shell+command or script, to make it more suitable for conversion.  The command+will be executed by your default shell, in the directory of the rules+file, will receive the data file's content as standard input, and should+output zero or more lines of character-separated-values, suitable for+conversion by the CSV rules.++   Examples:++source ./paypal.json | paypalcsv+source data/simplefin.json | simplefincsv - 'chase.*card'+source OfxDownload*.csv | grep -vE '^(([^,]*,){6}[^,]*|)$' | sort -t, -n +2+source History_for_Account_Z20144832*.csv   # | grep -E '^([^,]*,){12}[^,]*$' | sed -E -e 's/^ //' -e 's/\.([0-9]),/.\10,/g' -e 's/,([0-9]+),/,\1.00,/g'++   Or, after 'source' you can write '|' and a data generating command+(with no file pattern before the '|').  This command receives no input,+and should output zero or more lines of character-separated values,+suitable for conversion by the CSV rules.++   Examples:++source | paypaljson | paypalcsv+source | paypalcsv data/paypal.json +source | simplefinjson >data/simplefin.json && simplefincsv data/simplefin.json 'chase.*card'+source | simplefincsv data/simplefin.json 'unify.*checking'++   ('paypal*' and 'simplefin*' scripts are in bin/)++   Whenever hledger runs one of these commands, it will echo the command+on stderr.  If the command produces error output, but exits+successfully, hledger will show the error output as a warning.  If the+command fails, hledger will fail and show the error output in the error+message.++   _Added in 1.50; experimental._+++File: hledger.info,  Node: archive,  Next: encoding,  Prev: source,  Up: CSV++9.3 'archive'+=============++With 'archive' added to a rules file, the 'import' command will archive+each successfully processed data file or data command output in a nearby+'data/' directory.  The archive file name will be based on the rules+file and the data file's modification date and extension (or for a+data-generating command, the current date and the ".csv" extension).+The original data file, if any, will be removed.++   Also, in this mode 'import' will prefer the oldest file matched by+the 'source' rule's glob pattern, not the newest.  (So if there are+multiple downloads, they will be imported and archived oldest first.)++   Archiving is optional, but it can be useful for troubleshooting your+CSV rules, regenerating entries with improved rules, checking for+variations in your bank's CSV, etc.++   _Added in 1.50; experimental._+++File: hledger.info,  Node: encoding,  Next: separator,  Prev: archive,  Up: CSV++9.4 'encoding'+==============++encoding ENCODING++   hledger normally expects non-ascii text to be using the system+locale's text encoding.  If you need to read CSV files which have some+other encoding, you can do it by adding 'encoding ENCODING' to your CSV+rules.  Eg: 'encoding iso-8859-1'.++   The following encodings are supported:++   'ascii', 'utf-8', 'utf-16', 'utf-32', 'iso-8859-1', 'iso-8859-2',+'iso-8859-3', 'iso-8859-4', 'iso-8859-5', 'iso-8859-6', 'iso-8859-7',+'iso-8859-8', 'iso-8859-9', 'iso-8859-10', 'iso-8859-11', 'iso-8859-13',+'iso-8859-14', 'iso-8859-15', 'iso-8859-16', 'cp1250', 'cp1251',+'cp1252', 'cp1253', 'cp1254', 'cp1255', 'cp1256', 'cp1257', 'cp1258',+'koi8-r', 'koi8-u', 'gb18030', 'macintosh', 'jis-x-0201', 'jis-x-0208',+'iso-2022-jp', 'shift-jis', 'cp437', 'cp737', 'cp775', 'cp850', 'cp852',+'cp855', 'cp857', 'cp860', 'cp861', 'cp862', 'cp863', 'cp864', 'cp865',+'cp866', 'cp869', 'cp874', 'cp932'.++   _Added in 1.42._+++File: hledger.info,  Node: separator,  Next: skip,  Prev: encoding,  Up: CSV++9.5 'separator'+===============++You can use the 'separator' rule to read other kinds of+character-separated data.  The argument is any single separator+character, or the words 'tab' or 'space' (case insensitive).  Eg, for+comma-separated values (CSV):++separator ,++   or for semicolon-separated values (SSV):++separator ;++   or for tab-separated values (TSV):++separator TAB++   If the input file has a '.csv', '.ssv' or '.tsv' file extension (or a+'csv:', 'ssv:', 'tsv:' prefix), the appropriate separator will be+inferred automatically, and you won't need this rule.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: skip,  Next: date-format,  Prev: separator,  Up: CSV++9.6 'skip'+==========++skip N++   The word 'skip' followed by a number (or no number, meaning 1) tells+hledger to ignore this many non-empty lines at the start of the input+data.  You'll need this whenever your CSV data contains header lines.+Note, empty and blank lines are skipped automatically, so you don't need+to count those.++   'skip' has a second meaning: it can be used inside if blocks+(described below), to skip one or more records whenever the condition is+true.  Records skipped in this way are ignored, except they are still+required to be valid CSV.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: date-format,  Next: timezone,  Prev: skip,  Up: CSV++9.7 'date-format'+=================++date-format DATEFMT++   This is a helper for the 'date' (and 'date2') fields.  If your CSV+dates are not formatted like 'YYYY-MM-DD', 'YYYY/MM/DD' or 'YYYY.MM.DD',+you'll need to add a date-format rule describing them with a+strptime-style date parsing pattern - see+https://hackage.haskell.org/package/time/docs/Data-Time-Format.html#v:formatTime.+The pattern must parse the CSV date value completely.  Some examples:++# MM/DD/YY+date-format %m/%d/%y++# D/M/YYYY+# The - makes leading zeros optional.+date-format %-d/%-m/%Y++# YYYY-Mmm-DD+date-format %Y-%h-%d++# M/D/YYYY HH:MM AM some other junk+# Note the time and junk must be fully parsed, though only the date is used.+date-format %-m/%-d/%Y %l:%M %p some other junk++   Note currently there is no locale awareness for things like '%b', and+setting LC_TIME won't help.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: timezone,  Next: newest-first,  Prev: date-format,  Up: CSV++9.8 'timezone'+==============++timezone TIMEZONE++   When CSV contains date-times that are implicitly in some time zone+other than yours, but containing no explicit time zone information, you+can use this rule to declare the CSV's native time zone, which helps+prevent off-by-one dates.++   When the CSV date-times do contain time zone information, you don't+need this rule; instead, use '%Z' in 'date-format' (or '%z', '%EZ',+'%Ez'; see the formatTime link above).++   In either of these cases, hledger will do a time-zone-aware+conversion, localising the CSV date-times to your current system time+zone.  If you prefer to localise to some other time zone, eg for+reproducibility, you can (on unix at least) set the output timezone with+the TZ environment variable, eg:++$ TZ=-1000 hledger print -f foo.csv  # or TZ=-1000 hledger import foo.csv++   'timezone' currently does not understand timezone names, except+"UTC", "GMT", "EST", "EDT", "CST", "CDT", "MST", "MDT", "PST", or "PDT".+For others, use numeric format: +HHMM or -HHMM.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: newest-first,  Next: intra-day-reversed,  Prev: timezone,  Up: CSV++9.9 'newest-first'+==================++hledger tries to ensure that the generated transactions will be ordered+chronologically, including same-day transactions.  Usually it can+auto-detect how the CSV records are ordered.  But if it encounters CSV+where all records are on the same date, it assumes that the records are+oldest first.  If in fact the CSV's records are normally newest first,+like:++2022-10-01, txn 3...+2022-10-01, txn 2...+2022-10-01, txn 1...++   you can add the 'newest-first' rule to help hledger generate the+transactions in correct order.++# same-day CSV records are newest first+newest-first+++File: hledger.info,  Node: intra-day-reversed,  Next: decimal-mark,  Prev: newest-first,  Up: CSV++9.10 'intra-day-reversed'+=========================++If CSV records within a single day are ordered opposite to the overall+record order, you can add the 'intra-day-reversed' rule to improve the+order of journal entries.  Eg, here the overall record order is newest+first, but same-day records are oldest first:++2022-10-02, txn 3...+2022-10-02, txn 4...+2022-10-01, txn 1...+2022-10-01, txn 2...++# transactions within each day are reversed with respect to the overall date order+intra-day-reversed+++File: hledger.info,  Node: decimal-mark,  Next: CSV fields and hledger fields,  Prev: intra-day-reversed,  Up: CSV++9.11 'decimal-mark'+===================++decimal-mark .++   or:++decimal-mark ,++   hledger automatically accepts either period or comma as a decimal+mark when parsing numbers (cf Amounts).  However if any numbers in the+CSV contain digit group marks, such as thousand-separating commas, you+should declare the decimal mark explicitly with this rule, to avoid+misparsed numbers.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: CSV fields and hledger fields,  Next: fields list,  Prev: decimal-mark,  Up: CSV++9.12 CSV fields and hledger fields+==================================++This can be confusing, so let's start with an overview:++   * *CSV fields* are provided by your data file.  They are named by+     their position in the CSV record, starting with 1.  You can also+     give them a readable name.++   * *hledger fields* are predefined; 'date', 'description', 'account1',+     'amount1', 'account2' are some of them.  They correspond to parts+     of a transaction's journal entry, mostly.++   * The CSV fields and hledger fields are the only fields you'll be+     working with; you can't define new fields, or variables as in a+     programming language.  (But you could add extra CSV fields to the+     data in preprocessing, before running the rules.)++   * For each CSV record, you'll assign values to one or more of the+     hledger fields to build up a transaction (journal entry).  Values+     can be static text, CSV field values from the current record, or a+     combination of these.++   * For simple cases, you can give a CSV field the same name as one of+     the hledger fields, then its value will be automatically assigned+     to that hledger field.++   * CSV fields can only be read, not written to.  They'll be on the+     right hand side, with a % prefix.  Eg++        * testing a CSV field's value: 'if %CSVFIELD ...'+        * interpolating its value: 'HLEDGERFIELD %CSVFIELD'++   * hledger fields can only be written to, not read.  They'll be on the+     left hand side (or in a fields list), with no prefix.  Eg++        * setting the transaction's description to a value: 'description+          VALUE'+        * setting the transaction's description to the second CSV+          field's value:+          'fields date, description, amount'+++File: hledger.info,  Node: fields list,  Next: Field assignment,  Prev: CSV fields and hledger fields,  Up: CSV++9.13 'fields' list+==================++fields FIELDNAME1, FIELDNAME2, ...++   A fields list (the word 'fields' followed by comma-separated field+names) is optional, but convenient.  It does two things:++  1. It names the CSV field in each column.  This can be convenient if+     you are referencing them in other rules, so you can say+     '%SomeField' instead of remembering '%13'.++  2. Whenever you use one of the special hledger field names (described+     below), it assigns the CSV value in this position to that hledger+     field.  This is the quickest way to populate hledger's fields and+     build a transaction.++   Here's an example that says "use the 1st, 2nd and 4th fields as the+transaction's date, description and amount; name the last two fields for+later reference; and ignore the others":++fields date, description, , amount, , , somefield, anotherfield++   In a fields list, the separator is always comma; it is unrelated to+the CSV file's separator.  Also:++   * There must be least two items in the list (at least one comma).+   * Field names may not contain spaces.  Spaces before/after field+     names are optional.+   * Field names may contain '_' (underscore) or '-' (hyphen).+   * Fields you don't care about can be given a dummy name or an empty+     name.++   If the CSV contains column headings, it's convenient to use these for+your field names, suitably modified (eg lower-cased with spaces replaced+by underscores).++   Sometimes you may want to alter a CSV field name to avoid assigning+to a hledger field with the same name.  Eg you could call the CSV's+"balance" field 'balance_' to avoid directly setting hledger's 'balance'+field (and generating a balance assertion).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Field assignment,  Next: Field names,  Prev: fields list,  Up: CSV++9.14 Field assignment+=====================++HLEDGERFIELD FIELDVALUE++   Field assignments are the more flexible way to assign CSV values to+hledger fields.  They can be used instead of or in addition to a fields+list (see above).++   To assign a value to a hledger field, write the field name (any of+the standard hledger field/pseudo-field names, defined below), a space,+followed by a text value on the same line.  This text value may+interpolate CSV fields, referenced either by their 1-based position in+the CSV record ('%N') or by the name they were given in the fields list+('%CSVFIELD'), and regular expression match groups ('\N').++   Some examples:++# set the amount to the 4th CSV field, with " USD" appended+amount %4 USD++# combine three fields to make a comment, containing note: and date: tags+comment note: %somefield - %anotherfield, date: %1++   Tips:++   * Interpolation strips outer whitespace (so a CSV value like '" 1 "'+     becomes '1' when interpolated) (#1051).+   * Interpolations always refer to a CSV field - you can't interpolate+     a hledger field.  (See Referencing other fields below).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Field names,  Next: if block,  Prev: Field assignment,  Up: CSV++9.15 Field names+================++Note the two kinds of field names mentioned here, and used only in+hledger CSV rules files:++  1. *CSV field names* ('CSVFIELD' in these docs): you can optionally+     name the CSV columns for easy reference (since hledger doesn't yet+     automatically recognise column headings in a CSV file), by writing+     arbitrary names in a 'fields' list, eg:++     fields When, What, Some_Id, Net, Total, Foo, Bar++  2. Special *hledger field names* ('HLEDGERFIELD' in these docs): you+     must set at least some of these to generate the hledger transaction+     from a CSV record, by writing them as the left hand side of a field+     assignment, eg:++     date        %When+     code        %Some_Id+     description %What+     comment     %Foo %Bar+     amount1     $ %Total++     or directly in a 'fields' list:++     fields date, description, code, , amount1, Foo, Bar+     currency $+     comment  %Foo %Bar++   Here are all the special hledger field names available, and what+happens when you assign values to them:++* Menu:++* date field::+* date2 field::+* status field::+* code field::+* description field::+* comment field::+* account field::+* amount field::+* currency field::+* balance field::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: date field,  Next: date2 field,  Up: Field names++9.15.1 date field+-----------------++Assigning to 'date' sets the transaction date.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: date2 field,  Next: status field,  Prev: date field,  Up: Field names++9.15.2 date2 field+------------------++'date2' sets the transaction's secondary date, if any.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: status field,  Next: code field,  Prev: date2 field,  Up: Field names++9.15.3 status field+-------------------++'status' sets the transaction's status, if any.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: code field,  Next: description field,  Prev: status field,  Up: Field names++9.15.4 code field+-----------------++'code' sets the transaction's code, if any.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: description field,  Next: comment field,  Prev: code field,  Up: Field names++9.15.5 description field+------------------------++'description' sets the transaction's description, if any.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: comment field,  Next: account field,  Prev: description field,  Up: Field names++9.15.6 comment field+--------------------++'comment' sets the transaction's comment, if any.++   'commentN', where N is a number, sets the Nth posting's comment.++   You can assign multi-line comments by writing literal '\n' in the+code.  A comment starting with '\n' will begin on a new line.++   Comments can contain tags, as usual.++   Posting comments can also contain a posting date.  A secondary date,+or a year-less date, will be ignored.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: account field,  Next: amount field,  Prev: comment field,  Up: Field names++9.15.7 account field+--------------------++Assigning to 'accountN', where N is 1 to 99, sets the account name of+the Nth posting, and causes that posting to be generated.++   Most often there are two postings, so you'll want to set 'account1'+and 'account2'.  Typically 'account1' is associated with the CSV file,+and is set once with a top-level assignment, while 'account2' is set+based on each transaction's description, in conditional rules.++   If a posting's account name is left unset but its amount is set (see+below), a default account name will be chosen (like "expenses:unknown"+or "income:unknown").+++File: hledger.info,  Node: amount field,  Next: currency field,  Prev: account field,  Up: Field names++9.15.8 amount field+-------------------++There are several ways to set posting amounts from CSV, useful in+different situations.++  1. *'amount'* is the oldest and simplest.  Assigning to this sets the+     amount of the first and second postings.  In the second posting,+     the amount will be negated; also, if it has a cost attached, it+     will be converted to cost.++  2. *'amount-in'* and *'amount-out'* work exactly like the above, but+     should be used when the CSV has two amount fields (such as "Debit"+     and "Credit", or "Inflow" and "Outflow").  Whichever field has a+     non-zero value will be used as the amount of the first and second+     postings.  Here are some tips to avoid confusion:++        * It's not "amount-in for posting 1 and amount-out for posting+          2", it is "extract a single amount from the amount-in or+          amount-out field, and use that for posting 1 and (negated) for+          posting 2".+        * Don't use both 'amount' and 'amount-in'/'amount-out' in the+          same rules file; choose based on whether the amount is in a+          single CSV field or spread across two fields.+        * In each record, at most one of the two CSV fields should+          contain a non-zero amount; the other field must contain a zero+          or nothing.+        * hledger assumes both CSV fields contain unsigned numbers, and+          it automatically negates the amount-out values.+        * If the data doesn't fit these requirements, you'll probably+          need an if rule (see below).++  3. *'amountN'* (where N is a number from 1 to 99) sets the amount of+     only a single posting: the Nth posting in the transaction.  You'll+     usually need at least two such assignments to make a balanced+     transaction.  You can also generate more than two postings, to+     represent more complex transactions.  The posting numbers don't+     have to be consecutive; with if rules, higher posting numbers can+     be useful to ensure a certain order of postings.++  4. *'amountN-in'* and *'amountN-out'* work exactly like the above, but+     should be used when the CSV has two amount fields.  This is+     analogous to 'amount-in' and 'amount-out', and those tips also+     apply here.++  5. Remember that a 'fields' list can also do assignments.  So in a+     fields list if you name a CSV field "amount", that counts as+     assigning to 'amount'.  (If you don't want that, call it something+     else in the fields list, like "amount_".)++  6. The above don't handle every situation; if you need more+     flexibility, use an 'if' rule to set amounts conditionally.  See+     "Working with CSV > Setting amounts" below for more on this and on+     amount-setting generally.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: currency field,  Next: balance field,  Prev: amount field,  Up: Field names++9.15.9 currency field+---------------------++'currency' sets a currency symbol, to be prepended to all postings'+amounts.  You can use this if the CSV amounts do not have a currency+symbol, eg if it is in a separate column.++   'currencyN' prepends a currency symbol to just the Nth posting's+amount.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: balance field,  Prev: currency field,  Up: Field names++9.15.10 balance field+---------------------++'balanceN' sets a balance assertion amount (or if the posting amount is+left empty, a balance assignment) on posting N.++   'balance' is a compatibility spelling for hledger <1.17; it is+equivalent to 'balance1'.++   You can adjust the type of assertion/assignment with the+'balance-type' rule (see below).++   See the Working with CSV tips below for more about setting amounts+and currency.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: if block,  Next: Matchers,  Prev: Field names,  Up: CSV++9.16 'if' block+===============++Rules can be applied conditionally, depending on patterns in the CSV+data.  This allows flexibility; in particular, it is how you can+categorise transactions, selecting an appropriate account name based on+their description (for example).  There are two ways to write+conditional rules: "if blocks", described here, and "if tables",+described below.++   An if block is the word 'if' and one or more "matcher" expressions+(can be a word or phrase), one per line, starting either on the same or+next line; followed by one or more indented rules.  Eg,++if MATCHER+ RULE++   or++if+MATCHER+MATCHER+MATCHER+ RULE+ RULE++   If any of the matchers succeeds, all of the indented rules will be+applied.  They are usually field assignments, but the following special+rules may also be used within an if block:++   * 'skip' - skips the matched CSV record (generating no transaction+     from it)+   * 'end' - skips the rest of the current CSV file.++   Some examples:++# if the record contains "groceries", set account2 to "expenses:groceries"+if groceries+ account2 expenses:groceries++# if the record contains any of these phrases, set account2 and a transaction comment as shown+if+monthly service fee+atm transaction fee+banking thru software+ account2 expenses:business:banking+ comment  XXX deductible ? check it++# if an empty record is seen (assuming five fields), ignore the rest of the CSV file+if ,,,,+ end+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Matchers,  Next: if table,  Prev: if block,  Up: CSV++9.17 Matchers+=============++There are two kinds of matcher:++  1. A whole record matcher is simplest: it is just a word, single-line+     text fragment, or other regular expression, which hledger will try+     to match case-insensitively anywhere within the CSV record.+     Eg: 'whole foods'.++  2. A field matcher has a percent-prefixed CSV field number or name+     before the pattern.+     Eg: '%3 whole foods' or '%description whole foods'.+     hledger will try to match the pattern just within the named CSV+     field.++   When using these, there's two things to be aware of:++  1. Whole record matchers don't see the exact original record; they see+     a reconstruction of it, in which values are comma-separated, and+     quotes enclosing values and whitespace outside those quotes are+     removed.+     Eg when reading an SSV record like: '2023-01-01 ; "Acme, Inc. " ;+     1,000'+     the whole record matcher sees instead: '2023-01-01,Acme, Inc.+     ,1,000'++  2. Field matchers expect either a CSV field number, or a CSV field+     name declared with 'fields'.  Anything else will cause it to match+     against the empty string, and probably fail silently (this makes it+     easier to reuse common rules with different CSV files).  Don't use+     a hledger field name here (see CSV fields and hledger fields).++   You can also prefix a matcher with '!' (and optional space) to negate+it.  Eg '! whole foods', '! %3 whole foods', '!%description whole foods'+will match if "whole foods" is NOT present.  _Added in 1.32._++   The pattern is, as usual in hledger, a POSIX extended regular+expression that also supports GNU word boundaries ('\b', '\B', '\<',+'\>') and nothing else.  For more details and tips, see Regular+expressions in CSV rules below.++* Menu:++* Multiple matchers::+* Match groups::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Multiple matchers,  Next: Match groups,  Up: Matchers++9.17.1 Multiple matchers+------------------------++When an if block has multiple matchers, each on its own line,++   * By default they are OR'd (any of them can match).+   * Matcher lines beginning with '&' (or '&&', _since 1.42_) are AND'ed+     with the matcher above (all in the AND'ed group must match).+   * Matcher lines beginning with '& !' (_since 1.41_, or '&& !', _since+     1.42_) are first negated and then AND'ed with the matcher above.++   You can also combine multiple matchers one the same line separated by+'&&' (AND) or '&& !' (AND NOT). Eg '%description amazon && %date+2025-01-01' will match only when the description field contains "amazon"+and the date field contains "2025-01-01".  _Added in 1.42._+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Match groups,  Prev: Multiple matchers,  Up: Matchers++9.17.2 Match groups+-------------------++_Added in 1.32_++   Matchers can define match groups: parenthesised portions of the+regular expression which are available for reference in field+assignments.  Groups are enclosed in regular parentheses ('(' and ')')+and can be nested.  Each group is available in field assignments using+the token '\N', where N is an index into the match groups for this+conditional block (e.g.  '\1', '\2', etc.).++   Example: Warp credit card payment postings to the beginning of the+billing period (Month start), to match how they are presented in+statements, using posting dates:++if %date (....-..)-..+  comment2 date:\1-01++   Another example: Read the expense account from the CSV field, but+throw away a prefix:++if %account1 liabilities:family:(expenses:.*)+    account1 \1+++File: hledger.info,  Node: if table,  Next: balance-type,  Prev: Matchers,  Up: CSV++9.18 'if' table+===============++"if tables" are an alternative to if blocks; they can express many+matchers and field assignments in a more compact tabular format, like+this:++if,HLEDGERFIELD1,HLEDGERFIELD2,...+MATCHERA,VALUE1,VALUE2,...+MATCHERB && MATCHERC,VALUE1,VALUE2,...  (*since 1.42*)+; Comment line that explains MATCHERD+MATCHERD,VALUE1,VALUE2,...+<empty line>++   The first character after 'if' is taken to be this if table's field+separator.  It is unrelated to the separator used in the CSV file.  It+should be a non-alphanumeric character like ',' or '|' that does not+appear anywhere else in the table (it should not be used in field names+or matchers or values, and it cannot be escaped with a backslash).++   Each line must contain the same number of separators; empty values+are allowed.  Whitespace can be used in the matcher lines for+readability (but not in the if line, currently).  You can use the+comment lines in the table body.  The table must be terminated by an+empty line (or end of file).++   An if table like the above is interpreted as follows: try all of the+lines with matchers; whenever a line with matchers succeeds, assign all+of the values on that line to the corresponding hledger fields; If+multiple lines match, later lines will override fields assigned by the+earlier ones - just like the sequence of 'if' blocks would behave.++   If table presented above is equivalent to this sequence of if blocks:++if MATCHERA+  HLEDGERFIELD1 VALUE1+  HLEDGERFIELD2 VALUE2+  ...++if MATCHERB && MATCHERC+  HLEDGERFIELD1 VALUE1+  HLEDGERFIELD2 VALUE2+  ...++; Comment line which explains MATCHERD+if MATCHERD+  HLEDGERFIELD1 VALUE1+  HLEDGERFIELD2 VALUE2+  ...++   Example:++if,account2,comment+atm transaction fee,expenses:business:banking,deductible? check it+%description groceries,expenses:groceries,+;; Comment line that desribes why this particular date is special+2023/01/12.*Plumbing LLC,expenses:house:upkeep,emergency plumbing call-out+++File: hledger.info,  Node: balance-type,  Next: include,  Prev: if table,  Up: CSV++9.19 'balance-type'+===================++Balance assertions generated by assigning to balanceN are of the simple+'=' type by default, which is a single-commodity, subaccount-excluding+assertion.  You may find the subaccount-including variants more useful,+eg if you have created some virtual subaccounts of checking to help with+budgeting.  You can select a different type of assertion with the+'balance-type' rule:++# balance assertions will consider all commodities and all subaccounts+balance-type ==*++   Here are the balance assertion types for quick reference:++=    single commodity, exclude subaccounts+=*   single commodity, include subaccounts+==   multi commodity,  exclude subaccounts+==*  multi commodity,  include subaccounts+++File: hledger.info,  Node: include,  Next: Working with CSV,  Prev: balance-type,  Up: CSV++9.20 'include'+==============++include RULESFILE++   This includes the contents of another CSV rules file at this point.+'RULESFILE' is an absolute file path or a path relative to the current+file's directory.  This can be useful for sharing common rules between+several rules files, eg:++# someaccount.csv.rules++## someaccount-specific rules+fields   date,description,amount+account1 assets:someaccount+account2 expenses:misc++## common rules+include categorisation.rules+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Working with CSV,  Next: CSV rules examples,  Prev: include,  Up: CSV++9.21 Working with CSV+=====================++Some tips:++* Menu:++* Rapid feedback::+* Valid CSV::+* File Extension::+* Reading CSV from standard input::+* Reading multiple CSV files::+* Reading files specified by rule::+* Valid transactions::+* Deduplicating importing::+* Regular expressions in CSV rules::+* Setting amounts::+* Amount signs::+* Setting currency/commodity::+* Amount decimal places::+* Referencing other fields::+* How CSV rules are evaluated::+* Well factored rules::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Rapid feedback,  Next: Valid CSV,  Up: Working with CSV++9.21.1 Rapid feedback+---------------------++It's a good idea to get rapid feedback while creating/troubleshooting+CSV rules.  Here's a good way, using entr from eradman.com/entrproject:++$ ls foo.csv* | entr bash -c 'echo ----; hledger -f foo.csv print desc:SOMEDESC'++   A desc: query (eg) is used to select just one, or a few, transactions+of interest.  "bash -c" is used to run multiple commands, so we can echo+a separator each time the command re-runs, making it easier to read the+output.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Valid CSV,  Next: File Extension,  Prev: Rapid feedback,  Up: Working with CSV++9.21.2 Valid CSV+----------------++Note that hledger will only accept valid CSV conforming to RFC 4180, and+equivalent SSV and TSV formats (like RFC 4180 but with semicolon or tab+as separators).  This means, eg:++   * Values may be enclosed in double quotes, or not.  Enclosing in+     single quotes is not allowed.  (Eg ''A','B'' is rejected.)+   * When values are enclosed in double quotes, spaces outside the+     quotes are not allowed.  (Eg '"A", "B"' is rejected.)+   * When values are not enclosed in quotes, they may not contain double+     quotes.  (Eg 'A"A, B' is rejected.)++   If your CSV/SSV/TSV is not valid in this sense, you'll need to+transform it before reading with hledger.  Try using sed, or a more+permissive CSV parser like python's csv lib.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: File Extension,  Next: Reading CSV from standard input,  Prev: Valid CSV,  Up: Working with CSV++9.21.3 File Extension+---------------------++To help hledger choose the CSV file reader and show the right error+messages (and choose the right field separator character by default),+it's best if CSV/SSV/TSV files are named with a '.csv', '.ssv' or '.tsv'+filename extension.  (More about this at Data formats.)++   When reading files with the "wrong" extension, you can ensure the CSV+reader (and the default field separator) by prefixing the file path with+'csv:', 'ssv:' or 'tsv:': Eg:++$ hledger -f ssv:foo.dat print++   You can also override the default field separator with a separator+rule if needed.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Reading CSV from standard input,  Next: Reading multiple CSV files,  Prev: File Extension,  Up: Working with CSV++9.21.4 Reading CSV from standard input+--------------------------------------++You'll need the file format prefix when reading CSV from stdin also,+since hledger assumes journal format by default.  Eg:++$ cat foo.dat | hledger -f ssv:- print+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Reading multiple CSV files,  Next: Reading files specified by rule,  Prev: Reading CSV from standard input,  Up: Working with CSV++9.21.5 Reading multiple CSV files+---------------------------------++If you use multiple '-f' options to read multiple CSV files at once,+hledger will look for a correspondingly-named rules file for each CSV+file.  But if you specify a rules file with '--rules', that rules file+will be used for all the CSV files.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Reading files specified by rule,  Next: Valid transactions,  Prev: Reading multiple CSV files,  Up: Working with CSV++9.21.6 Reading files specified by rule+--------------------------------------++Instead of specifying a CSV file in the command line, you can specify a+rules file, as in 'hledger -f foo.csv.rules CMD'.  By default this will+read data from foo.csv in the same directory, but you can add a source+rule to specify a different data file, perhaps located in your web+browser's download directory.++   This feature was added in hledger 1.30, so you won't see it in most+CSV rules examples.  But it helps remove some of the busywork of+managing CSV downloads.  Most of your financial institutions's default+CSV filenames are different and can be recognised by a glob pattern.  So+you can put a rule like 'source Checking1*.csv' in+foo-checking.csv.rules, and then periodically follow a workflow like:++  1. Download CSV from Foo's website, using your browser's defaults+  2. Run 'hledger import foo-checking.csv.rules' to import any new+     transactions++   After import, you can: discard the CSV, or leave it where it is for a+while, or move it into your archives, as you prefer.  If you do nothing,+next time your browser will save something like Checking1-2.csv, and+hledger will use that because of the '*' wild card and because it is the+most recent.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Valid transactions,  Next: Deduplicating importing,  Prev: Reading files specified by rule,  Up: Working with CSV++9.21.7 Valid transactions+-------------------------++After reading a CSV file, hledger post-processes and validates the+generated journal entries as it would for a journal file - balancing+them, applying balance assignments, and canonicalising amount styles.+Any errors at this stage will be reported in the usual way, displaying+the problem entry.++   There is one exception: balance assertions, if you have generated+them, will not be checked, since normally these will work only when the+CSV data is part of the main journal.  If you do need to check balance+assertions generated from CSV right away, pipe into another hledger:++$ hledger -f file.csv print | hledger -f- print+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Deduplicating importing,  Next: Regular expressions in CSV rules,  Prev: Valid transactions,  Up: Working with CSV++9.21.8 Deduplicating, importing+-------------------------------++When you download a CSV file periodically, eg to get your latest bank+transactions, the new file may overlap with the old one, containing some+of the same records.++   The import command will (a) detect the new transactions, and (b)+append just those transactions to your main journal.  It is idempotent,+so you don't have to remember how many times you ran it or with which+version of the CSV. (It keeps state in a hidden '.latest.FILE.csv'+file.)  This is the easiest way to import CSV data.  Eg:++# download the latest CSV files, then run this command.+# Note, no -f flags needed here.+$ hledger import *.csv [--dry]++   This method works for most CSV files.  (Where records have a stable+chronological order, and new records appear only at the new end.)++   A number of other tools and workflows, hledger-specific and+otherwise, exist for converting, deduplicating, classifying and managing+CSV data.  See:++   * https://hledger.org/cookbook.html#setups-and-workflows+   * https://plaintextaccounting.org -> data import/conversion+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Regular expressions in CSV rules,  Next: Setting amounts,  Prev: Deduplicating importing,  Up: Working with CSV++9.21.9 Regular expressions in CSV rules+---------------------------------------++Regular expressions in 'if' conditions (AKA matchers) are POSIX extended+regular expressions, that also support GNU word boundaries ('\b', '\B',+'\<', '\>'), and nothing else.  (For more detail, see Regular+expressions.)++   Here are some examples that might be useful in CSV rules:++   * Is field "foo" truly empty ?  'if %foo ^$'+   * Is it empty or containing only whitespace ?  'if %foo ^ *$'+   * Is it non-empty ?  'if %foo .'+   * Does it contain non-whitespace ?  'if %foo [^ ]'++   Testing the value of numeric fields is a little harder.  You can't+use hledger queries like 'amt:0' or 'amt:>10' in CSV rules.  But you can+often achieve the same thing with a regular expression.++   Note the content and layout of number fields in CSV varies, and can+change over time (eg if you switch data providers).  So numeric regexps+are always somewhat specific to your particular CSV data; and it's a+good idea to make them defensive and robust if you can.++   Here are some examples:++   * Does foo contain a non-zero number ?  'if %foo [1-9]'+   * Is it negative ?  'if %foo -'+   * Is it non-negative ?  'if ! %foo -'+   * Is it >= 10 ?  'if %foo [1-9][0-9]+\.' (assuming a decimal period+     and no leading zeros)+   * Is it >= 10 and < 20 ?  'if %foo \b1[0-9]\.'+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Setting amounts,  Next: Amount signs,  Prev: Regular expressions in CSV rules,  Up: Working with CSV++9.21.10 Setting amounts+-----------------------++Continuing from amount field above, here are more tips for+amount-setting:++  1. *If the amount is in a single CSV field:*++       a. *If its sign indicates direction of flow:*+          Assign it to 'amountN', to set the Nth posting's amount.  N is+          usually 1 or 2 but can go up to 99.++       b. *If another field indicates direction of flow:*+          Use one or more conditional rules to set the appropriate+          amount sign.  Eg:++     # assume a withdrawal unless Type contains "deposit":+     amount1  -%Amount+     if %Type deposit+       amount1  %Amount++  2. *If the amount is in two CSV fields (such as Debit and Credit, or+     In and Out):*++       a. *If both fields are unsigned:*+          Assign one field to 'amountN-in' and the other to+          'amountN-out'.  hledger will automatically negate the "out"+          field, and will use whichever field value is non-zero as+          posting N's amount.++       b. *If either field is signed:*+          You will probably need to override hledger's sign for one or+          the other field, as in the following example:++     # Negate the -out value, but only if it is not empty:+     fields date, description, amount1-in, amount1-out+     if %amount1-out [1-9]+      amount1-out -%amount1-out++       c. *If both fields can contain a non-zero value (or both can be+          empty):*+          The -in/-out rules normally choose the value which is+          non-zero/non-empty.  Some value pairs can be ambiguous, such+          as '1' and 'none'.  For such cases, use conditional rules to+          help select the amount.  Eg, to handle the above you could+          select the value containing non-zero digits:++     fields date, description, in, out+     if %in [1-9]+      amount1 %in+     if %out [1-9]+      amount1 %out++  3. *If you want posting 2's amount converted to cost:*+     Use the unnumbered 'amount' (or 'amount-in' and 'amount-out')+     syntax.++  4. *If the CSV has only balance amounts, not transaction amounts:*+     Assign to 'balanceN', to set a balance assignment on the Nth+     posting, causing the posting's amount to be calculated+     automatically.  'balance' with no number is equivalent to+     'balance1'.  In this situation hledger is more likely to guess the+     wrong default account name, so you may need to set that explicitly.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Amount signs,  Next: Setting currency/commodity,  Prev: Setting amounts,  Up: Working with CSV++9.21.11 Amount signs+--------------------++There is some special handling making it easier to parse and to reverse+amount signs.  (This only works for whole amounts, not for cost amounts+such as COST in 'amount1 AMT @ COST'):++   * *If an amount value begins with a plus sign:*+     that will be removed: '+AMT' becomes 'AMT'++   * *If an amount value is parenthesised:*+     it will be de-parenthesised and sign-flipped: '(AMT)' becomes+     '-AMT'++   * *If an amount value has two minus signs (or two sets of+     parentheses, or a minus sign and parentheses):*+     they cancel out and will be removed: '--AMT' or '-(AMT)' becomes+     'AMT'++   * *If an amount value contains just a sign (or just a set of+     parentheses):*+     that is removed, making it an empty value.  '"+"' or '"-"' or+     '"()"' becomes '""'.++   It's not possible (without preprocessing the CSV) to set an amount to+its absolute value, ie discard its sign.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Setting currency/commodity,  Next: Amount decimal places,  Prev: Amount signs,  Up: Working with CSV++9.21.12 Setting currency/commodity+----------------------------------++If the currency/commodity symbol is included in the CSV's amount+field(s):++2023-01-01,foo,$123.00++   you don't have to do anything special for the commodity symbol, it+will be assigned as part of the amount.  Eg:++fields date,description,amount++2023-01-01 foo+    expenses:unknown         $123.00+    income:unknown          $-123.00++   If the currency is provided as a separate CSV field:++2023-01-01,foo,USD,123.00++   You can assign that to the 'currency' pseudo-field, which has the+special effect of prepending itself to every amount in the transaction+(on the left, with no separating space):++fields date,description,currency,amount++2023-01-01 foo+    expenses:unknown       USD123.00+    income:unknown        USD-123.00++   Or, you can use a field assignment to construct the amount yourself,+with more control.  Eg to put the symbol on the right, and separated by+a space:++fields date,description,cur,amt+amount %amt %cur++2023-01-01 foo+    expenses:unknown        123.00 USD+    income:unknown         -123.00 USD++   Note we used a temporary field name ('cur') that is not 'currency' -+that would trigger the prepending effect, which we don't want here.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Amount decimal places,  Next: Referencing other fields,  Prev: Setting currency/commodity,  Up: Working with CSV++9.21.13 Amount decimal places+-----------------------------++When you are reading CSV data, eg with a command like 'hledger -f+foo.csv print', hledger will infer each commodity's decimal precision+(and other commodity display styles) from the amounts - much as when+reading a journal file without 'commodity' directives (see the link).++   Note, the commodity styles are not inferred from the numbers in the+original CSV data; rather, they are inferred from the amounts generated+by the CSV rules.++   When you are importing CSV data with the 'import' command, eg+'hledger import foo.csv', there's another step: 'import' tries to make+the new entries conform to the journal's existing styles.  So for each+commodity - let's say it's EUR - 'import' will choose:++  1. the style declared for EUR by a 'commodity' directive in the+     journal+  2. otherwise, the style inferred from EUR amounts in the journal+  3. otherwise, the style inferred from EUR amounts generated by the CSV+     rules.++   TLDR: if 'import' is not generating the precisions or styles you+want, add a 'commodity' directive to specify them.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Referencing other fields,  Next: How CSV rules are evaluated,  Prev: Amount decimal places,  Up: Working with CSV++9.21.14 Referencing other fields+--------------------------------++In field assignments, you can interpolate only CSV fields, not hledger+fields.  In the example below, there's both a CSV field and a hledger+field named amount1, but %amount1 always means the CSV field, not the+hledger field:++# Name the third CSV field "amount1"+fields date,description,amount1++# Set hledger's amount1 to the CSV amount1 field followed by USD+amount1 %amount1 USD++# Set comment to the CSV amount1 (not the amount1 assigned above)+comment %amount1++   Here, since there's no CSV amount1 field, %amount1 will produce a+literal "amount1":++fields date,description,csvamount+amount1 %csvamount USD+# Can't interpolate amount1 here+comment %amount1++   When there are multiple field assignments to the same hledger field,+only the last one takes effect.  Here, comment's value will be be B, or+C if "something" is matched, but never A:++comment A+comment B+if something+ comment C+++File: hledger.info,  Node: How CSV rules are evaluated,  Next: Well factored rules,  Prev: Referencing other fields,  Up: Working with CSV++9.21.15 How CSV rules are evaluated+-----------------------------------++Here's how to think of CSV rules being evaluated.  If you get a+confusing error while reading a CSV file, it may help to try to+understand which of these steps is failing:++  1. Any included rules files are inlined, from top to bottom, depth+     first (scanning each included file for further includes,+     recursively, before proceeding).++  2. Top level rules ('date-format', 'fields', 'newest-first', 'skip'+     etc) are read, top to bottom.  "Top level rules" means+     non-conditional rules.  If a rule occurs more than once, the last+     one wins; except for 'skip'/'end' rules, where the first one wins.++  3. The CSV file is read as text.  Any non-ascii characters will be+     decoded using the text encoding specified by the 'encoding' rule,+     otherwise the system locale's text encoding.++  4. Any top-level skip or end rule is applied.  'skip [N]' immediately+     skips the current or next N CSV records; 'end' immediately skips+     all remaining CSV records (not normally used at top level).++  5. Now any remaining CSV records are processed.  For each CSV record,+     in file order:++        * Is there a conditional skip/end rule that applies for this+          record ?  Search the 'if' blocks, from top to bottom, for a+          succeeding one containing a 'skip' or 'end' rule.  If found,+          skip the specified number of CSV records, then continue at 5.+          Otherwise...++        * Do some basic validation on this CSV record (eg, check that it+          has at least two fields).++        * For each hledger field ('date', 'description', 'account1',+          etc.):++            1. Get the field's assigned value, first searching top level+               assignments, made directly or by the 'fields' rule, then+               assignments made inside succeeding 'if' blocks.  If there+               are more than one, the last one wins.++            2. Compute the field's actual value (as text), by+               interpolating any %CSVFIELD references within the+               assigned value; or by choosing a default value if there+               was no assignment.++        * Generate a hledger transaction from the hledger field values,+          parsing them if needed (eg from text to an amount).++   This is all done by the CSV reader, one of several readers hledger+can use to read transactions from an input file.  When all input files+have been read successfully, their transactions are passed to whichever+hledger command the user specified.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Well factored rules,  Prev: How CSV rules are evaluated,  Up: Working with CSV++9.21.16 Well factored rules+---------------------------++Some things than can help reduce duplication and complexity in rules+files:++   * Extracting common rules usable with multiple CSV files into a+     'common.rules', and adding 'include common.rules' to each CSV's+     rules file.++   * Splitting if blocks into smaller if blocks, extracting the+     frequently used parts.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: CSV rules examples,  Prev: Working with CSV,  Up: CSV++9.22 CSV rules examples+=======================++* Menu:++* Bank of Ireland::+* Coinbase::+* Amazon::+* Paypal::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Bank of Ireland,  Next: Coinbase,  Up: CSV rules examples++9.22.1 Bank of Ireland+----------------------++Here's a CSV with two amount fields (Debit and Credit), and a balance+field, which we can use to add balance assertions, which is not+necessary but provides extra error checking:++Date,Details,Debit,Credit,Balance+07/12/2012,LODGMENT       529898,,10.0,131.21+07/12/2012,PAYMENT,5,,126++# bankofireland-checking.csv.rules++# skip the header line+skip++# name the csv fields, and assign some of them as journal entry fields+fields  date, description, amount-out, amount-in, balance++# We generate balance assertions by assigning to "balance"+# above, but you may sometimes need to remove these because:+#+# - the CSV balance differs from the true balance,+#   by up to 0.0000000000005 in my experience+#+# - it is sometimes calculated based on non-chronological ordering,+#   eg when multiple transactions clear on the same day++# date is in UK/Ireland format+date-format  %d/%m/%Y++# set the currency+currency  EUR++# set the base account for all txns+account1  assets:bank:boi:checking++$ hledger -f bankofireland-checking.csv print+2012-12-07 LODGMENT       529898+    assets:bank:boi:checking         EUR10.0 = EUR131.2+    income:unknown                  EUR-10.0++2012-12-07 PAYMENT+    assets:bank:boi:checking         EUR-5.0 = EUR126.0+    expenses:unknown                  EUR5.0++   The balance assertions don't raise an error above, because we're+reading directly from CSV, but they will be checked if these entries are+imported into a journal file.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Coinbase,  Next: Amazon,  Prev: Bank of Ireland,  Up: CSV rules examples++9.22.2 Coinbase+---------------++A simple example with some CSV from Coinbase.  The spot price is+recorded using cost notation.  The legacy 'amount' field name+conveniently sets amount 2 (posting 2's amount) to the total cost.++# Timestamp,Transaction Type,Asset,Quantity Transacted,Spot Price Currency,Spot Price at Transaction,Subtotal,Total (inclusive of fees and/or spread),Fees and/or Spread,Notes+# 2021-12-30T06:57:59Z,Receive,USDC,100,GBP,0.740000,"","","","Received 100.00 USDC from an external account"++# coinbase.csv.rules+skip         1+fields       Timestamp,Transaction_Type,Asset,Quantity_Transacted,Spot_Price_Currency,Spot_Price_at_Transaction,Subtotal,Total,Fees_Spread,Notes+date         %Timestamp+date-format  %Y-%m-%dT%T%Z+description  %Notes+account1     assets:coinbase:cc+amount       %Quantity_Transacted %Asset @ %Spot_Price_at_Transaction %Spot_Price_Currency++$ hledger print -f coinbase.csv+2021-12-30 Received 100.00 USDC from an external account+    assets:coinbase:cc    100 USDC @ 0.740000 GBP+    income:unknown                 -74.000000 GBP+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Amazon,  Next: Paypal,  Prev: Coinbase,  Up: CSV rules examples++9.22.3 Amazon+-------------++Here we convert amazon.com order history, and use an if block to+generate a third posting if there's a fee.  (In practice you'd probably+get this data from your bank instead, but it's an example.)++"Date","Type","To/From","Name","Status","Amount","Fees","Transaction ID"+"Jul 29, 2012","Payment","To","Foo.","Completed","$20.00","$0.00","16000000000000DGLNJPI1P9B8DKPVHL"+"Jul 30, 2012","Payment","To","Adapteva, Inc.","Completed","$25.00","$1.00","17LA58JSKRD4HDGLNJPI1P9B8DKPVHL"++# amazon-orders.csv.rules++# skip one header line+skip 1++# name the csv fields, and assign the transaction's date, amount and code.+# Avoided the "status" and "amount" hledger field names to prevent confusion.+fields date, _, toorfrom, name, amzstatus, amzamount, fees, code++# how to parse the date+date-format %b %-d, %Y++# combine two fields to make the description+description %toorfrom %name++# save the status as a tag+comment     status:%amzstatus++# set the base account for all transactions+account1    assets:amazon+# leave amount1 blank so it can balance the other(s).+# I'm assuming amzamount excludes the fees, don't remember++# set a generic account2+account2    expenses:misc+amount2     %amzamount+# and maybe refine it further:+#include categorisation.rules++# add a third posting for fees, but only if they are non-zero.+if %fees [1-9]+ account3    expenses:fees+ amount3     %fees++$ hledger -f amazon-orders.csv print+2012-07-29 (16000000000000DGLNJPI1P9B8DKPVHL) To Foo.  ; status:Completed+    assets:amazon+    expenses:misc          $20.00++2012-07-30 (17LA58JSKRD4HDGLNJPI1P9B8DKPVHL) To Adapteva, Inc.  ; status:Completed+    assets:amazon+    expenses:misc          $25.00+    expenses:fees           $1.00+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Paypal,  Prev: Amazon,  Up: CSV rules examples++9.22.4 Paypal+-------------++Here's a real-world rules file for (customised) Paypal CSV, with some+Paypal-specific rules, and a second rules file included:++"Date","Time","TimeZone","Name","Type","Status","Currency","Gross","Fee","Net","From Email Address","To Email Address","Transaction ID","Item Title","Item ID","Reference Txn ID","Receipt ID","Balance","Note"+"10/01/2019","03:46:20","PDT","Calm Radio","Subscription Payment","Completed","USD","-6.99","0.00","-6.99","simon@joyful.com","memberships@calmradio.com","60P57143A8206782E","MONTHLY - $1 for the first 2 Months: Me - Order 99309. Item total: $1.00 USD first 2 months, then $6.99 / Month","","I-R8YLY094FJYR","","-6.99",""+"10/01/2019","03:46:20","PDT","","Bank Deposit to PP Account ","Pending","USD","6.99","0.00","6.99","","simon@joyful.com","0TU1544T080463733","","","60P57143A8206782E","","0.00",""+"10/01/2019","08:57:01","PDT","Patreon","PreApproved Payment Bill User Payment","Completed","USD","-7.00","0.00","-7.00","simon@joyful.com","support@patreon.com","2722394R5F586712G","Patreon* Membership","","B-0PG93074E7M86381M","","-7.00",""+"10/01/2019","08:57:01","PDT","","Bank Deposit to PP Account ","Pending","USD","7.00","0.00","7.00","","simon@joyful.com","71854087RG994194F","Patreon* Membership","","2722394R5F586712G","","0.00",""+"10/19/2019","03:02:12","PDT","Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.","Subscription Payment","Completed","USD","-2.00","0.00","-2.00","simon@joyful.com","tle@wikimedia.org","K9U43044RY432050M","Monthly donation to the Wikimedia Foundation","","I-R5C3YUS3285L","","-2.00",""+"10/19/2019","03:02:12","PDT","","Bank Deposit to PP Account ","Pending","USD","2.00","0.00","2.00","","simon@joyful.com","3XJ107139A851061F","","","K9U43044RY432050M","","0.00",""+"10/22/2019","05:07:06","PDT","Noble Benefactor","Subscription Payment","Completed","USD","10.00","-0.59","9.41","noble@bene.fac.tor","simon@joyful.com","6L8L1662YP1334033","Joyful Systems","","I-KC9VBGY2GWDB","","9.41",""++# paypal-custom.csv.rules++# Tips:+# Export from Activity -> Statements -> Custom -> Activity download+# Suggested transaction type: "Balance affecting"+# Paypal's default fields in 2018 were:+# "Date","Time","TimeZone","Name","Type","Status","Currency","Gross","Fee","Net","From Email Address","To Email Address","Transaction ID","Shipping Address","Address Status","Item Title","Item ID","Shipping and Handling Amount","Insurance Amount","Sales Tax","Option 1 Name","Option 1 Value","Option 2 Name","Option 2 Value","Reference Txn ID","Invoice Number","Custom Number","Quantity","Receipt ID","Balance","Address Line 1","Address Line 2/District/Neighborhood","Town/City","State/Province/Region/County/Territory/Prefecture/Republic","Zip/Postal Code","Country","Contact Phone Number","Subject","Note","Country Code","Balance Impact"+# This rules file assumes the following more detailed fields, configured in "Customize report fields":+# "Date","Time","TimeZone","Name","Type","Status","Currency","Gross","Fee","Net","From Email Address","To Email Address","Transaction ID","Item Title","Item ID","Reference Txn ID","Receipt ID","Balance","Note"++fields date, time, timezone, description_, type, status_, currency, grossamount, feeamount, netamount, fromemail, toemail, code, itemtitle, itemid, referencetxnid, receiptid, balance, note++skip  1++date-format  %-m/%-d/%Y++# ignore some paypal events+if+In Progress+Temporary Hold+Update to+ skip++# add more fields to the description+description %description_ %itemtitle++# save some other fields as tags+comment  itemid:%itemid, fromemail:%fromemail, toemail:%toemail, time:%time, type:%type, status:%status_++# convert to short currency symbols+if %currency USD+ currency $+if %currency EUR+ currency E+if %currency GBP+ currency P++# generate postings++# the first posting will be the money leaving/entering my paypal account+# (negative means leaving my account, in all amount fields)+account1 assets:online:paypal+amount1  %netamount++# the second posting will be money sent to/received from other party+# (account2 is set below)+amount2  -%grossamount++# if there's a fee, add a third posting for the money taken by paypal.+if %feeamount [1-9]+ account3 expenses:banking:paypal+ amount3  -%feeamount+ comment3 business:++# choose an account for the second posting++# override the default account names:+# if the amount is positive, it's income (a debit)+if %grossamount ^[^-]+ account2 income:unknown+# if negative, it's an expense (a credit)+if %grossamount ^-+ account2 expenses:unknown++# apply common rules for setting account2 & other tweaks+include common.rules++# apply some overrides specific to this csv++# Transfers from/to bank. These are usually marked Pending,+# which can be disregarded in this case.+if+Bank Account+Bank Deposit to PP Account+ description %type for %referencetxnid %itemtitle+ account2 assets:bank:wf:pchecking+ account1 assets:online:paypal++# Currency conversions+if Currency Conversion+ account2 equity:currency conversion++# common.rules++if+darcs+noble benefactor+ account2 revenues:foss donations:darcshub+ comment2 business:++if+Calm Radio+ account2 expenses:online:apps++if+electronic frontier foundation+Patreon+wikimedia+Advent of Code+ account2 expenses:dues++if Google+ account2 expenses:online:apps+ description google | music++$ hledger -f paypal-custom.csv  print+2019-10-01 (60P57143A8206782E) Calm Radio MONTHLY - $1 for the first 2 Months: Me - Order 99309. Item total: $1.00 USD first 2 months, then $6.99 / Month  ; itemid:, fromemail:simon@joyful.com, toemail:memberships@calmradio.com, time:03:46:20, type:Subscription Payment, status:Completed+    assets:online:paypal          $-6.99 = $-6.99+    expenses:online:apps           $6.99++2019-10-01 (0TU1544T080463733) Bank Deposit to PP Account for 60P57143A8206782E  ; itemid:, fromemail:, toemail:simon@joyful.com, time:03:46:20, type:Bank Deposit to PP Account, status:Pending+    assets:online:paypal               $6.99 = $0.00+    assets:bank:wf:pchecking          $-6.99++2019-10-01 (2722394R5F586712G) Patreon Patreon* Membership  ; itemid:, fromemail:simon@joyful.com, toemail:support@patreon.com, time:08:57:01, type:PreApproved Payment Bill User Payment, status:Completed+    assets:online:paypal          $-7.00 = $-7.00+    expenses:dues                  $7.00++2019-10-01 (71854087RG994194F) Bank Deposit to PP Account for 2722394R5F586712G Patreon* Membership  ; itemid:, fromemail:, toemail:simon@joyful.com, time:08:57:01, type:Bank Deposit to PP Account, status:Pending+    assets:online:paypal               $7.00 = $0.00+    assets:bank:wf:pchecking          $-7.00++2019-10-19 (K9U43044RY432050M) Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Monthly donation to the Wikimedia Foundation  ; itemid:, fromemail:simon@joyful.com, toemail:tle@wikimedia.org, time:03:02:12, type:Subscription Payment, status:Completed+    assets:online:paypal             $-2.00 = $-2.00+    expenses:dues                     $2.00+    expenses:banking:paypal      ; business:++2019-10-19 (3XJ107139A851061F) Bank Deposit to PP Account for K9U43044RY432050M  ; itemid:, fromemail:, toemail:simon@joyful.com, time:03:02:12, type:Bank Deposit to PP Account, status:Pending+    assets:online:paypal               $2.00 = $0.00+    assets:bank:wf:pchecking          $-2.00++2019-10-22 (6L8L1662YP1334033) Noble Benefactor Joyful Systems  ; itemid:, fromemail:noble@bene.fac.tor, toemail:simon@joyful.com, time:05:07:06, type:Subscription Payment, status:Completed+    assets:online:paypal                       $9.41 = $9.41+    revenues:foss donations:darcshub         $-10.00  ; business:+    expenses:banking:paypal                    $0.59  ; business:+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Timeclock,  Next: Timedot,  Prev: CSV,  Up: Top++10 Timeclock+************++hledger can read time logs in the timeclock time logging format of+timeclock.el.  As with Ledger, hledger's timeclock format is a+subset/variant of timeclock.el's.++   hledger's timeclock format was updated in hledger 1.43 and 1.50.  If+your old time logs are rejected, you should adapt them to modern+hledger; for now, you can restore the pre-1.43 behaviour with the+'--old-timeclock' flag.++   Here the timeclock format in hledger 1.50+:++# Comment lines like these, and blank lines, are ignored:+# comment line+; comment line+* comment line++# Lines beginning with b, h, or capital O are also ignored, for compatibility:+b SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+-ZZZZ][ TEXT]+h SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+-ZZZZ][ TEXT]+O SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+-ZZZZ][ TEXT]++# Lines beginning with i or o are are clock-in / clock-out entries:+i SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+-ZZZZ] ACCOUNT[  DESCRIPTION][;COMMENT]]+o SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+-ZZZZ][ ACCOUNT][;COMMENT]++   The date is a hledger simple date (YYYY-MM-DD or similar).  The time+parts must use two digits.  The seconds are optional.  A + or -+four-digit time zone is accepted for compatibility, but currently+ignored; times are always interpreted as a local time.++   In clock-in entries ('i'), the account name is required.  A+transaction description, separated from the account name by 2+ spaces,+is optional.  A transaction comment, beginning with ';', is also+optional.  (Indented following comment lines are also allowed, as in+journal format.)++   In clock-out entries ('o') have no description, but can have a+comment if you wish.  A clock-in and clock-out pair form a "transaction"+posting some number of hours to an account - also known as a session.+Eg:++i 2015/03/30 09:00:00 session1+o 2015/03/30 10:00:00++$ hledger -f a.timeclock print+2015-03-30 * 09:00-10:00+    (session1)           1.00h++   Clock-ins and clock-outs are matched by their account/session name.+If a clock-out does not specify a name, the most recent unclosed+clock-in is closed.  You can have multiple sessions active+simultaneously.  Entries are processed in the order they are parsed.+Sessions spanning more than one day are automatically split at day+boundaries.++   Eg, the following time log:++i 2015/03/30 09:00:00 some account  optional description after 2 spaces ; optional comment, tags:+o 2015/03/30 09:20:00+i 2015/03/31 22:21:45 another:account+o 2015/04/01 02:00:34+i 2015/04/02 12:00:00 another:account  ; this demonstrates multple sessions being clocked in+i 2015/04/02 13:00:00 some account+o 2015/04/02 14:00:00+o 2015/04/02 15:00:00 another:account++   generates these transactions:++$ hledger -f t.timeclock print+2015-03-30 * optional description after 2 spaces   ; optional comment, tags:+    (some account)           0.33h++2015-03-31 * 22:21-23:59+    (another:account)           1.64h++2015-04-01 * 00:00-02:00+    (another:account)           2.01h++2015-04-02 * 12:00-15:00  ; this demonstrates multiple sessions being clocked in+    (another:account)           3.00h++2015-04-02 * 13:00-14:00+    (some account)           1.00h++   Here is a sample.timeclock to download and some queries to try:++$ hledger -f sample.timeclock balance                               # current time balances+$ hledger -f sample.timeclock register -p 2009/3                    # sessions in march 2009+$ hledger -f sample.timeclock register -p weekly --depth 1 --empty  # time summary by week++   To generate time logs, ie to clock in and clock out, you could:++   * use these shell aliases at the command line:++     alias ti='echo i `date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"` $* >>$TIMELOG'+     alias to='echo o `date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"` >>$TIMELOG'++   * or Emacs's built-in timeclock.el, or the extended timeclock-x.el,+     and perhaps the extras in ledgerutils.el++   * or use the old 'ti' and 'to' scripts in the ledger 2.x repository.+     These rely on a "timeclock" executable which I think is just the+     ledger 2 executable renamed.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Timedot,  Next: PART 3 REPORTING CONCEPTS,  Prev: Timeclock,  Up: Top++11 Timedot+**********++'timedot' format is hledger's human-friendly time logging format.+Compared to 'timeclock' format, it is more convenient for quick,+approximate, and retroactive time logging, and more human-readable (you+can see at a glance where time was spent).  A quick example:++2023-05-01+hom:errands          .... ....  ; two hours; the space is ignored+fos:hledger:timedot  ..         ; half an hour+per:admin:finance               ; no time spent yet++   hledger reads this as a transaction on this day with three+(unbalanced) postings, where each dot represents "0.25".  No commodity+symbol is assumed, but we typically interpret it as hours.++$ hledger -f a.timedot print   # .timedot file extension (or timedot: prefix) is required+2023-05-01 *+    (hom:errands)                    2.00  ; two hours+    (fos:hledger:timedot)            0.50  ; half an hour+    (per:admin:finance)                 0++   A timedot file contains a series of transactions (usually one per+day).  Each begins with a *simple date* (Y-M-D, Y/M/D, or Y.M.D),+optionally be followed on the same line by a transaction description,+and/or a transaction comment following a semicolon.++   After the date line are zero or more time postings, consisting of:++   * *An account name* - any hledger-style account name, optionally+     indented.++   * *Two or more spaces* - required if there is an amount (as in+     journal format).++   * *A timedot amount*, which can be++        * empty (representing zero)++        * a number, optionally followed by a unit 's', 'm', 'h', 'd',+          'w', 'mo', or 'y', representing a precise number of seconds,+          minutes, hours, days weeks, months or years (hours is assumed+          by default), which will be converted to hours according to 60s+          = 1m, 60m = 1h, 24h = 1d, 7d = 1w, 30d = 1mo, 365d = 1y.++        * one or more dots (period characters), each representing 0.25.+          These are the dots in "timedot".  Spaces are ignored and can+          be used for grouping/alignment.++        * _Added in 1.32_ one or more letters.  These are like dots but+          they also generate a tag 't:' (short for "type") with the+          letter as its value, and a separate posting for each of the+          values.  This provides a second dimension of categorisation,+          viewable in reports with '--pivot t'.++   * *An optional comment* following a semicolon (a hledger-style+     posting comment).++   There is some flexibility to help with keeping time log data and+notes in the same file:++   * Blank lines and lines beginning with '#' or ';' are ignored.++   * After the first date line, lines which do not contain a double+     space are parsed as postings with zero amount.  (hledger's register+     reports will show these if you add -E).++   * Before the first date line, lines beginning with '*' (eg org+     headings) are ignored.  And from the first date line onward, Emacs+     org mode heading prefixes at the start of lines (one or more '*''s+     followed by a space) will be ignored.  This means the time log can+     also be a org outline.++   Timedot files don't support directives like journal files.  So a+common pattern is to have a main journal file (eg 'time.journal') that+contains any needed directives, and then includes the timedot file+('include time.timedot').++* Menu:++* Timedot examples::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Timedot examples,  Up: Timedot++11.1 Timedot examples+=====================++Numbers:++2016/2/3+inc:client1   4+fos:hledger   3h+biz:research  60m++   Dots:++# on this day, 6h was spent on client work, 1.5h on haskell FOSS work, etc.+2016/2/1+inc:client1   .... .... .... .... .... ....+fos:haskell   .... ..+biz:research  .++2016/2/2+inc:client1   .... ....+biz:research  .++$ hledger -f a.timedot print date:2016/2/2+2016-02-02 *+    (inc:client1)          2.00++2016-02-02 *+    (biz:research)          0.25++$ hledger -f a.timedot bal --daily --tree+Balance changes in 2016-02-01-2016-02-03:++            ||  2016-02-01d  2016-02-02d  2016-02-03d +============++========================================+ biz        ||         0.25         0.25         1.00 +   research ||         0.25         0.25         1.00 + fos        ||         1.50            0         3.00 +   haskell  ||         1.50            0            0 +   hledger  ||            0            0         3.00 + inc        ||         6.00         2.00         4.00 +   client1  ||         6.00         2.00         4.00 +------------++----------------------------------------+            ||         7.75         2.25         8.00 ++   Letters:++# Activity types:+#  c cleanup/catchup/repair+#  e enhancement+#  s support+#  l learning/research++2023-11-01+work:adm  ccecces++$ hledger -f a.timedot print+2023-11-01+    (work:adm)  1     ; t:c+    (work:adm)  0.5   ; t:e+    (work:adm)  0.25  ; t:s++$ hledger -f a.timedot bal+                1.75  work:adm+--------------------+                1.75  ++$ hledger -f a.timedot bal --pivot t+                1.00  c+                0.50  e+                0.25  s+--------------------+                1.75  ++   Org:++* 2023 Work Diary+** Q1+*** 2023-02-29+**** DONE+0700 yoga+**** UNPLANNED+**** BEGUN+hom:chores+ cleaning  ...+ water plants+  outdoor - one full watering can+  indoor - light watering+**** TODO+adm:planning: trip+*** LATER++   Using '.' as account name separator:++2016/2/4+fos.hledger.timedot  4h+fos.ledger           ..++$ hledger -f a.timedot --alias '/\./=:' bal -t+                4.50  fos+                4.00    hledger:timedot+                0.50    ledger+--------------------+                4.50+++File: hledger.info,  Node: PART 3 REPORTING CONCEPTS,  Next: Time periods,  Prev: Timedot,  Up: Top++12 PART 3: REPORTING CONCEPTS+*****************************+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Time periods,  Next: Depth,  Prev: PART 3 REPORTING CONCEPTS,  Up: Top++13 Time periods+***************++* Menu:++* Report start & end date::+* Smart dates::+* Report intervals::+* Date adjustments::+* Period headings::+* Period expressions::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Report start & end date,  Next: Smart dates,  Up: Time periods++13.1 Report start & end date+============================++Most hledger reports will by default show the full time period+represented by the journal.  The report start date will be the earliest+transaction or posting date, and the report end date will be the latest+transaction, posting, or market price date.++   Often you will want to see a shorter period, such as the current+month.  You can specify a start and/or end date with the '-b/--begin',+'-e/--end', or '-p/--period' options, or a 'date:' query argument,+described below.  All of these accept the smart date syntax, also+described below.++   End dates are exclusive; specify the day after the last day you want+to see in the report.++   When dates are specified by multiple options, the last (right-most)+option wins.  And when 'date:' queries and date options are combined,+the report period will be their intersection.++   Examples:++'-b 2016/3/17'++     beginning on St.  Patrick's day 2016+'-e 12/1'++     ending at the start of December 1st in the current year+'-p 'this month''++     during the current month+'-p thismonth'++     same as above, spaces are optional+'-b 2023'++     beginning on the first day of 2023+'date:2023..' or 'date:2023-'++     same as above++   '-b 2024 -e 2025 -p '2000 to 2030' date:2020-01 date:2020' :+during January 2020 (the smallest common period, with the -p overriding+-b and -e)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Smart dates,  Next: Report intervals,  Prev: Report start & end date,  Up: Time periods++13.2 Smart dates+================++In hledger's user interfaces (though not in the journal file), you can+optionally use "smart date" syntax.  Smart dates can be written with+english words, can be relative, and can have parts omitted.  Missing+parts are inferred as 1, when needed.  Smart dates can be interpreted as+dates or periods depending on the context.++   Examples:++   '2004-01-01', '2004/10/1', '2004.9.1', '20240504', '2024Q1' :+Exact dates.  The year must have at least four digits, the month must be+1-12, the day must be 1-31, the separator can be '-' or '/' or '.' or+nothing.  The q can be upper or lower case and the quarter number must+be 1-4.++'2004-10'++     start of month+'2004q3'++     start of third quarter of 2004+'q3'++     start of third quarter of current year+'2004'++     start of year+'10/1' or 'oct' or 'october'++     October 1st in current year+'21'++     21st day in current month+'yesterday, today, tomorrow'++     -1, 0, 1 days from today+'last/this/next day/week/month/quarter/year'++     -1, 0, 1 periods from the current period+'last/this/next tuesday'++     the previous occurrence of the named day, or the next occurrence+     after today+'last/this/next february'++     the previous occurrence of 1st of the named month, or the next+     occurrence after the current month+'in n days/weeks/months/quarters/years'++     n periods from the current period+'n days/weeks/months/quarters/years ahead'++     n periods from the current period+'n days/weeks/months/quarters/years ago'++     -n periods from the current period+'20181201'++     8 digit YYYYMMDD with valid year month and day+'201812'++     6 digit YYYYMM with valid year and month++   Dates with no separators are allowed but might give surprising+results if mistyped:++   * '20181301' (YYYYMMDD with an invalid month) is parsed as an+     eight-digit year+   * '20181232' (YYYYMMDD with an invalid day) gives a parse error+   * '201801012' (a valid YYYYMMDD followed by additional digits) gives+     a parse error++   The meaning of relative dates depends on today's date.  If you need+to test or reproduce old reports, you can use the '--today' option to+override that.  (Except for periodic transaction rules, which are not+affected by '--today'.)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Report intervals,  Next: Date adjustments,  Prev: Smart dates,  Up: Time periods++13.3 Report intervals+=====================++A report interval can be specified so that reports like register,+balance or activity become multi-period, showing each subperiod as a+separate row or column.++   The following standard intervals can be enabled with command-line+flags:++   * '-D/--daily'+   * '-W/--weekly'+   * '-M/--monthly'+   * '-Q/--quarterly'+   * '-Y/--yearly'++   More complex intervals can be specified using '-p/--period',+described below.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Date adjustments,  Next: Period headings,  Prev: Report intervals,  Up: Time periods++13.4 Date adjustments+=====================++* Menu:++* Start date adjustment::+* End date adjustment::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Start date adjustment,  Next: End date adjustment,  Up: Date adjustments++13.4.1 Start date adjustment+----------------------------++If you let hledger infer a report's start date, it will adjust the date+to the previous natural boundary of the report interval, for convenient+periodic reports.  (If you don't want that, specify a start date.)++   For example, if the journal's first transaction is on january 10th,++   * 'hledger register' (no report interval) will start the report on+     january 10th.+   * 'hledger register --monthly' will start the report on the previous+     month boundary, january 1st.+   * 'hledger register --monthly --begin 1/5' will start the report on+     january 5th [1].++   Also if you are generating transactions or budget goals with periodic+transaction rules, their start date may be adjusted in a similar way (in+certain situations).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: End date adjustment,  Prev: Start date adjustment,  Up: Date adjustments++13.4.2 End date adjustment+--------------------------++A report's end date is always adjusted to include a whole number of+intervals, so that the last subperiod has the same length as the others.++   For example, if the journal's last transaction is on february 20th,++   * 'hledger register' will end the report on february 20th.+   * 'hledger register --monthly' will end the report at the end of+     february.+   * 'hledger register --monthly --end 2/14' also will end the report at+     the end of february (overriding the requested end date).+   * 'hledger register --monthly --begin 1/5 --end 2/14' will end the+     report on march 4th [1].++   [1] Since hledger 1.29.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Period headings,  Next: Period expressions,  Prev: Date adjustments,  Up: Time periods++13.5 Period headings+====================++With non-standard subperiods, hledger will show "STARTDATE..ENDDATE"+headings.  With standard subperiods (ie, starting on a natural interval+boundary), you'll see more compact headings, which are usually+preferable.  (Though month names will be in english, currently.)++   So if you are specifying a start date and you want compact headings:+choose a start of year for yearly reports, a start of quarter for+quarterly reports, a start of month for monthly reports, etc.+(Remember, you can write eg '-b 2024' or '1/1' as a shortcut for a start+of year, or '2024-04' or '202404' or 'Apr' for a start of month or+quarter.)++   For weekly reports, choose a date that's a Monday.  (You can try+different dates until you see the short headings, or write eg '-b '3+weeks ago''.)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Period expressions,  Prev: Period headings,  Up: Time periods++13.6 Period expressions+=======================++The '-p/--period' option specifies a period expression, which is a+compact way of expressing a start date, end date, and/or report+interval.++   Here's a period expression with a start and end date (specifying the+first quarter of 2009):++'-p "from 2009/1/1 to 2009/4/1"'++   Several keywords like "from" and "to" are supported for readability;+these are optional.  "to" can also be written as ".."  or "-".  The+spaces are also optional, as long as you don't run two dates together.+So the following are equivalent to the above:++'-p "2009/1/1 2009/4/1"'+'-p2009/1/1to2009/4/1'+'-p2009/1/1..2009/4/1'++   Dates are smart dates, so if the current year is 2009, these are also+equivalent to the above:++'-p "1/1 4/1"'+'-p "jan-apr"'+'-p "this year to 4/1"'++   If you specify only one date, the missing start or end date will be+the earliest or latest transaction date in the journal:++'-p "from 2009/1/1"'   everything after january 1, 2009+'-p "since 2009/1"'    the same, since is a synonym+'-p "from 2009"'       the same+'-p "to 2009"'         everything before january 1, 2009++   You can also specify a period by writing a single partial or full+date:++'-p "2009"'     the year 2009; equivalent to “2009/1/1 to 2010/1/1”+'-p "2009/1"'   the month of january 2009; equivalent to “2009/1/1 to+                2009/2/1”+'-p             the first day of 2009; equivalent to “2009/1/1 to+"2009/1/1"'     2009/1/2”++   or by using the "Q" quarter-year syntax (case insensitive):++'-p "2009Q1"'    first quarter of 2009, equivalent to “2009/1/1 to+                 2009/4/1”+'-p "q4"'        fourth quarter of the current year++* Menu:++* Period expressions with a report interval::+* More complex report intervals::+* Multiple weekday intervals::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Period expressions with a report interval,  Next: More complex report intervals,  Up: Period expressions++13.6.1 Period expressions with a report interval+------------------------------------------------++A period expression can also begin with a report interval, separated+from the start/end dates (if any) by a space or the word 'in':++'-p "weekly from 2009/1/1 to 2009/4/1"'+'-p "monthly in 2008"'+'-p "quarterly"'+++File: hledger.info,  Node: More complex report intervals,  Next: Multiple weekday intervals,  Prev: Period expressions with a report interval,  Up: Period expressions++13.6.2 More complex report intervals+------------------------------------++Some more complex intervals can be specified within period expressions,+such as:++   * 'biweekly' (every two weeks)+   * 'fortnightly'+   * 'bimonthly' (every two months)+   * 'every day|week|month|quarter|year'+   * 'every N days|weeks|months|quarters|years'++   Weekly on a custom day:++   * 'every Nth day of week' ('th', 'nd', 'rd', or 'st' are all accepted+     after the number)+   * 'every WEEKDAYNAME' (full or three-letter english weekday name,+     case insensitive)++   Monthly on a custom day:++   * 'every Nth day [of month]' ('31st day' will be adjusted to each+     month's last day)+   * 'every Nth WEEKDAYNAME [of month]'++   Yearly on a custom month and day:++   * 'every MM/DD [of year]' (month number and day of month number)+   * 'every MONTHNAME DDth [of year]' (full or three-letter english+     month name, case insensitive, and day of month number)+   * 'every DDth MONTHNAME [of year]' (equivalent to the above)++   Examples:++'-p "bimonthly from+2008"'+'-p "every 2 weeks"'+'-p "every 5 months from+2009/03"'+'-p "every 2nd day of       periods will go from Tue to Tue+week"'+'-p "every Tue"'            same+'-p "every 15th day"'       period boundaries will be on 15th of each+                            month+'-p "every 2nd Monday"'     period boundaries will be on second Monday+                            of each month+'-p "every 11/05"'          yearly periods with boundaries on 5th of+                            November+'-p "every 5th November"'   same+'-p "every Nov 5th"'        same++   Show historical balances at end of the 15th day of each month (N is+an end date, exclusive as always):++$ hledger balance -H -p "every 16th day"++   Group postings from the start of wednesday to end of the following+tuesday (N is both (inclusive) start date and (exclusive) end date):++$ hledger register checking -p "every 3rd day of week"+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Multiple weekday intervals,  Prev: More complex report intervals,  Up: Period expressions++13.6.3 Multiple weekday intervals+---------------------------------++This special form is also supported:++   * 'every WEEKDAYNAME,WEEKDAYNAME,...' (full or three-letter english+     weekday names, case insensitive)++   Also, 'weekday' and 'weekendday' are shorthand for+'mon,tue,wed,thu,fri' and 'sat,sun'.++   This is mainly intended for use with '--forecast', to generate+periodic transactions on arbitrary days of the week.  It may be less+useful with '-p', since it divides each week into subperiods of unequal+length, which is unusual.  (Related: #1632)++   Examples:++'-p "every         dates will be Mon, Wed, Fri; periods will be+mon,wed,fri"'      Mon-Tue, Wed-Thu, Fri-Sun+'-p "every         dates will be Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri; periods will+weekday"'          be Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri-Sun+'-p "every         dates will be Sat, Sun; periods will be Sat, Sun-Fri+weekendday"'+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Depth,  Next: Queries,  Prev: Time periods,  Up: Top++14 Depth+********++With the '--depth NUM' option (short form, usually preferred: '-NUM'),+reports will show accounts only to the specified depth, hiding deeper+subaccounts.  Use this when you want a summary with less detail.  This+flag has the same effect as a 'depth:' query argument.  So all of these+are equivalent: 'depth:2', '--depth=2', '-2'.++   You can also provide custom depths for specific accounts, by+providing a 'REGEX=NUM' argument instead of just 'NUM' _(since 1.41)_.+For example, '--depth assets=2' (or 'depth:assets=2') will collapse+accounts matching the regular expression "assets" to depth 2.  So+'assets:bank:savings' would be collapsed to 'assets:bank', but+'liabilities:bank:credit card' would not be affected.++   If REGEX contains spaces or other special characters, enclose it in+quotes in the usual way.  Eg: '--depth 'credit card=2''++* Menu:++* Combining depth options::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Combining depth options,  Up: Depth++14.1 Combining depth options+============================++If a command line contains multiple general depth options, the last one+wins.  (Useful for overriding a depth specified by scripts.)++   Or a command may contain a combination of general and custom depth+options.  In this case, the most specifically (deepest) matching option+wins.  Some examples:++   * '--depth assets=3 --depth expenses=2 --depth 1' would collapse+     accounts containing "assets" to depth 3, accounts containing+     "expenses" to depth 2, and all other accounts to depth 1.++   * '--depth assets=1 --depth savings=2' would collapse+     'assets:bank:savings' to depth 2 (not depth 1; because "savings"+     matches a deeper part of the account name than "assets").++   Note currently, to override a custom depth option '--depth REGEX=NUM'+with a later option, the later option must use the same REGEX.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Queries,  Next: Pivoting,  Prev: Depth,  Up: Top++15 Queries+**********++Many hledger commands accept query arguments, which restrict their scope+and let you report on a precise subset of your data.  Here's a quick+overview of hledger's queries:++   * By default, a query argument is treated as a case-insensitive+     substring pattern for matching account names.  Eg:++          dining groceries+          car:fuel++   * Patterns containing spaces or other special characters must be+     enclosed in single or double quotes:++          'personal care'++   * Patterns are actually regular expressions, so you can add regexp+     metacharacters for more precision (or you may need to+     backslash-escape certain characters; see "Regular expressions"+     above):++          '^expenses\b'+          'food$'+          'fuel|repair'+          'accounts (payable|receivable)'++   * To match something other than the account name, you can add a query+     type prefix, such as:++     'date:202312-'+     'status:'+     'desc:amazon'+     'cur:USD'+     'cur:\\$'+     'amt:'>0''+     'acct:groceries' (but 'acct:' is the default, so we usually don't+     bother writing it)++   * To negate a query, add a 'not:' prefix:++          not:status:'*'+          not:desc:'opening|closing'+          not:cur:USD++   * Multiple query terms can be combined, as space-separated queries+     Eg: 'hledger print date:2022 desc:amazon desc:amzn' (show+     transactions dated in 2022 whose description contains "amazon" or+     "amzn").++   * Or more flexibly as boolean queries.  Eg: 'hledger print+     expr:'date:2022 and (desc:amazon or desc:amzn) and not+     date:202210''++   All hledger commands use the same query language, but different+commands may interpret the query in different ways.  We haven't+described the commands yet (that's coming in PART 4: COMMANDS below) but+here's the gist of it:++   * Transaction-oriented commands ('print', 'aregister', 'close',+     'import', 'descriptions'..)  try to match transactions (including+     the transaction's postings).++   * Posting-oriented commands ('register', 'balance', 'balancesheet',+     'incomestatement', 'accounts'..)  try to match postings.  Postings+     inherit their transaction's attributes for querying purposes, so+     transaction fields like date or description can still be referenced+     in a posting query.++   * A few commands match in more specific ways.  (Eg 'aregister', which+     has a special first argument.)++* Menu:++* Query types::+* Negative queries::+* Space-separated queries::+* Boolean queries::+* Queries and command options::+* Queries and account aliases::+* Queries and valuation::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Query types,  Next: Negative queries,  Up: Queries++15.1 Query types+================++Here are the query types available:++* Menu:++* acct query::+* amt query::+* code query::+* cur query::+* desc query::+* date query::+* date2 query::+* depth query::+* note query::+* payee query::+* real query::+* status query::+* type query::+* tag query::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: acct query,  Next: amt query,  Up: Query types++15.1.1 acct: query+------------------++*'acct:REGEX'*, or just *'REGEX'*+Match account names containing this case insensitive regular expression.+This is the default query type, so we usually don't bother writing the+"acct:" prefix.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: amt query,  Next: code query,  Prev: acct query,  Up: Query types++15.1.2 amt: query+-----------------++*'amt:N, amt:'<N', amt:'<=N', amt:'>N', amt:'>=N''*+Match postings with a single-commodity amount equal to, less than, or+greater than N. (Postings with multi-commodity amounts are not tested+and will always match.)  'amt:' needs quotes to hide the less+than/greater than sign from the command line shell.++   The comparison has two modes: if N is preceded by a + or - sign (or+is 0), the two signed numbers are compared.  Otherwise, the absolute+magnitudes are compared, ignoring sign.++   Keep in mind that 'amt:' matches posting amounts, not account+balances.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: code query,  Next: cur query,  Prev: amt query,  Up: Query types++15.1.3 code: query+------------------++*'code:REGEX'*+Match by transaction code (eg check number).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: cur query,  Next: desc query,  Prev: code query,  Up: Query types++15.1.4 cur: query+-----------------++*'cur:REGEX'*+Match postings or transactions including any amounts whose+currency/commodity symbol is fully matched by REGEX. (Contrary to+hledger's usual infix matching.  To do infix matching, write+'.*REGEX.*'.)  Note, to match special characters which are+regex-significant, you need to escape them with '\'.  And for characters+which are significant to your shell you will usually need one more level+of escaping.  Eg to match the dollar sign: 'cur:\\$' or 'cur:'\$''+++File: hledger.info,  Node: desc query,  Next: date query,  Prev: cur query,  Up: Query types++15.1.5 desc: query+------------------++*'desc:REGEX'*+Match transaction descriptions.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: date query,  Next: date2 query,  Prev: desc query,  Up: Query types++15.1.6 date: query+------------------++*'date:PERIODEXPR'*+Match dates (or with the '--date2' flag, secondary dates) within the+specified period.  PERIODEXPR is a period expression.  Examples:+'date:2016', 'date:thismonth', 'date:2/1-2/15',+'date:2021-07-27..nextquarter'.++   PERIODEXPR may include a report interval (since 1.52).  On the+command line, this is equivalent to specifying a report interval with a+command line option.  In other contexts (hledger-ui, hledger-web), the+report interval may be ignored.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: date2 query,  Next: depth query,  Prev: date query,  Up: Query types++15.1.7 date2: query+-------------------++*'date2:PERIODEXPR'*+If you use secondary dates: this matches secondary dates within the+specified period.  It is not affected by the '--date2' flag.  A report+interval in PERIODEXPR will be ignored.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: depth query,  Next: note query,  Prev: date2 query,  Up: Query types++15.1.8 depth: query+-------------------++*'depth:[REGEXP=]N'*+Match (or display, depending on command) accounts at or above this+depth, optionally only for accounts matching a provided regular+expression.  See Depth for detailed rules.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: note query,  Next: payee query,  Prev: depth query,  Up: Query types++15.1.9 note: query+------------------++*'note:REGEX'*+Match transaction notes (the part of the description right of '|', or+the whole description if there's no '|').+++File: hledger.info,  Node: payee query,  Next: real query,  Prev: note query,  Up: Query types++15.1.10 payee: query+--------------------++*'payee:REGEX'*+Match transaction payee/payer names (the part of the description left of+'|', or the whole description if there's no '|').+++File: hledger.info,  Node: real query,  Next: status query,  Prev: payee query,  Up: Query types++15.1.11 real: query+-------------------++*'real:, real:0'*+Match real or virtual postings respectively.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: status query,  Next: type query,  Prev: real query,  Up: Query types++15.1.12 status: query+---------------------++*'status:, status:!, status:*'*+Match unmarked, pending, or cleared transactions respectively.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: type query,  Next: tag query,  Prev: status query,  Up: Query types++15.1.13 type: query+-------------------++*'type:TYPECODES'*+Match by account type (see Declaring accounts > Account types).+'TYPECODES' is one or more of the single-letter account type codes+'ALERXCVG', case insensitive.  Note 'type:A', 'type:E', and 'type:R'+will also match their respective subtypes 'C' (Cash), 'V' (Conversion),+and 'G' (Gain).  Certain kinds of account alias can disrupt account+types, see Rewriting accounts > Aliases and account types.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: tag query,  Prev: type query,  Up: Query types++15.1.14 tag: query+------------------++*'tag:NAMEREGEX[=VALREGEX]'*+Match by tag name, and optionally also by tag value.  Note:++   * Both regular expressions do infix matching.  If you need a complete+     match, use '^' and '$'.+     Eg: 'tag:'^fullname$'', 'tag:'^fullname$=^fullvalue$'+   * To match values, ignoring names, do 'tag:.=VALREGEX'+   * Accounts also inherit the tags of their parent accounts.+   * Postings also inherit the tags of their account and their+     transaction .+   * Transactions also acquire the tags of their postings.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Negative queries,  Next: Space-separated queries,  Prev: Query types,  Up: Queries++15.2 Negative queries+=====================++* Menu:++* not query::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: not query,  Up: Negative queries++15.2.1 not: query+-----------------++*'not:QUERY'*+You can prepend *'not:'* to a query to negate the match.+Eg: 'not:equity', 'not:desc:apple'+(Also, a trick: 'not:not:...' can sometimes solve query problems+conveniently.)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Space-separated queries,  Next: Boolean queries,  Prev: Negative queries,  Up: Queries++15.3 Space-separated queries+============================++When given multiple space-separated query terms, most commands select+things which match:++   * any of the description terms AND+   * any of the account terms AND+   * any of the status terms AND+   * all the other terms.++   The print command is a little different, showing transactions which:++   * match any of the description terms AND+   * have any postings matching any of the positive account terms AND+   * have no postings matching any of the negative account terms AND+   * match all the other terms.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Boolean queries,  Next: Queries and command options,  Prev: Space-separated queries,  Up: Queries++15.4 Boolean queries+====================++You can write more complicated "boolean" query expressions, enclosed in+quotes and prefixed with 'expr:'.  These can combine subqueries with+NOT, AND, OR operators (case insensitive), and parentheses for grouping.+Eg, to show transactions involving both cash and expense accounts:++hledger print expr:'cash AND expenses'++   The prefix and enclosing quotes are required, so don't write 'hledger+print cash AND expenses'.  That would be a space-separated query showing+transactions involving accounts with any of "cash", "and", "expenses" in+their names.++   You can write space-separated queries _inside_ a boolean query, and+they will combine as described above, but it might be confusing and best+avoided.  Eg these are equivalent, showing transactions involving cash+or expenses accounts:++hledger print expr:'cash expenses'+hledger print cash expenses++   There is a restriction with 'date:' queries: they may not be used+inside OR expressions.++   Actually, there are three types of boolean query: 'expr:' for general+use, and 'any:' and 'all:' variants which can be useful with 'print'.++* Menu:++* expr query::+* any query::+* all query::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: expr query,  Next: any query,  Up: Boolean queries++15.4.1 expr: query+------------------++*'expr:'QUERYEXPR''*+For example, 'expr:'date:lastmonth AND NOT (food OR rent)'' means "match+things which are dated in the last month and do not have food or rent in+the account name".++   When using 'expr:' with transaction-oriented commands like 'print',+posting-oriented query terms like 'acct:' and 'amt:' are considered to+match the transaction if they match any of its postings.+So, 'hledger print expr:'cash and amt:>0'' means "show transactions with+(at least one posting involving a cash account) and (at least one+posting with a positive amount)".+++File: hledger.info,  Node: any query,  Next: all query,  Prev: expr query,  Up: Boolean queries++15.4.2 any: query+-----------------++*'any:'QUERYEXPR''*+Like 'expr:', but when used with transaction-oriented commands like+'print', it matches the transaction only if a posting can be matched by+all of QUERYEXPR.+So, 'hledger print any:'cash and amt:>0'' means "show transactions where+at least one posting posts a positive amount to a cash account".+++File: hledger.info,  Node: all query,  Prev: any query,  Up: Boolean queries++15.4.3 all: query+-----------------++*'all:'QUERYEXPR''*+Like 'expr:', but when used with transaction-oriented commands like+'print', it matches the transaction only if all postings are matched by+all of QUERYEXPR (and there is at least one posting).+So, 'hledger print all:'cash and amt:0'' means "show transactions where+all postings involve a cash account and have a zero amount".+Or, 'hledger print all:'cash or checking'' means "show transactions+which touch only cash and/or checking accounts".+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Queries and command options,  Next: Queries and account aliases,  Prev: Boolean queries,  Up: Queries++15.5 Queries and command options+================================++Some queries can also be expressed as command-line options: 'depth:2' is+equivalent to '--depth 2', 'date:2023' is equivalent to '-p 2023', etc.+When you mix command options and query arguments, generally the+resulting query is their intersection.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Queries and account aliases,  Next: Queries and valuation,  Prev: Queries and command options,  Up: Queries++15.6 Queries and account aliases+================================++When account names are rewritten with '--alias' or 'alias', 'acct:' will+match either the old or the new account name.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Queries and valuation,  Prev: Queries and account aliases,  Up: Queries++15.7 Queries and valuation+==========================++When amounts are converted to other commodities in cost or value+reports, 'cur:' and 'amt:' match the old commodity symbol and the old+amount quantity, not the new ones.  (Except in hledger 1.22, #1625.)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Pivoting,  Next: Generating data,  Prev: Queries,  Up: Top++16 Pivoting+***********++Normally, hledger groups amounts and displays their totals by account+(name).  With '--pivot PIVOTEXPR', some other field's (or multiple+fields') value is used as a synthetic account name, causing different+grouping and display.  PIVOTEXPR can be++   * any of these standard transaction or posting fields (their value is+     substituted): 'status', 'code', 'desc', 'payee', 'note', 'acct',+     'comm'/'cur', 'amt', 'cost'+   * or a tag name+   * or any combination of these, colon-separated.++   Some special cases:++   * Colons appearing in PIVOTEXPR or in a pivoted tag value will+     generate account hierarchy.+   * When pivoting a posting that has multiple values for a tag, the+     tag's first value will be used as the pivoted value.+   * When a posting has multiple commodities, the pivoted value of+     "comm"/"cur" will be "".  Also when an unrecognised tag name or+     field is provided, its pivoted value will be "".  (If this causes+     confusing output, consider excluding those postings from the+     report.)++   Examples:++2016/02/16 Yearly Dues Payment+    assets:bank account                 2 EUR+    income:dues                        -2 EUR  ; member: John Doe, kind: Lifetime++   Normal balance report showing account names:++$ hledger balance+               2 EUR  assets:bank account+              -2 EUR  income:dues+--------------------+                   0++   Pivoted balance report, using member: tag values instead:++$ hledger balance --pivot member+               2 EUR+              -2 EUR  John Doe+--------------------+                   0++   One way to show only amounts with a member: value (using a query):++$ hledger balance --pivot member tag:member=.+              -2 EUR  John Doe+--------------------+              -2 EUR++   Another way (the acct: query matches against the pivoted "account+name"):++$ hledger balance --pivot member acct:.+              -2 EUR  John Doe+--------------------+              -2 EUR++   Hierarchical reports can be generated with multiple pivot values:++$ hledger balance Income:Dues --pivot kind:member+              -2 EUR  Lifetime:John Doe+--------------------+              -2 EUR+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Generating data,  Next: Forecasting,  Prev: Pivoting,  Up: Top++17 Generating data+******************++hledger can enrich the data provided to it, or generate new data, in a+number of ways.  Mostly, this is done only if you request it:++   * Missing amounts or missing costs in transactions are inferred+     automatically when possible.+   * The '--infer-equity' flag infers missing conversion equity postings+     from @/@@ costs.+   * The '--infer-costs' flag infers missing costs from conversion+     equity postings.+   * The '--infer-market-prices' flag infers 'P' price directives from+     costs.+   * The '--auto' flag adds extra postings to transactions matched by+     auto posting rules.+   * The '--forecast' option generates transactions from periodic+     transaction rules.+   * The 'balance --budget' report infers budget goals from periodic+     transaction rules.+   * Commands like 'close', 'rewrite', and 'hledger-interest' generate+     transactions or postings.+   * CSV data is converted to transactions by applying CSV conversion+     rules..  etc.++   Such generated data is temporary, existing only at report time.  You+can convert it to permanent recorded data by, eg, capturing the output+of 'hledger print' and saving it in your journal file.  This can+sometimes be useful as a data entry aid.++   If you are curious what data is being generated and why, run 'hledger+print -x --verbose-tags'.  '-x/--explicit' shows inferred amounts and+'--verbose-tags' adds tags like 'generated-transaction' (from periodic+rules) and 'generated-posting', 'modified' (from auto posting rules).+Similar hidden tags (with an underscore prefix) are always present,+also, so you can always match such data with queries like+'tag:generated' or 'tag:modified'.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Forecasting,  Next: Budgeting,  Prev: Generating data,  Up: Top++18 Forecasting+**************++Forecasting, or speculative future reporting, can be useful for+estimating future balances, or for exploring different future scenarios.++   The simplest and most flexible way to do it with hledger is to+manually record a bunch of future-dated transactions.  You could keep+these in a separate 'future.journal' and include that with '-f' only+when you want to see them.++* Menu:++* --forecast::+* Inspecting forecast transactions::+* Forecast reports::+* Forecast tags::+* Forecast period in detail::+* Forecast troubleshooting::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: --forecast,  Next: Inspecting forecast transactions,  Up: Forecasting++18.1 -forecast+==============++There is another way: with the '--forecast' option, hledger can generate+temporary "forecast transactions" for reporting purposes, according to+periodic transaction rules defined in the journal.  Each rule can+generate multiple recurring transactions, so by changing one rule you+can change many forecasted transactions.++   Forecast transactions usually start after ordinary transactions end.+By default, they begin after your latest-dated ordinary transaction, or+today, whichever is later, and they end six months from today.  (The+exact rules are a little more complicated, and are given below.)++   This is the "forecast period", which need not be the same as the+report period.  You can override it - eg to forecast farther into the+future, or to force forecast transactions to overlap your ordinary+transactions - by giving the -forecast option a period expression+argument, like '--forecast=..2099' or '--forecast=2023-02-15..'.  Note+that the '=' is required.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Inspecting forecast transactions,  Next: Forecast reports,  Prev: --forecast,  Up: Forecasting++18.2 Inspecting forecast transactions+=====================================++'print' is the best command for inspecting and troubleshooting forecast+transactions.  Eg:++~ monthly from 2022-12-20    rent+    assets:bank:checking+    expenses:rent           $1000++$ hledger print --forecast --today=2023/4/21+2023-05-20 rent+    ; generated-transaction: ~ monthly from 2022-12-20+    assets:bank:checking+    expenses:rent                  $1000++2023-06-20 rent+    ; generated-transaction: ~ monthly from 2022-12-20+    assets:bank:checking+    expenses:rent                  $1000++2023-07-20 rent+    ; generated-transaction: ~ monthly from 2022-12-20+    assets:bank:checking+    expenses:rent                  $1000++2023-08-20 rent+    ; generated-transaction: ~ monthly from 2022-12-20+    assets:bank:checking+    expenses:rent                  $1000++2023-09-20 rent+    ; generated-transaction: ~ monthly from 2022-12-20+    assets:bank:checking+    expenses:rent                  $1000++   Here there are no ordinary transactions, so the forecasted+transactions begin on the first occurrence after today's date.  (You+won't normally use '--today'; it's just to make these examples+reproducible.)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Forecast reports,  Next: Forecast tags,  Prev: Inspecting forecast transactions,  Up: Forecasting++18.3 Forecast reports+=====================++Forecast transactions affect all reports, as you would expect.  Eg:++$ hledger areg rent --forecast --today=2023/4/21+Transactions in expenses:rent and subaccounts:+2023-05-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $1000+2023-06-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $2000+2023-07-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $3000+2023-08-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $4000+2023-09-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $5000++$ hledger bal -M expenses --forecast --today=2023/4/21+Balance changes in 2023-05-01..2023-09-30:++               ||   May    Jun    Jul    Aug    Sep +===============++===================================+ expenses:rent || $1000  $1000  $1000  $1000  $1000 +---------------++-----------------------------------+               || $1000  $1000  $1000  $1000  $1000 +++File: hledger.info,  Node: Forecast tags,  Next: Forecast period in detail,  Prev: Forecast reports,  Up: Forecasting++18.4 Forecast tags+==================++Forecast transactions generated by -forecast have a hidden tag,+'_generated-transaction'.  So if you ever need to match forecast+transactions, you could use 'tag:_generated-transaction' (or just+'tag:generated') in a query.++   For troubleshooting, you can add the '--verbose-tags' flag.  Then,+visible 'generated-transaction' tags will be added also, so you can view+them with the 'print' command.  Their value indicates which periodic+rule was responsible.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Forecast period in detail,  Next: Forecast troubleshooting,  Prev: Forecast tags,  Up: Forecasting++18.5 Forecast period, in detail+===============================++Forecast start/end dates are chosen so as to do something useful by+default in almost all situations, while also being flexible.  Here are+(with luck) the exact rules, to help with troubleshooting:++   The forecast period starts on:++   * the later of+        * the start date in the periodic transaction rule+        * the start date in '--forecast''s argument++   * otherwise (if those are not available): the later of+        * the report start date specified with '-b'/'-p'/'date:'+        * the day after the latest ordinary transaction in the journal++   * otherwise (if none of these are available): today.++   The forecast period ends on:++   * the earlier of+        * the end date in the periodic transaction rule+        * the end date in '--forecast''s argument++   * otherwise: the report end date specified with '-e'/'-p'/'date:'+   * otherwise: 180 days (~6 months) from today.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Forecast troubleshooting,  Prev: Forecast period in detail,  Up: Forecasting++18.6 Forecast troubleshooting+=============================++When -forecast is not doing what you expect, one of these tips should+help:++   * Remember to use the '--forecast' option.+   * Remember to have at least one periodic transaction rule in your+     journal.+   * Test with 'print --forecast'.+   * Check for typos or too-restrictive start/end dates in your periodic+     transaction rule.+   * Leave at least 2 spaces between the rule's period expression and+     description fields.+   * Check for future-dated ordinary transactions suppressing forecasted+     transactions.+   * Try setting explicit report start and/or end dates with '-b', '-e',+     '-p' or 'date:'+   * Try adding the '-E' flag to encourage display of empty periods/zero+     transactions.+   * Try setting explicit forecast start and/or end dates with+     '--forecast=START..END'+   * Consult Forecast period, in detail, above.+   * Check inside the engine: add '--debug=2' (eg).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Budgeting,  Next: Amount formatting,  Prev: Forecasting,  Up: Top++19 Budgeting+************++With the balance command's '--budget' report, each periodic transaction+rule generates recurring budget goals in specified accounts, and goals+and actual performance can be compared.  See the balance command's doc+below.++   You can generate budget goals and forecast transactions at the same+time, from the same or different periodic transaction rules: 'hledger+bal -M --budget --forecast ...'++   See also: Budgeting and Forecasting.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Amount formatting,  Next: Cost reporting,  Prev: Budgeting,  Up: Top++20 Amount formatting+********************++* Menu:++* Commodity display style::+* Rounding::+* Trailing decimal marks::+* Amount parseability::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Commodity display style,  Next: Rounding,  Up: Amount formatting++20.1 Commodity display style+============================++For the amounts in each commodity, hledger chooses a consistent display+style (symbol placement, decimal mark and digit group marks, number of+decimal digits) to use in most reports.  This is inferred as follows:++   First, if there's a 'D' directive declaring a default commodity, that+commodity symbol and amount format is applied to all no-symbol amounts+in the journal.++   Then each commodity's display style is determined from its+'commodity' directive.  We recommend always declaring commodities with+'commodity' directives, since they help ensure consistent display styles+and precisions, and bring other benefits such as error checking for+commodity symbols.  Here's an example:++# Set display styles (and decimal marks, for parsing, if there is no decimal-mark directive)+# for the $, EUR, INR and no-symbol commodities:+commodity $1,000.00+commodity EUR 1.000,00+commodity INR 9,99,99,999.00+commodity 1 000 000.9455++   But for convenience, if a 'commodity' directive is not present,+hledger infers a commodity's display styles from its amounts as they are+written in the journal (excluding cost amounts and amounts in periodic+transaction rules or auto posting rules).  It uses++   * the symbol placement and decimal mark of the first amount seen+   * the digit group marks of the first amount with digit group marks+   * and the maximum number of decimal digits seen across all amounts.++   And as fallback if no applicable amounts are found, it would use a+default style, like '$1000.00' (symbol on the left with no space, period+as decimal mark, and two decimal digits).++   Finally, commodity styles can be overridden by the+'-c/--commodity-style' command line option.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Rounding,  Next: Trailing decimal marks,  Prev: Commodity display style,  Up: Amount formatting++20.2 Rounding+=============++Amounts are stored internally as decimal numbers with up to 255 decimal+places.  They are displayed with their original journal precisions by+print and print-like reports, and rounded to their display precision+(the number of decimal digits specified by the commodity display style)+by other reports.  When rounding, hledger uses banker's rounding (it+rounds to the nearest even digit).  So eg 0.5 displayed with zero+decimal digits appears as "0".+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Trailing decimal marks,  Next: Amount parseability,  Prev: Rounding,  Up: Amount formatting++20.3 Trailing decimal marks+===========================++If you're wondering why your 'print' report sometimes shows trailing+decimal marks, with no decimal digits; it does this when showing amounts+that have digit group marks but no decimal digits, to disambiguate them+and allow them to be re-parsed reliably (see Decimal marks).  Eg:++commodity $1,000.00++2023-01-02+    (a)      $1000++$ hledger print+2023-01-02+    (a)        $1,000.++   If this is a problem (eg when exporting to Ledger), you can avoid it+by disabling digit group marks, eg with -c/-commodity (for each affected+commodity):++$ hledger print -c '$1000.00'+2023-01-02+    (a)          $1000++   or by forcing print to always show decimal digits, with -round:++$ hledger print -c '$1,000.00' --round=soft+2023-01-02+    (a)      $1,000.00+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Amount parseability,  Prev: Trailing decimal marks,  Up: Amount formatting++20.4 Amount parseability+========================++More generally, hledger output falls into three rough categories, which+format amounts a little bit differently to suit different consumers:++   *1.  "hledger-readable output" - should be readable by hledger (and+by humans)*++   * This is produced by reports that show full journal entries:+     'print', 'import', 'close', 'rewrite' etc.+   * It shows amounts with their original journal precisions, which may+     not be consistent from one amount to the next.+   * It adds a trailing decimal mark when needed to avoid showing+     ambiguous amounts.+   * It can be parsed reliably (by hledger and ledger2beancount at+     least, but perhaps not by Ledger..)++   *2.  "human-readable output" - usually for humans*++   * This is produced by all other reports.+   * It shows amounts with standard display precisions, which will be+     consistent within each commodity.+   * It shows ambiguous amounts unmodified.+   * It can be parsed reliably in the context of a known report (when+     you know decimals are consistently not being shown, you can assume+     a single mark is a digit group mark).++   *3.  "machine-readable output" - usually for other software*++   * This is produced by all reports when an output format like 'csv',+     'tsv', 'json', or 'sql' is selected.+   * It shows amounts as 1 or 2 do, but without digit group marks.+   * It can be parsed reliably (if needed, the decimal mark can be+     changed with -c/-commodity-style).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Cost reporting,  Next: Value reporting,  Prev: Amount formatting,  Up: Top++21 Cost reporting+*****************++In some transactions - for example a currency conversion, or a purchase+or sale of stock - one commodity is exchanged for another.  In these+transactions there is a conversion rate, also called the cost (when+buying) or selling price (when selling).  (In hledger docs we just say+"cost" generically for convenience.)  With the '-B/--cost' flag, hledger+can show amounts "at cost", converted to the cost's commodity.++* Menu:++* Recording costs::+* Reporting at cost::+* Equity conversion postings::+* Inferring equity conversion postings::+* Combining costs and equity conversion postings::+* Requirements for detecting equity conversion postings::+* Infer cost and equity by default ?::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Recording costs,  Next: Reporting at cost,  Up: Cost reporting++21.1 Recording costs+====================++We'll explore several ways of recording transactions involving costs.+These are also summarised at hledger Cookbook > Cost notation.++   Costs can be recorded explicitly in the journal, using the '@+UNITCOST' or '@@ TOTALCOST' notation described in Journal > Costs:++   *Variant 1*++2022-01-01+  assets:dollars    $-135+  assets:euros       €100 @ $1.35   ; $1.35 per euro (unit cost)++   *Variant 2*++2022-01-01+  assets:dollars    $-135+  assets:euros       €100 @@ $135   ; $135 total cost++   Typically, writing the unit cost (variant 1) is preferable; it can be+more effort, requiring more attention to decimal digits; but it reveals+the per-unit cost basis, and makes stock sales easier.++   Costs can also be left implicit, and hledger will infer the cost that+is consistent with a balanced transaction:++   *Variant 3*++2022-01-01+  assets:dollars    $-135+  assets:euros       €100++   Here, hledger will attach a '@@ €100' cost to the first amount (you+can see it with 'hledger print -x').  This form looks convenient, but+there are downsides:++   * It sacrifices some error checking.  For example, if you+     accidentally wrote €10 instead of €100, hledger would not be able+     to detect the mistake.++   * It is sensitive to the order of postings - if they were reversed, a+     different entry would be inferred and reports would be different.++   * The per-unit cost basis is not easy to read.++   So generally this kind of entry is not recommended.  You can make+sure you have none of these by using '-s' (strict mode), or by running+'hledger check balanced'.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Reporting at cost,  Next: Equity conversion postings,  Prev: Recording costs,  Up: Cost reporting++21.2 Reporting at cost+======================++Now when you add the '-B'/'--cost' flag to reports ("B" is from Ledger's+-B/-basis/-cost flag), any amounts which have been annotated with costs+will be converted to their cost's commodity (in the report output).  Ie+they will be displayed "at cost" or "at sale price".++   Some things to note:++   * Costs are attached to specific posting amounts in specific+     transactions, and once recorded they do not change.  This contrasts+     with market prices, which are ambient and fluctuating.++   * Conversion to cost is performed before conversion to market value+     (described below).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Equity conversion postings,  Next: Inferring equity conversion postings,  Prev: Reporting at cost,  Up: Cost reporting++21.3 Equity conversion postings+===============================++There is a problem with the entries above - they are not conventional+Double Entry Bookkeeping (DEB) notation, and because of the "magical"+transformation of one commodity into another, they cause an imbalance in+the Accounting Equation.  This shows up as a non-zero grand total in+balance reports like 'hledger bse'.++   For most hledger users, this doesn't matter in practice and can+safely be ignored !  But if you'd like to learn more, keep reading.++   Conventional DEB uses an extra pair of equity postings to balance the+transaction.  Of course you can do this in hledger as well:++   *Variant 4*++2022-01-01+    assets:dollars      $-135+    assets:euros         €100+    equity:conversion    $135+    equity:conversion   €-100++   Now the transaction is perfectly balanced according to standard DEB,+and 'hledger bse''s total will not be disrupted.++   And, hledger can still infer the cost for cost reporting, but it's+not done by default - you must add the '--infer-costs' flag like so:++$ hledger print --infer-costs+2022-01-01 one hundred euros purchased at $1.35 each+    assets:dollars       $-135 @@ €100+    assets:euros                  €100+    equity:conversion             $135+    equity:conversion            €-100++$ hledger bal --infer-costs -B+               €-100  assets:dollars                                                                                                                                              +                €100  assets:euros                                                                                                                                                +--------------------                                                                                                                                                              +                   0                                                                                                                                                              ++   Here are some downsides of this kind of entry:++   * The per-unit cost basis is not easy to read.++   * Instead of '-B' you must remember to type '-B --infer-costs'.++   * '--infer-costs' works only where hledger can identify the two+     equity:conversion postings and match them up with the two+     non-equity postings.  So writing the journal entry in a particular+     format becomes more important.  More on this below.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Inferring equity conversion postings,  Next: Combining costs and equity conversion postings,  Prev: Equity conversion postings,  Up: Cost reporting++21.4 Inferring equity conversion postings+=========================================++Can we go in the other direction ?  Yes, if you have transactions+written with the @/@@ cost notation, hledger can infer the missing+equity postings, if you add the '--infer-equity' flag.  Eg:++2022-01-01+  assets:dollars  -$135+  assets:euros     €100 @ $1.35++$ hledger print --infer-equity+2022-01-01+    assets:dollars                    $-135+    assets:euros               €100 @ $1.35+    equity:conversion:$-€:€           €-100+    equity:conversion:$-€:$         $135.00++   The equity account names will be "equity:conversion:A-B:A" and+"equity:conversion:A-B:B" where A is the alphabetically first commodity+symbol.  You can customise the "equity:conversion" part by declaring an+account with the 'V'/'Conversion' account type.++   Note you will need to add account declarations for these to your+journal, if you use 'check accounts' or 'check --strict'.  (And unlike+normal postings, generated equity postings do not inherit tags from+account declarations.)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Combining costs and equity conversion postings,  Next: Requirements for detecting equity conversion postings,  Prev: Inferring equity conversion postings,  Up: Cost reporting++21.5 Combining costs and equity conversion postings+===================================================++Finally, you can use both the @/@@ cost notation and equity postings at+the same time.  This in theory gives the best of all worlds - preserving+the accounting equation, revealing the per-unit cost basis, and+providing more flexibility in how you write the entry:++   *Variant 5*++2022-01-01 one hundred euros purchased at $1.35 each+    assets:dollars      $-135+    equity:conversion    $135+    equity:conversion   €-100+    assets:euros         €100 @ $1.35++   All the other variants above can (usually) be rewritten to this final+form with:++$ hledger print -x --infer-costs --infer-equity++   Downsides:++   * The precise format of the journal entry becomes more important.  If+     hledger can't detect and match up the cost and equity postings, it+     will give a transaction balancing error.++   * The add command does not yet accept this kind of entry (#2056).++   * This is the most verbose form.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Requirements for detecting equity conversion postings,  Next: Infer cost and equity by default ?,  Prev: Combining costs and equity conversion postings,  Up: Cost reporting++21.6 Requirements for detecting equity conversion postings+==========================================================++'--infer-costs' has certain requirements (unlike '--infer-equity', which+always works).  It will infer costs only in transactions with:++   * Two non-equity postings, in different commodities.  Their order is+     significant: the cost will be added to the first of them.++   * Two postings to equity conversion accounts, next to one another,+     which balance the two non-equity postings.  This balancing is+     checked to the same precision (number of decimal places) used in+     the conversion posting's amount.  Equity conversion accounts are:++        * any accounts declared with account type 'V'/'Conversion', or+          their subaccounts+        * otherwise, accounts named 'equity:conversion', 'equity:trade',+          or 'equity:trading', or their subaccounts.++   And multiple such four-posting groups can coexist within a single+transaction.  When '--infer-costs' fails, it does not infer a cost in+that transaction, and does not raise an error (ie, it infers costs where+it can).++   Reading variant 5 journal entries, combining cost notation and equity+postings, has all the same requirements.  When reading such an entry+fails, hledger raises an "unbalanced transaction" error.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Infer cost and equity by default ?,  Prev: Requirements for detecting equity conversion postings,  Up: Cost reporting++21.7 Infer cost and equity by default ?+=======================================++Should '--infer-costs' and '--infer-equity' be enabled by default ?  Try+using them always, eg with a shell alias:++alias h="hledger --infer-equity --infer-costs"++   and let us know what problems you find.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Value reporting,  Next: PART 4 COMMANDS,  Prev: Cost reporting,  Up: Top++22 Value reporting+******************++hledger can also show amounts "at market value", converted to some other+commodity using the market price or conversion rate on a certain date.++   This is controlled by the '--value=TYPE[,COMMODITY]' option.  We also+provide simpler '-V' and '-X COMMODITY' aliases for this, which are+often sufficient.  The market prices are declared with a special 'P'+directive, and/or they can be inferred from the costs recorded in+transactions, by using the '--infer-market-prices' flag.++* Menu:++* -X Value in specified commodity::+* -V Value in default commoditys::+* Valuation date::+* Finding market price::+* --infer-market-prices market prices from transactions::+* Valuation commodity::+* --value Flexible valuation::+* Valuation examples::+* Interaction of valuation and queries::+* Effect of valuation on reports::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: -X Value in specified commodity,  Next: -V Value in default commoditys,  Up: Value reporting++22.1 -X: Value in specified commodity+=====================================++The '-X COMM' (or '--exchange=COMM') option converts amounts to their+market value in the specified commodity, using the market prices in+effect on the _valuation date(s)_, if any.  (More on these in a minute.)++   Use this when you want to (eg) show everything in your base currency+as far as possible.  (Commodities for which no conversion rate can be+found, will not be converted.)++   COMM should be the full commodity symbol or name.  Remember to quote+special shell characters, if needed.  Some examples:++   * '-X€'+   * '-X$' (nothing after $, no quoting needed)+   * '-X CNY' (the space after -X is optional)+   * '-X 'red apples''+   * '-X 'r&r''+++File: hledger.info,  Node: -V Value in default commoditys,  Next: Valuation date,  Prev: -X Value in specified commodity,  Up: Value reporting++22.2 -V: Value in default commodity(s)+======================================++The '-V/--market' flag is a variant of '-X' where you don't have to+specify COMM. Instead it tries to guess a _default valuation commodity_+for each original commodity, based on the market prices in effect on the+valuation date(s).++   '-V' can often be a convenient shortcut for '-X MYCURRENCY', but not+always; depending on your data it could guess multiple valuation+commodities.  Usually you want to convert to a single commodity, so it's+better to use '-X', unless you're sure '-V' is doing what you want.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Valuation date,  Next: Finding market price,  Prev: -V Value in default commoditys,  Up: Value reporting++22.3 Valuation date+===================++Market prices can change from day to day.  hledger will use the prices+on a particular valuation date (or on more than one date).  By default+hledger uses "end" dates for valuation.  More specifically:++   * For single period reports (including normal print and register+     reports):+        * If an explicit report end date is specified, that is used.+        * Otherwise the latest transaction date or non-future P+          directive date is used.++   * For multiperiod reports, each period is valued on its last day.++   This can be customised with the -value option described below, which+can select either "then", "end", "now", or "custom" dates.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Finding market price,  Next: --infer-market-prices market prices from transactions,  Prev: Valuation date,  Up: Value reporting++22.4 Finding market price+=========================++To convert a commodity A to its market value in another commodity B,+hledger looks for a suitable market price (exchange rate) as follows, in+this order of preference:++  1. A _declared market price_ or _inferred market price_: A's latest+     market price in B on or before the valuation date as declared by a+     P directive, or (with the '--infer-market-prices' flag) inferred+     from costs.++  2. A _reverse market price_: the inverse of a declared or inferred+     market price from B to A.++  3. A _forward chain of market prices_: a synthetic price formed by+     combining the shortest chain of "forward" (only 1 above) market+     prices, leading from A to B.++  4. _Any chain of market prices_: a chain of any market prices,+     including both forward and reverse prices (1 and 2 above), leading+     from A to B.++   There is a limit to the length of these price chains; if hledger+reaches that length without finding a complete chain or exhausting all+possibilities, it will give up (with a "gave up" message visible in+'--debug=2' output).  That limit is currently 1000.++   Amounts for which no suitable market price can be found, are not+converted.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: --infer-market-prices market prices from transactions,  Next: Valuation commodity,  Prev: Finding market price,  Up: Value reporting++22.5 -infer-market-prices: market prices from transactions+==========================================================++Normally, market value in hledger is fully controlled by, and requires,+P directives in your journal.  Since adding and updating those can be a+chore, and since transactions usually take place at close to market+value, why not use the recorded costs as additional market prices (as+Ledger does) ?  Adding the '--infer-market-prices' flag to '-V', '-X' or+'--value' enables this.++   So for example, 'hledger bs -V --infer-market-prices' will get market+prices both from P directives and from transactions.  If both occur on+the same day, the P directive takes precedence.++   There is a downside: value reports can sometimes be affected in+confusing/undesired ways by your journal entries.  If this happens to+you, read all of this Value reporting section carefully, and try adding+'--debug' or '--debug=2' to troubleshoot.++   '--infer-market-prices' can infer market prices from:++   * multicommodity transactions with explicit prices ('@'/'@@')++   * multicommodity transactions with implicit prices (no '@', two+     commodities, unbalanced).  (With these, the order of postings+     matters.  'hledger print -x' can be useful for troubleshooting.)++   * multicommodity transactions with equity postings, if cost is+     inferred with '--infer-costs'.++   There is a limitation (bug) currently: when a valuation commodity is+not specified, prices inferred with '--infer-market-prices' do not help+select a default valuation commodity, as 'P' prices would.  So+conversion might not happen because no valuation commodity was detected+('--debug=2' will show this).  To be safe, specify the valuation+commmodity, eg:++   * '-X EUR --infer-market-prices', not '-V --infer-market-prices'+   * '--value=then,EUR --infer-market-prices', not '--value=then+     --infer-market-prices'++   Signed costs and market prices can be confusing.  For reference, here+is the current behaviour, since hledger 1.25.  (If you think it should+work differently, see #1870.)++2022-01-01 Positive Unit prices+    a        A 1+    b        B -1 @ A 1++2022-01-01 Positive Total prices+    a        A 1+    b        B -1 @@ A 1+++2022-01-02 Negative unit prices+    a        A 1+    b        B 1 @ A -1++2022-01-02 Negative total prices+    a        A 1+    b        B 1 @@ A -1+++2022-01-03 Double Negative unit prices+    a        A -1+    b        B -1 @ A -1++2022-01-03 Double Negative total prices+    a        A -1+    b        B -1 @@ A -1++   All of the transactions above are considered balanced (and on each+day, the two transactions are considered equivalent).  Here are the+market prices inferred for B:++$ hledger -f- --infer-market-prices prices+P 2022-01-01 B A 1+P 2022-01-01 B A 1.0+P 2022-01-02 B A -1+P 2022-01-02 B A -1.0+P 2022-01-03 B A -1+P 2022-01-03 B A -1.0+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Valuation commodity,  Next: --value Flexible valuation,  Prev: --infer-market-prices market prices from transactions,  Up: Value reporting++22.6 Valuation commodity+========================++*When you specify a valuation commodity ('-X COMM' or '--value+TYPE,COMM'):*+hledger will convert all amounts to COMM, wherever it can find a+suitable market price (including by reversing or chaining prices).++   *When you leave the valuation commodity unspecified ('-V' or '--value+TYPE'):*+For each commodity A, hledger picks a default valuation commodity as+follows, in this order of preference:++  1. The price commodity from the latest P-declared market price for A+     on or before valuation date.++  2. The price commodity from the latest P-declared market price for A+     on any date.  (Allows conversion to proceed when there are inferred+     prices before the valuation date.)++  3. If there are no P directives at all (any commodity or date) and the+     '--infer-market-prices' flag is used: the price commodity from the+     latest transaction-inferred price for A on or before valuation+     date.++   This means:++   * If you have P directives, they determine which commodities '-V'+     will convert, and to what.++   * If you have no P directives, and use the '--infer-market-prices'+     flag, costs determine it.++   Amounts for which no valuation commodity can be found are not+converted.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: --value Flexible valuation,  Next: Valuation examples,  Prev: Valuation commodity,  Up: Value reporting++22.7 -value: Flexible valuation+===============================++'-V' and '-X' are special cases of the more general '--value' option:++ --value=TYPE[,COMM]  TYPE is then, end, now or YYYY-MM-DD.+                      COMM is an optional commodity symbol.+                      Shows amounts converted to:+                      - default valuation commodity (or COMM) using market prices at posting dates+                      - default valuation commodity (or COMM) using market prices at period end(s)+                      - default valuation commodity (or COMM) using current market prices+                      - default valuation commodity (or COMM) using market prices at some date++   The TYPE part selects cost or value and valuation date:++'--value=then'++     Convert amounts to their value in the default valuation commodity,+     using market prices on each posting's date.+'--value=end'++     Convert amounts to their value in the default valuation commodity,+     using market prices on the last day of the report period (or if+     unspecified, the journal's end date); or in multiperiod reports,+     market prices on the last day of each subperiod.+'--value=now'++     Convert amounts to their value in the default valuation commodity+     using current market prices (as of when report is generated).+'--value=YYYY-MM-DD'++     Convert amounts to their value in the default valuation commodity+     using market prices on this date.++   To select a different valuation commodity, add the optional ',COMM'+part: a comma, then the target commodity's symbol.  Eg:+*'--value=now,EUR'*.  hledger will do its best to convert amounts to+this commodity, deducing market prices as described above.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Valuation examples,  Next: Interaction of valuation and queries,  Prev: --value Flexible valuation,  Up: Value reporting++22.8 Valuation examples+=======================++Here are some quick examples of '-V':++; one euro is worth this many dollars from nov 1+P 2016/11/01 € $1.10++; purchase some euros on nov 3+2016/11/3+    assets:euros        €100+    assets:checking++; the euro is worth fewer dollars by dec 21+P 2016/12/21 € $1.03++   How many euros do I have ?++$ hledger -f t.j bal -N euros+                €100  assets:euros++   What are they worth at end of nov 3 ?++$ hledger -f t.j bal -N euros -V -e 2016/11/4+             $110.00  assets:euros++   What are they worth after 2016/12/21 ?  (no report end date+specified, defaults to today)++$ hledger -f t.j bal -N euros -V+             $103.00  assets:euros++   Here are some examples showing the effect of '--value', as seen with+'print':++P 2000-01-01 A  1 B+P 2000-02-01 A  2 B+P 2000-03-01 A  3 B+P 2000-04-01 A  4 B++2000-01-01+  (a)      1 A @ 5 B++2000-02-01+  (a)      1 A @ 6 B++2000-03-01+  (a)      1 A @ 7 B++   Show the cost of each posting:++$ hledger -f- print --cost+2000-01-01+    (a)             5 B++2000-02-01+    (a)             6 B++2000-03-01+    (a)             7 B++   Show the value as of the last day of the report period (2000-02-29):++$ hledger -f- print --value=end date:2000/01-2000/03+2000-01-01+    (a)             2 B++2000-02-01+    (a)             2 B++   With no report period specified, the latest transaction date or price+date is used as valuation date (2000-04-01):++$ hledger -f- print --value=end+2000-01-01+    (a)             3 B++2000-02-01+    (a)             3 B++2000-03-01+    (a)             3 B++   The value today is the same (the 2000-04-01 price is still in+effect):++$ hledger -f- print --value=now+2000-01-01+    (a)             4 B++2000-02-01+    (a)             4 B++2000-03-01+    (a)             4 B++   Show the value on 2000/01/15:++$ hledger -f- print --value=2000-01-15+2000-01-01+    (a)             1 B++2000-02-01+    (a)             1 B++2000-03-01+    (a)             1 B+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Interaction of valuation and queries,  Next: Effect of valuation on reports,  Prev: Valuation examples,  Up: Value reporting++22.9 Interaction of valuation and queries+=========================================++When matching postings based on queries in the presence of valuation,+the following happens:++  1. The query is separated into two parts:+       1. the currency ('cur:') or amount ('amt:').+       2. all other parts.++  2. The postings are matched to the currency and amount queries based+     on pre-valued amounts.+  3. Valuation is applied to the postings.+  4. The postings are matched to the other parts of the query based on+     post-valued amounts.++   Related: #1625+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Effect of valuation on reports,  Prev: Interaction of valuation and queries,  Up: Value reporting++22.10 Effect of valuation on reports+====================================++Here is a reference for how valuation is supposed to affect each part of+hledger's reports.  It may be useful when troubleshooting.  If you find+problems, please report them, ideally with a reproducible example.+Related: #329, #1083.++   First, a quick glossary:++_cost_++     calculated using price(s) recorded in the transaction(s).+_value_++     market value using available market price declarations, or the+     unchanged amount if no conversion rate can be found.+_report start_++     the first day of the report period specified with -b or -p or+     date:, otherwise today.+_report or journal start_++     the first day of the report period specified with -b or -p or+     date:, otherwise the earliest transaction date in the journal,+     otherwise today.+_report end_++     the last day of the report period specified with -e or -p or date:,+     otherwise today.+_report or journal end_++     the last day of the report period specified with -e or -p or date:,+     otherwise the latest transaction date in the journal, otherwise+     today.+_report interval_++     a flag (-D/-W/-M/-Q/-Y) or period expression that activates the+     report's multi-period mode (whether showing one or many+     subperiods).++Report     '-B',        '-V', '-X'   '--value=then'     '--value=end''--value=DATE',+type       '--cost'                                                  '--value=now'+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+*print*+posting    cost         value at     value at posting   value at     value+amounts                 report end   date               report or    at+                        or today                        journal      DATE/today+                                                        end+balance    unchanged    unchanged    unchanged          unchanged    unchanged+assertions/assignments+*register*+starting   cost         value at     valued at day      value at     value+balance                 report or    each historical    report or    at+(-H)                    journal      posting was made   journal      DATE/today+                        end                             end+starting   cost         value at     valued at day      value at     value+balance                 day before   each historical    day before   at+(-H)                    report or    posting was made   report or    DATE/today+with                    journal                         journal+report                  start                           start+interval+posting    cost         value at     value at posting   value at     value+amounts                 report or    date               report or    at+                        journal                         journal      DATE/today+                        end                             end+summary    summarised   value at     sum of postings    value at     value+posting    cost         period       in interval,       period       at+amounts                 ends         valued at          ends         DATE/today+with                                 interval start+report+interval+running    sum/average  sum/average  sum/average of     sum/average  sum/average+total/averageof         of           displayed values   of           of+           displayed    displayed                       displayed    displayed+           values       values                          values       values+*balance+(bs,+bse, cf,+is)*+balance    sums of      value at     value at posting   value at     value+changes    costs        report end   date               report or    at+                        or today                        journal      DATE/today+                        of sums of                      end of       of+                        postings                        sums of      sums+                                                        postings     of+                                                                     postings+budget     like         like         like balance       like         like+amounts    balance      balance      changes            balances     balance+(-budget)  changes      changes                                      changes+grand      sum of       sum of       sum of displayed   sum of       sum of+total      displayed    displayed    valued             displayed    displayed+           values       values                          values       values+*balance+(bs,+bse, cf,+is) with+report+interval*+starting   sums of      value at     sums of values     value at     sums+balances   costs of     report       of postings        report       of+(-H)       postings     start of     before report      start of     postings+           before       sums of      start at           sums of      before+           report       all          respective         all          report+           start        postings     posting dates      postings     start+                        before                          before+                        report                          report+                        start                           start+balance    sums of      same as      sums of values     balance      value+changes    costs of     -value=end   of postings in     change in    at+(bal,      postings                  period at          each         DATE/today+is, bs     in period                 respective         period,      of+-change,                             posting dates      valued at    sums+cf                                                      period       of+-change)                                                ends         postings+end        sums of      same as      sums of values     period end   value+balances   costs of     -value=end   of postings from   balances,    at+(bal -H,   postings                  before period      valued at    DATE/today+is -H,     from                      start to period    period       of+bs, cf)    before                    end at             ends         sums+           report                    respective                      of+           start to                  posting dates                   postings+           period end+budget     like         like         like balance       like         like+amounts    balance      balance      changes/end        balances     balance+(-budget)  changes/end  changes/end  balances                        changes/end+           balances     balances                                     balances+row        sums,        sums,        sums, averages     sums,        sums,+totals,    averages     averages     of displayed       averages     averages+row        of           of           values             of           of+averages   displayed    displayed                       displayed    displayed+(-T, -A)   values       values                          values       values+column     sums of      sums of      sums of            sums of      sums+totals     displayed    displayed    displayed values   displayed    of+           values       values                          values       displayed+                                                                     values+grand      sum,         sum,         sum, average of    sum,         sum,+total,     average of   average of   column totals      average of   average+grand      column       column                          column       of+average    totals       totals                          totals       column+                                                                     totals++   '--cumulative' is omitted to save space, it works like '-H' but with+a zero starting balance.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: PART 4 COMMANDS,  Next: Help commands,  Prev: Value reporting,  Up: Top++23 PART 4: COMMANDS+*******************++Here are hledger's standard subcommands.  You can list these by running+'hledger'.  If you have installed more add-on commands, they also will+be listed.++   In the following command docs, each command's specific options are+shown.  Most commands also support the general options described above,+though some of them might have no effect.  (Usually if there's a+sensible way for a general option to affect a command, it will.)  You+can list all of a command's options by running 'hledger CMD -h'.++   *Help commands*++   * commands - show the hledger commands list (default)+   * demo - show small hledger demos in the terminal+   * help - show the hledger manual with info, man, or pager++   *User interface commands*++   * repl - run commands from an interactive prompt+   * run - run commands from a script+   * ui - (if installed) run hledger's terminal UI+   * web - (if installed) run hledger's web UI++   *Data entry commands*++   * add - add transactions using terminal prompts+   * import - add new transactions from other files, eg CSV files++   *Basic report commands*++   * accounts - show account names+   * codes - show transaction codes+   * commodities - show commodity/currency symbols+   * descriptions - show transaction descriptions+   * files - show input file paths+   * notes - show note parts of transaction descriptions+   * payees - show payee parts of transaction descriptions+   * prices - show market prices+   * stats - show journal statistics+   * tags - show tag names++   *Standard report commands*++   * print - show transactions or export journal data+   * aregister (areg) - show transactions in a particular account+   * register (reg) - show postings in one or more accounts & running+     total+   * balancesheet (bs) - show assets, liabilities and net worth+   * balancesheetequity (bse) - show assets, liabilities and equity+   * cashflow (cf) - show changes in liquid assets+   * incomestatement (is) - show revenues and expenses++   *Advanced report commands*++   * balance (bal) - show balance changes, end balances, budgets,+     gains..+   * roi - show return on investments++   *Chart commands*++   * activity - show bar charts of posting counts per period++   *Data generation commands*++   * close - generate balance-zeroing/restoring transactions+   * rewrite - generate auto postings, like print -auto++   *Maintenance commands*++   * check - check for various kinds of error in the data+   * diff - compare account transactions in two journal files+   * setup - check and show the status of the hledger installation+   * test - run self tests++   Next, these commands are described in detail.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Help commands,  Next: User interface commands,  Prev: PART 4 COMMANDS,  Up: Top++24 Help commands+****************++* Menu:++* commands::+* demo::+* help::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: commands,  Next: demo,  Up: Help commands++24.1 commands+=============++Show the hledger commands list.++Flags:+     --builtin             show only builtin commands, not addons+++File: hledger.info,  Node: demo,  Next: help,  Prev: commands,  Up: Help commands++24.2 demo+=========++Play demos of hledger usage in the terminal, if asciinema is installed.++Flags:+  -s --speed=SPEED         playback speed (1 is original speed, .5 is half, 2+                           is double, etc (default: 2))++   Run this command with no argument to list the demos.  To play a demo,+write its number or a prefix or substring of its title.  Tips:++   Make your terminal window large enough to see the demo clearly.++   Use the -s/-speed SPEED option to set your preferred playback speed,+eg '-s4' to play at 4x original speed or '-s.5' to play at half speed.+The default speed is 2x.++   During playback, several keys are available: SPACE to pause/unpause,+.  to step forward (while paused), CTRL-c quit.++   Examples:++$ hledger demo               # list available demos+$ hledger demo 1             # play the first demo at default speed (2x)+$ hledger demo install -s4   # play the "install" demo at 4x speed++   This command is experimental: there aren't many useful demos yet.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: help,  Prev: demo,  Up: Help commands++24.3 help+=========++Show the hledger user manual with 'info', 'man', or a pager.  With a+(case insensitive) TOPIC argument, try to open it at that section+heading.++Flags:+  -i                       show the manual with info+  -m                       show the manual with man+  -p                       show the manual with $PAGER or less+                           (less is always used if TOPIC is specified)++   This command shows the hledger manual built in to your hledger+executable.  It can be useful when offline, or when you prefer the+terminal to a web browser, or when the appropriate hledger manual or+viewers are not installed properly on your system.++   By default it chooses the best viewer found in $PATH, trying in this+order: 'info', 'man', '$PAGER', 'less', 'more', stdout.  (If a TOPIC is+specified, '$PAGER' and 'more' are not tried.)  You can force the use of+info, man, or a pager with the '-i', '-m', or '-p' flags.  If no viewer+can be found, or if running non-interactively, it just prints the manual+to stdout.++   When using 'info', TOPIC can match either the full heading or a+prefix.  If your 'info --version' is < 6, you'll need to upgrade it, eg+with ''brew install texinfo'' on mac.++   When using 'man' or 'less', TOPIC must match the full heading.  For a+prefix match, you can write ''TOPIC.*''.++   Examples++$ hledger help -h                 # show the help command's usage+$ hledger help                    # show the manual with info, man or $PAGER+$ hledger help 'time periods'     # show the manual's "Time periods" topic+$ hledger help 'time periods' -m  # use man, even if info is installed+++File: hledger.info,  Node: User interface commands,  Next: Data entry commands,  Prev: Help commands,  Up: Top++25 User interface commands+**************************++* Menu:++* repl::+* run::+* ui::+* web::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: repl,  Next: run,  Up: User interface commands++25.1 repl+=========++Start an interactive prompt, where you can run any of hledger's+commands.  Data files are parsed just once, so the commands run faster.++Flags:+no command-specific flags++   This command is experimental and could change in the future.++   'hledger repl' starts a read-eval-print loop (REPL) where you can+enter commands interactively.  As with the 'run' command, each input+file (or each input file/input options combination) is parsed just once,+so commands will run more quickly than if you ran them individually at+the command line.++   Also like 'run', the input file(s) specified for the 'repl' command+will be the default input for all interactive commands.  You can+override this temporarily by specifying an '-f' option in particular+commands.  But note that commands will not see any changes made to input+files (eg by 'add') until you exit and restart the REPL.++   The command syntax is the same as with 'run':++   * enter one hledger command at a time, without the usual 'hledger'+     first word+   * empty lines and comment text from '#' to end of line are ignored+   * use single or double quotes to quote arguments when needed+   * type 'exit' or 'quit' or control-D to exit the REPL.++   While it is running, the REPL remembers your command history, and you+can navigate in the usual ways:++   * Keypad or Emacs navigation keys to edit the current command line+   * UP/DOWN or control-P/control-N to step back/forward through history+   * control-R to search for a past command+   * TAB to complete file paths.++   Generally 'repl' command lines should feel much like the normal+hledger CLI, but you may find differences.  'repl' is a little stricter;+eg it requires full command names or official abbreviations (as seen in+the commands list).++   The 'commands' and 'help' commands, and the command help flags ('CMD+--tldr', 'CMD -h/--help', 'CMD --info', 'CMD --man'), can be useful.++   You can type control-C to cancel a long-running command (but only+once; typing it a second time will exit the REPL).++   And in most shells you can type control-Z to temporarily exit to the+shell (and then 'fg' to return to the REPL).++* Menu:++* Examples::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Examples,  Up: repl++25.1.1 Examples+---------------++Start the REPL and enter some commands:++$ hledger repl +Enter hledger commands. To exit, enter 'quit' or 'exit', or send EOF.+% stats+Main file           : .../2025.journal+...+% stats -f 2024/2024.journal +Main file           : .../2024.journal+...+% stats+Main file           : .../2025.journal+...++   or:++$ hledger repl -f some.journal+Enter hledger commands. To exit, enter 'quit' or 'exit', or send EOF.+% bs+...+% print -b 'last week'+...+% bs -f other.journal+...+++File: hledger.info,  Node: run,  Next: ui,  Prev: repl,  Up: User interface commands++25.2 run+========++Run a sequence of hledger commands, provided as files or command line+arguments.  Data files are parsed just once, so the commands run faster.++Flags:+no command-specific flags++   This command is experimental and could change in the future.++   You can use 'run' in three ways:++   * 'hledger run -- CMD1 -- CMD2 -- CMD3' - read commands from the+     command line, separated by '--'+   * 'hledger run SCRIPTFILE1 SCRIPTFILE2' - read commands from one or+     more files+   * 'cat SCRIPTFILE1 | hledger run' - read commands from standard+     input.++   'run' first loads the input file(s) specified by 'LEDGER_FILE' or by+'-f' options, in the usual way.  Then it runs each command in turn, each+using the same input data.  But if you want a particular command to use+different input, you can specify an '-f' option within that command.+This will override (not add to) the default input, just for that+command.++   Each input file (more precisely, each combination of input file and+input options) is parsed only once.  This means that commands will not+see any changes made to these files, until the next run.  But the+commands will run more quickly than if run individually (typically about+twice as fast).++   Command scripts, whether in a file or written on the command line,+have a simple syntax:++   * each line may contain a single hledger command and its arguments,+     without the usual 'hledger' first word+   * empty lines are ignored+   * text from '#' to end of line is a comment, and ignored+   * you can use single or double quotes to quote arguments when needed,+     as on the command line+   * these extra commands are available: 'echo TEXT' prints some text,+     and 'exit' or 'quit' ends the run.++   On unix systems you can use '#!/usr/bin/env hledger run' in the first+line of a command file to make it a runnable script.  If that gives an+error, use '#!/usr/bin/env -S hledger run'.++   It's ok to use the 'run' command recursively within a command script.++   You may find some differences in behaviour between 'run' command+lines and normal hledger command lines.  'run' is a little stricter; eg+it requires full command names or official abbreviations (as seen in the+commands list), and command options must be written after the command+name.++* Menu:++* Examples: Examples 2.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Examples 2,  Up: run++25.2.1 Examples+---------------++Run commands from the command line:++hledger -f some.journal run -- balance assets --depth 2 -- balance liabilities -f /some/other.journal --depth 3 --transpose -- stats++   This would load 'some.journal', run 'balance assets --depth 2' on it,+then run 'balance liabilities --depth 3 --transpose' on+'/some/other.journal', and finally run 'stats' on 'some.journal'++   Run commands from standard input:++(echo "files"; echo "stats") | hledger -f some.journal run++   Run commands as a script:++$ cat report+#!/usr/bin/env -S hledger run -f some.journal++echo "List of accounts in some.journal"+accounts++echo "Assets of some.journal"+balance assets --depth 2++echo "Liabilities from /some/other.journal"+balance liabilities -f /some/other.journal --depth 3 --transpose++echo "Commands from another.script, applied to another.journal"+run -f another.journal another.script++$ chmod +x report+$ ./report+List of accounts in some.journal+...+++File: hledger.info,  Node: ui,  Next: web,  Prev: run,  Up: User interface commands++25.3 ui+=======++Runs hledger-ui (if installed).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: web,  Prev: ui,  Up: User interface commands++25.4 web+========++Runs hledger-web (if installed).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Data entry commands,  Next: Basic report commands,  Prev: User interface commands,  Up: Top++26 Data entry commands+**********************++* Menu:++* add::+* add and balance assertions::+* add and balance assignments::+* import::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: add,  Next: add and balance assertions,  Up: Data entry commands++26.1 add+========++Add new transactions to a journal file, with interactive prompting.++Flags:+     --no-new-accounts      don't allow creating new accounts++   Many hledger users edit their journals directly with a text editor,+or generate them from CSV. For more interactive data entry, there is the+'add' command, which prompts interactively on the console for new+transactions, and appends them to the main journal file (which should be+in journal format).  Existing transactions are not changed.  This is one+of the few hledger commands that writes to the journal file (see also+'import').++   To use it, just run 'hledger add' and follow the prompts.  You can+add as many transactions as you like; when you are finished, enter '.'+or press control-d or control-c to exit.++   Features:++   * add tries to provide useful defaults, using the most similar (by+     description) recent transaction (filtered by the query, if any) as+     a template.+   * You can also set the initial defaults with command line arguments.+   * Readline-style edit keys can be used during data entry.+   * The tab key will auto-complete whenever possible - accounts,+     payees/descriptions, dates ('yesterday', 'today', 'tomorrow').  If+     the input area is empty, it will insert the default value.+   * A parenthesised transaction code may be entered following a date.+   * Comments and tags may be entered following a description or amount.+   * If you make a mistake, enter '<' at any prompt to go one step+     backward.+   * Input prompts are displayed in a different colour when the terminal+     supports it.++   Notes:++   * If you enter a number with no commodity symbol, and you have+     declared a default commodity with a 'D' directive, you might expect+     'add' to add this symbol for you.  It does not do this; we assume+     that if you are using a 'D' directive you prefer not to see the+     commodity symbol repeated on amounts in the journal.+   * 'add' creates entries in journal format; it won't work with+     timeclock or timedot files.+   * There is a known issue on Windows if this hledger version is built+     from stackage: the prompts will show ANSI junk instead of colours+     (#2410).  You can avoid this by using official hledger release+     binaries or by building it with haskeline >=0.8.4; or by running+     'add' with '--color=no', perhaps configured in your config file.++   Examples:++   * Record new transactions, saving to the default journal file:++          hledger add++   * Add transactions to 2024.journal, but also load 2023.journal for+     completions:++          hledger add --file 2024.journal --file 2023.journal++   * Provide answers for the first four prompts:++          hledger add today 'best buy' expenses:supplies '$20'++   There is a detailed tutorial at https://hledger.org/add.html.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: add and balance assertions,  Next: add and balance assignments,  Prev: add,  Up: Data entry commands++26.2 add and balance assertions+===============================++Since hledger 1.43, you can add a balance assertion by writing 'AMOUNT =+BALANCE' when asked for an amount.  Eg '100 = 500'.++   Also, each time you enter a new amount, hledger re-checks all balance+assertions in the journal and rejects the new amount if it would make+any of them fail.  You can run 'add' with '-I'/'--ignore-assertions' to+disable balance assertion checking.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: add and balance assignments,  Next: import,  Prev: add and balance assertions,  Up: Data entry commands++26.3 add and balance assignments+================================++Since hledger 1.51, you can add a balance assignment by writing '=+BALANCE' (or '==', '=*' etc) when asked for an amount.  The missing+amount will be calculated automatically.++   'add' normally won't let you add a new posting which is dated earlier+than an existing balance assignment.  (Because when 'add' runs, existing+balance assignments have already been calculated and converted to+amounts and balance assertions.)  You can allow it by disabling balance+assertion checking with '-I'.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: import,  Prev: add and balance assignments,  Up: Data entry commands++26.4 import+===========++Import new transactions from one or more data files to the main journal.++Flags:+     --catchup              just mark all transactions as already imported+     --dry-run              just show the transactions to be imported++   This command detects new transactions in one or more data files+specified as arguments, and appends them to the main journal.++   You can import from any input file format hledger supports, but+CSV/SSV/TSV files, downloaded from financial institutions, are the most+common import source.++   The import destination is the default journal file, or another+specified in the usual way with '$LEDGER_FILE' or '-f/--file'.  It+should be in journal format.++   Examples:++$ hledger import bank1-checking.csv bank1-savings.csv++$ hledger import *.csv++* Menu:++* Import dry run::+* Overlap detection::+* First import::+* Importing balance assignments::+* Import and commodity styles::+* Import archiving::+* Import special cases::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Import dry run,  Next: Overlap detection,  Up: import++26.4.1 Import dry run+---------------------++It's useful to preview the import by running first with '--dry-run', to+sanity check the range of dates being imported, and to check the effect+of your conversion rules if converting from CSV. Eg:++$ hledger import bank.csv --dry-run++   The dry run output is valid journal format, so hledger can re-parse+it.  If the output is large, you could show just the uncategorised+transactions like so:++$ hledger import --dry-run bank.csv | hledger -f- -I print unknown++   You could also run this repeatedly to see the effect of edits to your+conversion rules:++$ watchexec -- "hledger import --dry-run bank.csv | hledger -f- -I print unknown"++   Once the conversion and dates look good enough to import to your+journal, perhaps with some manual fixups to follow, you would do the+actual import:++$ hledger import bank.csv+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Overlap detection,  Next: First import,  Prev: Import dry run,  Up: import++26.4.2 Overlap detection+------------------------++Reading CSV files is built in to hledger, and not specific to 'import';+so you could also import by doing 'hledger -f bank.csv print+>>$LEDGER_FILE'.++   But 'import' is easier and provides some advantages.  The main one is+that it avoids re-importing transactions it has seen on previous runs.+This means you don't have to worry about overlapping data in successive+downloads of your bank CSV; just download and 'import' as often as you+like, and only the new transactions will be imported each time.++   We don't call this "deduplication", as it's generally not possible to+reliably detect duplicates in bank CSV. Instead, 'import' remembers the+latest date processed previously in each CSV file (saving it in a hidden+file), and skips any records prior to that date.  This works well for+most real-world CSV, where:++  1. the data file name is stable (does not change) across imports+  2. the item dates are stable across imports+  3. the order of same-date items is stable across imports+  4. the newest items have the newest dates++   (Occasional violations of 2-4 are often harmless; you can reduce the+chance of disruption by downloading and importing more often.)++   Overlap detection is automatic, and shouldn't require much attention+from you, except perhaps at first import (see below).  But here's how it+works:++   * For each 'FILE' being imported from:++       1. hledger reads a file named '.latest.FILE' file in the same+          directory, if any.  This file contains the latest record date+          previously imported from FILE, in YYYY-MM-DD format.  If+          multiple records with that date were imported, the date is+          repeated on N lines.++       2. hledger reads records from FILE. If a latest date was found in+          step 1, any records before that date, and the first N records+          on that date, are skipped.++   * After a successful import from all FILEs, without error and without+     '--dry-run', hledger updates each FILE's '.latest.FILE' for next+     time.++   If this goes wrong, it's relatively easy to repair:++   * You'll notice it before import when you preview with 'import+     --dry-run'.+   * Or after import when you try to reconcile your hledger account+     balances with your bank.+   * 'hledger print -f FILE.csv' will show all recently downloaded+     transactions.  Compare these with your journal.  Copy/paste if+     needed.+   * Update your conversion rules and print again, if needed.+   * You can manually update or remove the .latest file, or use 'import+     --catchup FILE'.+   * Download and import more often, eg twice a week, at least while you+     are learning.  It's easier to review and troubleshoot when there+     are fewer transactions.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: First import,  Next: Importing balance assignments,  Prev: Overlap detection,  Up: import++26.4.3 First import+-------------------++The first time you import from a file, when no corresponding .latest+file has been created yet, all of the records will be imported.++   But perhaps you have been entering the data manually, so you know+that all of these transactions are already recorded in the journal.  In+this case you can run 'hledger import --catchup' once.  This will create+a .latest file containing the latest CSV record date, so that none of+those records will be re-imported.++   Or, if you know that some but not all of the transactions are in the+journal, you can create the .latest file yourself.  Eg, let's say you+previously recorded foobank transactions up to 2024-10-31 in the+journal.  Then in the directory where you'll be saving 'foobank.csv',+you would create a '.latest.foobank.csv' file containing++2024-10-31++   Or if you had three foobank transactions recorded with that date, you+would repeat the date that many times:++2024-10-31+2024-10-31+2024-10-31++   Then 'hledger import foobank.csv [--dry-run]' will import only the+newer records.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Importing balance assignments,  Next: Import and commodity styles,  Prev: First import,  Up: import++26.4.4 Importing balance assignments+------------------------------------++Journal entries added by import will have all posting amounts made+explicit (like 'print -x').++   This means that any balance assignments in the imported entries would+need to be evaluated.  But this generally isn't possible, as the main+file's account balances are not visible during import.  So try to avoid+generating balance assignments with your CSV rules, or importing from a+journal that contains balance assignments.  (Balance assignments are+best avoided anyway.)++   But if you must use them, eg because your CSV includes only balances:+you can import with 'print', which leaves implicit amounts implicit.+('print' can also do overlap detection like import, with the '--new'+flag):++$ hledger print --new -f bank.csv >> $LEDGER_FILE++   (If you think 'import' should preserve implicit balances, please test+that and send a pull request.)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Import and commodity styles,  Next: Import archiving,  Prev: Importing balance assignments,  Up: import++26.4.5 Import and commodity styles+----------------------------------++Amounts in entries added by import will be formatted according to the+journal's canonical commodity styles, as declared by 'commodity'+directives or inferred from the journal's amounts.++   Related: CSV > Amount decimal places.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Import archiving,  Next: Import special cases,  Prev: Import and commodity styles,  Up: import++26.4.6 Import archiving+-----------------------++When importing from a CSV rules file ('hledger import bank.rules'), you+can use the archive rule to enable automatic archiving of the data file.+After a successful import, the data file (specified by 'source') will be+moved to an archive folder ('data/', next to the rules file,+auto-created), and renamed similar to the rules file, with a date.  This+can be useful for troubleshooting, detecting variations in your banks'+CSV data, regenerating entries with improved rules, etc.++   The 'archive' rule also causes 'import' to handle 'source' glob+patterns differently: when there are multiple matched files, it will+pick the oldest, not the newest.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Import special cases,  Prev: Import archiving,  Up: import++26.4.7 Import special cases+---------------------------++* Menu:++* Deduplication::+* Varying file name::+* Multiple versions::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Deduplication,  Next: Varying file name,  Up: Import special cases++26.4.7.1 Deduplication+......................++Here are two kinds of "deduplication" which 'import' does not handle+(and should not, because these can happen legitimately in financial+data):++   * Two or more of the new CSV records are identical, and generate+     identical new journal entries.+   * A new CSV record generates a journal entry identical to one(s)+     already in the journal.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Varying file name,  Next: Multiple versions,  Prev: Deduplication,  Up: Import special cases++26.4.7.2 Varying file name+..........................++If you have a download whose file name varies, you could rename it to a+fixed name after each download.  Or you could use a CSV 'source' rule+with a suitable glob pattern, and import from the .rules file.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Multiple versions,  Prev: Varying file name,  Up: Import special cases++26.4.7.3 Multiple versions+..........................++Say you download 'bank.csv', import it, but forget to delete it from+your downloads folder.  The next time you download it, your web browser+will save it as (eg) 'bank (2).csv'.  The source rule's glob patterns+are for just this situation: instead of specifying 'source bank.csv',+specify 'source bank*.csv'.  Then 'hledger -f bank.rules CMD' or+'hledger import bank.rules' will automatically pick the newest matched+file ('bank (2).csv').++   Alternately, what if you download, but forget to import or delete,+then download again ?  Now each of 'bank.csv' and 'bank (2).csv' might+contain data that's not in the other, and not in your journal.  In this+case, it's best to import each of them in turn, oldest first (otherwise,+overlap detection could cause new records to be skipped).  Enabling+import archiving ensures this.  Then 'hledger import bank.rules; hledger+import bank.rules' will import and archive first 'bank.csv', then 'bank+(2).csv'.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Basic report commands,  Next: Standard report commands,  Prev: Data entry commands,  Up: Top++27 Basic report commands+************************++* Menu:++* accounts::+* codes::+* commodities::+* descriptions::+* files::+* notes::+* payees::+* prices::+* stats::+* tags::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: accounts,  Next: codes,  Up: Basic report commands++27.1 accounts+=============++List the account names used or declared in the journal.++Flags:+  -u --used                 list accounts used+  -d --declared             list accounts declared+     --undeclared           list accounts used but not declared+     --unused               list accounts declared but not used+     --find                 list the first account matched by the first+                            argument (a case-insensitive infix regexp)+     --directives           show as account directives, for use in journals+     --locations            also show where accounts were declared+     --types                also show account types when known+  -l --flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list+                            (default)+  -t --tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree+     --drop=N               flat mode: omit N leading account name parts++   This command lists account names - all of them by default, or just+the ones which have been used in transactions ('-u/--used'), or declared+with 'account' directives ('-d/--declared'), or used but not declared+('--undeclared'), or declared but not used ('--unused'), or just the+first one matched by a pattern ('--find', returning a non-zero exit code+if it fails).++   You can add query arguments to select a subset of transactions or+accounts.++   With '--directives', it shows valid account directives which could be+pasted into a journal file.  This is useful together with '--undeclared'+when updating your account declarations to satisfy 'hledger check+accounts'.++   With '--locations', it also shows the file and line number of each+account's declaration, if any, and the account's overall declaration+order; these may be useful when troubleshooting account display order.++   With '--types', it also shows each account's type, if it's known.+(See Declaring accounts > Account types.)++   It shows a flat list by default.  With '--tree', it uses indentation+to show the account hierarchy.  In flat mode you can add '--drop N' to+omit the first few account name components.  Account names can be+depth-clipped with 'depth:N' or '--depth N' or '-N'.++   Examples:++$ hledger accounts+assets:bank:checking+assets:bank:saving+assets:cash+expenses:food+expenses:supplies+income:gifts+income:salary+liabilities:debts++$ hledger accounts --undeclared --directives >> $LEDGER_FILE+$ hledger check accounts+++File: hledger.info,  Node: codes,  Next: commodities,  Prev: accounts,  Up: Basic report commands++27.2 codes+==========++List the codes seen in transactions, in the order parsed.++Flags:+no command-specific flags++   This command prints the value of each transaction's code field, in+the order transactions were parsed.  The transaction code is an optional+value written in parentheses between the date and description, often+used to store a cheque number, order number or similar.++   Transactions aren't required to have a code, and missing or empty+codes will not be shown by default.  With the '-E'/'--empty' flag, they+will be printed as blank lines.++   You can add a query to select a subset of transactions.++   Examples:++2022/1/1 (123) Supermarket   + Food       $5.00+ Checking    ++2022/1/2 (124) Post Office+ Postage    $8.32+ Checking++2022/1/3 Supermarket+ Food      $11.23+ Checking ++2022/1/4 (126) Post Office+ Postage    $3.21+ Checking++$ hledger codes+123+124+126++$ hledger codes -E+123+124++126+++File: hledger.info,  Node: commodities,  Next: descriptions,  Prev: codes,  Up: Basic report commands++27.3 commodities+================++List the commodity symbols used or declared in the journal.++Flags:+     --used                 list commodities used+     --declared             list commodities declared+     --undeclared           list commodities used but not declared+     --unused               list commodities declared but not used+     --find                 list the first commodity matched by the first+                            argument (a case-insensitive infix regexp)++   This command lists commodity symbols/names - all of them by default,+or just the ones which have been used in transactions or 'P' directives,+or declared with 'commodity' directives, or used but not declared, or+declared but not used, or just the first one matched by a pattern (with+'--find', returning a non-zero exit code if it fails).++   You can add 'cur:' query arguments to further limit the commodities.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: descriptions,  Next: files,  Prev: commodities,  Up: Basic report commands++27.4 descriptions+=================++List the unique descriptions used in transactions.++Flags:+no command-specific flags++   This command lists the unique descriptions that appear in+transactions, in alphabetic order.  You can add a query to select a+subset of transactions.++   Example:++$ hledger descriptions+Store Name+Gas Station | Petrol+Person A+++File: hledger.info,  Node: files,  Next: notes,  Prev: descriptions,  Up: Basic report commands++27.5 files+==========++List all files included in the journal.  With a REGEX argument, only+file names matching the regular expression (case sensitive) are shown.++Flags:+no command-specific flags+++File: hledger.info,  Node: notes,  Next: payees,  Prev: files,  Up: Basic report commands++27.6 notes+==========++List the unique notes that appear in transactions.++Flags:+no command-specific flags++   This command lists the unique notes that appear in transactions, in+alphabetic order.  You can add a query to select a subset of+transactions.  The note is the part of the transaction description after+a | character (or if there is no |, the whole description).++   Example:++$ hledger notes+Petrol+Snacks+++File: hledger.info,  Node: payees,  Next: prices,  Prev: notes,  Up: Basic report commands++27.7 payees+===========++List the payee/payer names used or declared in the journal.++Flags:+     --used                 list payees used+     --declared             list payees declared+     --undeclared           list payees used but not declared+     --unused               list payees declared but not used+     --find                 list the first payee matched by the first+                            argument (a case-insensitive infix regexp)++   This command lists unique payee/payer names - all of them by default,+or just the ones which have been used in transaction descriptions, or+declared with 'payee' directives, or used but not declared, or declared+but not used, or just the first one matched by a pattern (with '--find',+returning a non-zero exit code if it fails).++   The payee/payer name is the part of the transaction description+before a | character (or if there is no |, the whole description).++   You can add query arguments to select a subset of transactions or+payees.++   Example:++$ hledger payees+Store Name+Gas Station+Person A+++File: hledger.info,  Node: prices,  Next: stats,  Prev: payees,  Up: Basic report commands++27.8 prices+===========++Print the market prices declared with P directives.  With+-infer-market-prices, also show any additional prices inferred from+costs.  With -show-reverse, also show additional prices inferred by+reversing known prices.++Flags:+     --show-reverse         also show the prices inferred by reversing known+                            prices++   Price amounts are always displayed with their full precision, except+for reverse prices which are limited to 8 decimal digits.++   Prices can be filtered by a date:, cur: or amt: query.++   Generally if you run this command with -infer-market-prices+-show-reverse, it will show the same prices used internally to calculate+value reports.  But if in doubt, you can inspect those directly by+running the value report with -debug=2.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: stats,  Next: tags,  Prev: prices,  Up: Basic report commands++27.9 stats+==========++Show journal and performance statistics.++Flags:+  -1                        show a single line of output+  -v --verbose              show more detailed output+  -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE.++   The stats command shows summary information for the whole journal, or+a matched part of it.  With a reporting interval, it shows a report for+each report period.++   It also shows some performance statistics:++   * how long the program ran for+   * the number of transactions processed per second+   * the peak live memory in use by the program to do its work+   * the peak allocated memory as seen by the program++   By default, the output is reasonably discreet; it reveals the main+file name, your activity level, and the speed of your machine.++   With '-v/--verbose', more details are shown: the full paths of all+files, and the names of the commodities you work with.++   With '-1', only one line of output is shown, in a machine-friendly+tab-separated format: the program version, the main journal file name,+and the performance stats,++   The run time of 'stats' is similar to that of a balance report.++   Example:++$ hledger stats -f examples/1ktxns-1kaccts.journal +Main file           : .../1ktxns-1kaccts.journal+Included files      : 0+Txns span           : 2000-01-01 to 2002-09-27 (1000 days)+Last txn            : 2002-09-26 (7827 days ago)+Txns                : 1000 (1.0 per day)+Txns last 30 days   : 0 (0.0 per day)+Txns last 7 days    : 0 (0.0 per day)+Payees/descriptions : 1000+Accounts            : 1000 (depth 10)+Commodities         : 26+Market prices       : 1000+Runtime stats       : 0.12 s elapsed, 8266 txns/s, 4 MB live, 16 MB alloc++$ hledger stats -1 -f examples/10ktxns-1kaccts.journal+1.50.99-g0835a2485-20251119, mac-aarch64    10ktxns-1kaccts.journal 0.66 s elapsed  15244 txns/s    28 MB live  86 MB alloc++   This command supports the -o/-output-file option (but not+-O/-output-format).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: tags,  Prev: stats,  Up: Basic report commands++27.10 tags+==========++List the tag names used or declared in the journal, or their values.++Flags:+     --used                 list tags used+     --declared             list tags declared+     --undeclared           list tags used but not declared+     --unused               list tags declared but not used+     --find                 list the first tag whose name is matched by the+                            first argument (a case-insensitive infix regexp)+     --values               list tag values instead of tag names+     --parsed               show them in the order they were parsed (mostly),+                            including duplicates++   This command lists tag names - all of them by default, or just the+ones which have been used on transactions/postings/accounts, or declared+with 'tag' directives, or used but not declared, or declared but not+used, or just the first one matched by a pattern (with '--find',+returning a non-zero exit code if it fails).++   Note this command's non-standard first argument: it is a+case-insensitive infix regular expression for matching tag names, which+limits the tags shown.  Any additional arguments are standard query+arguments, which limit the transactions, postings, or accounts providing+tags.++   With '--values', the tags' unique non-empty values are listed+instead.++   With '-E'/'--empty', blank/empty values are also shown.++   With '--parsed', tags or values are shown in the order they were+parsed, with duplicates included.  (Except, tags from account+declarations are always shown first.)++   Remember that accounts also acquire tags from their parents; postings+also acquire tags from their account and transaction; and transactions+also acquire tags from their postings.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Standard report commands,  Next: Advanced report commands,  Prev: Basic report commands,  Up: Top++28 Standard report commands+***************************++* Menu:++* print::+* aregister::+* register::+* balancesheet::+* balancesheetequity::+* cashflow::+* incomestatement::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: print,  Next: aregister,  Up: Standard report commands++28.1 print+==========++Show full journal entries, representing transactions.++Flags:+  -x --explicit             show all amounts explicitly+     --invert               display all amounts with reversed sign+     --locations            add tags showing file paths and line numbers+  -m --match=DESC           fuzzy search for one recent transaction with+                            description closest to DESC+     --new                  show only newer-dated transactions added in each+                            file since last run+     --round=TYPE           how much rounding or padding should be done when+                            displaying amounts ?+                            none - show original decimal digits,+                                   as in journal (default)+                            soft - just add or remove decimal zeros+                                   to match precision+                            hard - round posting amounts to precision+                                   (can unbalance transactions)+                            all  - also round cost amounts to precision+                                   (can unbalance transactions)+     --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate links to hledger-web,+                            with this prefix. (Usually the base url shown by+                            hledger-web; can also be relative.)+  -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:+                            txt, beancount, csv, tsv, html, fods, json, sql.+  -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching+                            one of the above formats selects that format.++   The print command displays full journal entries (transactions) from+the journal file, sorted by date (or with '--date2', by secondary date).++   Directives and inter-transaction comments are not shown, currently.+This means the print command is somewhat lossy, and if you are using it+to reformat/regenerate your journal you should take care to also copy+over the directives and inter-transaction comments.++   Eg:++$ hledger print -f examples/sample.journal date:200806+2008/06/01 gift+    assets:bank:checking            $1+    income:gifts                   $-1++2008/06/02 save+    assets:bank:saving              $1+    assets:bank:checking           $-1++2008/06/03 * eat & shop+    expenses:food                $1+    expenses:supplies            $1+    assets:cash                 $-2++* Menu:++* print amount explicitness::+* print alignment::+* print amount style::+* print parseability::+* print other features::+* print output format::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: print amount explicitness,  Next: print alignment,  Up: print++28.1.1 print amount explicitness+--------------------------------++Normally, whether posting amounts are implicit or explicit is preserved.+For example, when an amount is omitted in the journal, it will not+appear in the output.  Similarly, if a conversion cost is implied but+not written, it will not appear in the output.++   You can use the '-x'/'--explicit' flag to force explicit display of+all amounts and costs.  This can be useful for troubleshooting or for+making your journal more readable and robust against data entry errors.+'-x' is also implied by using any of '-B','-V','-X','--value'.++   The '-x'/'--explicit' flag will cause any postings with a+multi-commodity amount (which can arise when a multi-commodity+transaction has an implicit amount) to be split into multiple+single-commodity postings, keeping the output parseable.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: print alignment,  Next: print amount style,  Prev: print amount explicitness,  Up: print++28.1.2 print alignment+----------------------++Amounts are shown right-aligned within each transaction (but not aligned+across all transactions; you can achieve that with ledger-mode in+Emacs).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: print amount style,  Next: print parseability,  Prev: print alignment,  Up: print++28.1.3 print amount style+-------------------------++Amounts will be displayed mostly in their commodity's display style,+with standardised symbol placement, decimal mark, and digit group marks.+This does not apply to their decimal digits; 'print' normally shows the+same decimal digits that are recorded in each journal entry.++   You can override the decimal precisions with 'print''s special+'--round' option (_since 1.32_).  '--round' tries to show amounts with+their commodities' standard decimal precisions, increasingly strongly:++   * '--round=none' show amounts with original precisions (default)+   * '--round=soft' add/remove decimal zeros in amounts (except costs)+   * '--round=hard' round amounts (except costs), possibly hiding+     significant digits+   * '--round=all' round all amounts and costs++   'soft' is good for non-lossy cleanup, displaying more consistent+decimals where possible, without making entries unbalanced.++   'hard' or 'all' can be good for stronger cleanup, when decimal+rounding is wanted.  Note rounding can produce unbalanced journal+entries, perhaps requiring manual fixup.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: print parseability,  Next: print other features,  Prev: print amount style,  Up: print++28.1.4 print parseability+-------------------------++Normally, print's output is a valid hledger journal, which you can+"pipe" to a second hledger command for further processing.  This is+sometimes convenient for achieving certain kinds of query (though less+needed now that queries have become more powerful):++# Show running total of food expenses paid from cash.+# -f- reads from stdin. -I/--ignore-assertions is sometimes needed.+$ hledger print assets:cash | hledger -f- -I reg expenses:food++   But here are some things which can cause print's output to become+unparseable:++   * '--round' (see above) can disrupt transaction balancing.+   * Account aliases or pivoting can disrupt account names, balance+     assertions, or balance assignments.+   * Value reporting also can disrupt balance assertions or balance+     assignments.+   * Auto postings can generate too many amountless postings.+   * '--infer-costs or --infer-equity' can generate too-complex+     redundant costs.+   * Because print always shows transactions in date order, balance+     assertions involving non-date-ordered transactions (and same-day+     postings) could be disrupted.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: print other features,  Next: print output format,  Prev: print parseability,  Up: print++28.1.5 print, other features+----------------------------++With '-B'/'--cost', amounts with costs are shown converted to cost.++   With '--invert', posting amounts are shown with their sign flipped.+It could be useful if you have accidentally recorded some transactions+with the wrong signs.++   With '--new', print shows only transactions it has not seen on a+previous run.  This uses the same deduplication system as the 'import'+command.  (See import's docs for details.)++   With '-m DESC'/'--match=DESC', print shows one recent transaction+whose description is most similar to DESC. DESC should contain at least+two characters.  If there is no similar-enough match, no transaction+will be shown and the program exit code will be non-zero.++   With '--locations', print adds the source file and line number to+every transaction, as a tag.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: print output format,  Prev: print other features,  Up: print++28.1.6 print output format+--------------------------++This command also supports the output destination and output format+options The output formats supported are 'txt', 'beancount' (_Added in+1.32_), 'csv', 'tsv' (_Added in 1.32_), 'json' and 'sql'.++   The 'beancount' format tries to produce Beancount-compatible output,+as follows:++   * Transaction and postings with unmarked status are converted to+     cleared ('*') status.+   * Transactions' payee and note are backslash-escaped and+     double-quote-escaped and wrapped in double quotes.+   * Transaction tags are copied to Beancount #tag format.+   * Commodity symbols are converted to upper case, and a small number+     of currency symbols like '$' are converted to the corresponding+     currency names.+   * Account name parts are capitalised and unsupported characters are+     replaced with '-'.  If an account name part does not begin with a+     letter, or if the first part is not Assets, Liabilities, Equity,+     Income, or Expenses, an error is raised.  (Use '--alias' options to+     bring your accounts into compliance.)+   * An 'open' directive is generated for each account used, on the+     earliest transaction date.++   Some limitations:++   * Balance assertions are removed.+   * Balance assignments become missing amounts.+   * Virtual and balanced virtual postings become regular postings.+   * Directives are not converted.++   Here's an example of print's CSV output:++$ hledger print -Ocsv+"txnidx","date","date2","status","code","description","comment","account","amount","commodity","credit","debit","posting-status","posting-comment"+"1","2008/01/01","","","","income","","assets:bank:checking","1","$","","1","",""+"1","2008/01/01","","","","income","","income:salary","-1","$","1","","",""+"2","2008/06/01","","","","gift","","assets:bank:checking","1","$","","1","",""+"2","2008/06/01","","","","gift","","income:gifts","-1","$","1","","",""+"3","2008/06/02","","","","save","","assets:bank:saving","1","$","","1","",""+"3","2008/06/02","","","","save","","assets:bank:checking","-1","$","1","","",""+"4","2008/06/03","","*","","eat & shop","","expenses:food","1","$","","1","",""+"4","2008/06/03","","*","","eat & shop","","expenses:supplies","1","$","","1","",""+"4","2008/06/03","","*","","eat & shop","","assets:cash","-2","$","2","","",""+"5","2008/12/31","","*","","pay off","","liabilities:debts","1","$","","1","",""+"5","2008/12/31","","*","","pay off","","assets:bank:checking","-1","$","1","","",""++   * There is one CSV record per posting, with the parent transaction's+     fields repeated.+   * The "txnidx" (transaction index) field shows which postings belong+     to the same transaction.  (This number might change if transactions+     are reordered within the file, files are parsed/included in a+     different order, etc.)+   * The amount is separated into "commodity" (the symbol) and "amount"+     (numeric quantity) fields.+   * The numeric amount is repeated in either the "credit" or "debit"+     column, for convenience.  (Those names are not accurate in the+     accounting sense; it just puts negative amounts under credit and+     zero or greater amounts under debit.)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: aregister,  Next: register,  Prev: print,  Up: Standard report commands++28.2 aregister+==============++(areg)++   Show the transactions and running balances in one account, with each+transaction on one line.++Flags:+     --txn-dates            filter strictly by transaction date, not posting+                            date. Warning: this can show a wrong running+                            balance.+     --no-elide             don't show only 2 commodities per amount+     --cumulative           accumulation mode: show running total from report+                            start date+  -H --historical           accumulation mode: show historical running+                            total/balance (includes postings before report+                            start date) (default)+     --invert               display all amounts with reversed sign+     --drop=N               omit N leading account name parts+     --heading=YN           show heading row above table: yes (default) or no+  -w --width=N              set output width (default: terminal width). -wN,M+                            sets description width as well.+     --align-all            guarantee alignment across all lines (slower)+  -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:+                            txt, html, csv, tsv, json.+  -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching+                            one of the above formats selects that format.++   'aregister' shows the overall transactions affecting a particular+account (and any subaccounts).  Each report line represents one+transaction in this account.  Transactions before the report start date+are included in the running balance ('--historical' mode is the+default).  You can suppress this behaviour using the '--cumulative'+option.++   This is a more "real world", bank-like view than the 'register'+command (which shows individual postings, possibly from multiple+accounts, not necessarily in historical mode).  As a quick rule of+thumb:++   * 'aregister' is best when reconciling real-world asset/liability+     accounts+   * 'register' is best when reviewing individual revenues/expenses.++   Note this command's non-standard, and required, first argument; it+specifies the account whose register will be shown.  You can write the+account's name, or (to save typing) a case-insensitive infix regular+expression matching the name, which selects the alphabetically first+matched account.  (For example, if you have 'assets:personal checking'+and 'assets:business checking', 'hledger areg checking' would select+'assets:business checking'.)++   Transactions involving subaccounts of this account will also be+shown.  'aregister' ignores depth limits, so its final total will always+match a historical balance report with similar arguments.++   Any additional arguments are standard query arguments, which will+limit the transactions shown.  Note some queries will disturb the+running balance, causing it to be different from the account's+real-world running balance.++   An example: this shows the transactions and historical running+balance during july, in the first account whose name contains+"checking":++$ hledger areg checking date:jul++   Each 'aregister' line item shows:++   * the transaction's date (or the relevant posting's date if+     different, see below)+   * the names of all the other account(s) involved in this transaction+     (probably abbreviated)+   * the total change to this account's balance from this transaction+   * the account's historical running balance after this transaction.++   Transactions making a net change of zero are not shown by default;+add the '-E/--empty' flag to show them.++   For performance reasons, column widths are chosen based on the first+1000 lines; this means unusually wide values in later lines can cause+visual discontinuities as column widths are adjusted.  If you want to+ensure perfect alignment, at the cost of more time and memory, use the+'--align-all' flag.++   By default, 'aregister' shows a heading above the data.  However,+when reporting in a language different from English, it is easier to+omit this heading and prepend your own one.  For this purpose, use the+'--heading=no' option.++   This command also supports the output destination and output format+options.  The output formats supported are 'txt', 'csv', 'tsv' (_Added+in 1.32_), 'html', 'fods' (_Added in 1.41_) and 'json'.++* Menu:++* aregister and posting dates::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: aregister and posting dates,  Up: aregister++28.2.1 aregister and posting dates+----------------------------------++aregister always shows one line (and date and amount) per transaction.+But sometimes transactions have postings with different dates.  Also,+not all of a transaction's postings may be within the report period.  To+resolve this, aregister shows the earliest of the transaction's date and+posting dates that is in-period, and the sum of the in-period postings.+In other words it will show a combined line item with just the earliest+date, and the running balance will (temporarily, until the transaction's+last posting) be inaccurate.  Use 'register -H' if you need to see the+individual postings.++   There is also a '--txn-dates' flag, which filters strictly by+transaction date, ignoring posting dates.  This too can cause an+inaccurate running balance.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: register,  Next: balancesheet,  Prev: aregister,  Up: Standard report commands++28.3 register+=============++(reg)++   Show postings and their running total.++Flags:+     --cumulative           accumulation mode: show running total from report+                            start date (default)+  -H --historical           accumulation mode: show historical running+                            total/balance (includes postings before report+                            start date)+  -A --average              show running average of posting amounts instead+                            of total (implies --empty)+  -m --match=DESC           fuzzy search for one recent posting with+                            description closest to DESC+  -r --related              show postings' siblings instead+     --invert               display all amounts with reversed sign+     --drop=N               omit N leading account name parts+     --sort=FIELDS          sort by: date, desc, account, amount, absamount,+                            or a comma-separated combination of these. For a+                            descending sort, prefix with -. (Default: date)+  -w --width=N              set output width (default: terminal width). -wN,M+                            sets description width as well.+     --align-all            guarantee alignment across all lines (slower)+     --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate links to hledger-web,+                            with this prefix. (Usually the base url shown by+                            hledger-web; can also be relative.)+  -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:+                            txt, csv, tsv, html, fods, json.+  -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching+                            one of the above formats selects that format.++   The register command displays matched postings, across all accounts,+in date order, with their running total or running historical balance.+(See also the 'aregister' command, which shows matched transactions in a+specific account.)++   register normally shows line per posting, but note that+multi-commodity amounts will occupy multiple lines (one line per+commodity).++   It is typically used with a query selecting a particular account, to+see that account's activity:++$ hledger register checking+2008/01/01 income               assets:bank:checking            $1           $1+2008/06/01 gift                 assets:bank:checking            $1           $2+2008/06/02 save                 assets:bank:checking           $-1           $1+2008/12/31 pay off              assets:bank:checking           $-1            0++   With '--date2', it shows and sorts by secondary date instead.++   For performance reasons, column widths are chosen based on the first+1000 lines; this means unusually wide values in later lines can cause+visual discontinuities as column widths are adjusted.  If you want to+ensure perfect alignment, at the cost of more time and memory, use the+'--align-all' flag.++   The '--historical'/'-H' flag adds the balance from any undisplayed+prior postings to the running total.  This is useful when you want to+see only recent activity, with a historically accurate running balance:++$ hledger register checking -b 2008/6 --historical+2008/06/01 gift                 assets:bank:checking            $1           $2+2008/06/02 save                 assets:bank:checking           $-1           $1+2008/12/31 pay off              assets:bank:checking           $-1            0++   The '--depth' option limits the amount of sub-account detail+displayed.++   The '--drop' option will trim leading segments from account names.++   The '--average'/'-A' flag shows the running average posting amount+instead of the running total (so, the final number displayed is the+average for the whole report period).  This flag implies '--empty' (see+below).  It is affected by '--historical'.  It works best when showing+just one account and one commodity.++   The '--related'/'-r' flag shows the _other_ postings in the+transactions of the postings which would normally be shown.++   The '--invert' flag negates all amounts.  For example, it can be used+on an income account where amounts are normally displayed as negative+numbers.  It's also useful to show postings on the checking account+together with the related account:++   The '--sort=FIELDS' flag sorts by the fields given, which can be any+of 'account', 'amount', 'absamount', 'date', or 'desc'/'description',+optionally separated by commas.  For example, '--sort account,amount'+will group all transactions in each account, sorted by transaction+amount.  Each field can be negated by a preceding '-', so '--sort+-amount' will show transactions ordered from smallest amount to largest+amount.++$ hledger register --related --invert assets:checking++   With a reporting interval, register shows summary postings, one per+interval, aggregating the postings to each account:++$ hledger register --monthly income+2008/01                 income:salary                          $-1          $-1+2008/06                 income:gifts                           $-1          $-2++   Periods with no activity, and summary postings with a zero amount,+are not shown by default; use the '--empty'/'-E' flag to see them:++$ hledger register --monthly income -E+2008/01                 income:salary                          $-1          $-1+2008/02                                                          0          $-1+2008/03                                                          0          $-1+2008/04                                                          0          $-1+2008/05                                                          0          $-1+2008/06                 income:gifts                           $-1          $-2+2008/07                                                          0          $-2+2008/08                                                          0          $-2+2008/09                                                          0          $-2+2008/10                                                          0          $-2+2008/11                                                          0          $-2+2008/12                                                          0          $-2++   Often, you'll want to see just one line per interval.  The '--depth'+option helps with this, causing subaccounts to be aggregated:++$ hledger register --monthly assets --depth 1+2008/01                 assets                                  $1           $1+2008/06                 assets                                 $-1            0+2008/12                 assets                                 $-1          $-1++   Note when using report intervals, if you specify start/end dates+these will be adjusted outward if necessary to contain a whole number of+intervals.  This ensures that the first and last intervals are full+length and comparable to the others in the report.++   If you have a deeply nested account tree some reports might benefit+from trimming leading segments from the account names using '--drop'.++$ hledger register --monthly income --drop 1+2008/01                 salary                                 $-1          $-1+2008/06                 gifts                                  $-1          $-2++   With '-m DESC'/'--match=DESC', register does a fuzzy search for one+recent posting whose description is most similar to DESC. DESC should+contain at least two characters.  If there is no similar-enough match,+no posting will be shown and the program exit code will be non-zero.++* Menu:++* Custom register output::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Custom register output,  Up: register++28.3.1 Custom register output+-----------------------------++register normally uses the full terminal width (or 80 columns if it+can't detect that).  You can override this with the '--width'/'-w'+option.++   The description and account columns normally share the space equally+(about half of (width - 40) each).  You can adjust this by adding a+description width as part of -width's argument, comma-separated:+'--width W,D' .  Here's a diagram (won't display correctly in -help):++<--------------------------------- width (W) ---------------------------------->+date (10)  description (D)       account (W-41-D)     amount (12)   balance (12)+DDDDDDDDDD dddddddddddddddddddd  aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa  AAAAAAAAAAAA  AAAAAAAAAAAA++   and some examples:++$ hledger reg                     # use terminal width (or 80 on windows)+$ hledger reg -w 100              # use width 100+$ hledger reg -w 100,40           # set overall width 100, description width 40++   This command also supports the output destination and output format+options The output formats supported are 'txt', 'csv', 'tsv' (_Added in+1.32_), and 'json'.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: balancesheet,  Next: balancesheetequity,  Prev: register,  Up: Standard report commands++28.4 balancesheet+=================++(bs)++   Show the end balances in asset and liability accounts.  Amounts are+shown with normal positive sign, as in conventional financial+statements.++Flags:+     --sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts+                            (default)+     --valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of+                            period-end historical balances (caused by deposits,+                            withdrawals, market price fluctuations)+     --gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital+                            gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost+                            basis)+     --count                calculation mode: show the count of postings+     --change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column+                            start to column end (in multicolumn reports)+     --cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report+                            start (specified by e.g. -b/--begin) to column end+  -H --historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from+                            journal start to column end (includes postings+                            before report start date) (default)+  -l --flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list+                            (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,+                            except where the account is depth-clipped.+  -t --tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts+                            include subaccount amounts.+     --drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts+     --declared             include non-parent declared accounts (best used+                            with -E)+  -A --average              show a row average column (in multicolumn+                            reports)+  -T --row-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)+     --summary-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,+                            average) (in multicolumn reports)+  -N --no-total             omit the final total row+     --no-elide             in tree mode, don't squash boring parent accounts+     --format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)+  -S --sort-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name+  -% --percent              express values in percentage of each column's+                            total+     --layout=ARG           how to show multi-commodity amounts:+                            'wide[,WIDTH]': all commodities on one line+                            'tall'        : each commodity on a new line+                            'bare'        : bare numbers, symbols in a column+     --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate hyperlinks to+                            hledger-web, with this prefix. (Usually the base+                            url shown by hledger-web; can also be relative.)+  -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:+                            txt, html, csv, tsv, json.+  -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching+                            one of the above formats selects that format.++   This command displays a balance sheet, showing historical ending+balances of asset and liability accounts.  (To see equity as well, use+the balancesheetequity command.)++   Accounts declared with the 'Asset', 'Cash' or 'Liability' type are+shown (see account types).  Or if no such accounts are declared, it+shows top-level accounts named 'asset' or 'liability' (case insensitive,+plurals allowed) and their subaccounts.++   Example:++$ hledger balancesheet+Balance Sheet 2008-12-31++                    || 2008-12-31 +====================++============+ Assets             ||            +--------------------++------------+ assets:bank:saving ||         $1 + assets:cash        ||        $-2 +--------------------++------------+                    ||        $-1 +====================++============+ Liabilities        ||            +--------------------++------------+ liabilities:debts  ||        $-1 +--------------------++------------+                    ||        $-1 +====================++============+ Net:               ||          0 ++   This command is a higher-level variant of the 'balance' command, and+supports many of that command's features, such as multi-period reports.+It is similar to 'hledger balance -H assets liabilities', but with+smarter account detection, and liabilities displayed with their sign+flipped.++   This command also supports the output destination and output format+options The output formats supported are 'txt', 'csv', 'tsv' (_Added in+1.32_), 'html', and 'json'.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: balancesheetequity,  Next: cashflow,  Prev: balancesheet,  Up: Standard report commands++28.5 balancesheetequity+=======================++(bse)++   This command displays a balance sheet, showing historical ending+balances of asset, liability and equity accounts.  Amounts are shown+with normal positive sign, as in conventional financial statements.++Flags:+     --sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts+                            (default)+     --valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of+                            period-end historical balances (caused by deposits,+                            withdrawals, market price fluctuations)+     --gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital+                            gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost+                            basis)+     --count                calculation mode: show the count of postings+     --change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column+                            start to column end (in multicolumn reports)+     --cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report+                            start (specified by e.g. -b/--begin) to column end+  -H --historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from+                            journal start to column end (includes postings+                            before report start date) (default)+  -l --flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list+                            (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,+                            except where the account is depth-clipped.+  -t --tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts+                            include subaccount amounts.+     --drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts+     --declared             include non-parent declared accounts (best used+                            with -E)+  -A --average              show a row average column (in multicolumn+                            reports)+  -T --row-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)+     --summary-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,+                            average) (in multicolumn reports)+  -N --no-total             omit the final total row+     --no-elide             in tree mode, don't squash boring parent accounts+     --format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)+  -S --sort-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name+  -% --percent              express values in percentage of each column's+                            total+     --layout=ARG           how to show multi-commodity amounts:+                            'wide[,WIDTH]': all commodities on one line+                            'tall'        : each commodity on a new line+                            'bare'        : bare numbers, symbols in a column+     --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate hyperlinks to+                            hledger-web, with this prefix. (Usually the base+                            url shown by hledger-web; can also be relative.)+  -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:+                            txt, html, csv, tsv, json.+  -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching+                            one of the above formats selects that format.++   This report shows accounts declared with the 'Asset', 'Cash',+'Liability' or 'Equity' type (see account types).  Or if no such+accounts are declared, it shows top-level accounts named 'asset',+'liability' or 'equity' (case insensitive, plurals allowed) and their+subaccounts.++   Example:++$ hledger balancesheetequity+Balance Sheet With Equity 2008-12-31++                    || 2008-12-31 +====================++============+ Assets             ||            +--------------------++------------+ assets:bank:saving ||         $1 + assets:cash        ||        $-2 +--------------------++------------+                    ||        $-1 +====================++============+ Liabilities        ||            +--------------------++------------+ liabilities:debts  ||        $-1 +--------------------++------------+                    ||        $-1 +====================++============+ Equity             ||            +--------------------++------------+--------------------++------------+                    ||          0 +====================++============+ Net:               ||          0 ++   This command is a higher-level variant of the 'balance' command, and+supports many of that command's features, such as multi-period reports.+It is similar to 'hledger balance -H assets liabilities equity', but+with smarter account detection, and liabilities/equity displayed with+their sign flipped.++   This report is the easiest way to see if the accounting equation+(A+L+E = 0) is satisfied (after you have done a 'close --retain' to+merge revenues and expenses with equity, and perhaps added+'--infer-equity' to balance your commodity conversions).++   This command also supports the output destination and output format+options The output formats supported are 'txt', 'csv', 'tsv', 'html',+and 'json'.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: cashflow,  Next: incomestatement,  Prev: balancesheetequity,  Up: Standard report commands++28.6 cashflow+=============++(cf)++   This command displays a (simple) cashflow statement, showing the+inflows and outflows affecting "cash" (ie, liquid, easily convertible)+assets.  Amounts are shown with normal positive sign, as in conventional+financial statements.++Flags:+     --sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts+                            (default)+     --valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of+                            period-end historical balances (caused by deposits,+                            withdrawals, market price fluctuations)+     --gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital+                            gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost+                            basis)+     --count                calculation mode: show the count of postings+     --change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column+                            start to column end (in multicolumn reports)+                            (default)+     --cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report+                            start (specified by e.g. -b/--begin) to column end+  -H --historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from+                            journal start to column end (includes postings+                            before report start date)+  -l --flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list+                            (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,+                            except where the account is depth-clipped.+  -t --tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts+                            include subaccount amounts.+     --drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts+     --declared             include non-parent declared accounts (best used+                            with -E)+  -A --average              show a row average column (in multicolumn+                            reports)+  -T --row-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)+     --summary-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,+                            average) (in multicolumn reports)+  -N --no-total             omit the final total row+     --no-elide             in tree mode, don't squash boring parent accounts+     --format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)+  -S --sort-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name+  -% --percent              express values in percentage of each column's+                            total+     --layout=ARG           how to show multi-commodity amounts:+                            'wide[,WIDTH]': all commodities on one line+                            'tall'        : each commodity on a new line+                            'bare'        : bare numbers, symbols in a column+     --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate hyperlinks to+                            hledger-web, with this prefix. (Usually the base+                            url shown by hledger-web; can also be relative.)+  -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:+                            txt, html, csv, tsv, json.+  -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching+                            one of the above formats selects that format.++   This report shows accounts declared with the 'Cash' type (see account+types).  Or if no such accounts are declared, it shows accounts++   * under a top-level account named 'asset' (case insensitive, plural+     allowed)+   * whose name contains some variation of 'cash', 'bank', 'checking' or+     'saving'.++   More precisely: all accounts matching this case insensitive regular+expression:++     ^assets?(:.+)?:(cash|bank|che(ck|que?)(ing)?|savings?|currentcash)(:|$)++   and their subaccounts.++   An example cashflow report:++$ hledger cashflow+Cashflow Statement 2008++                    || 2008 +====================++======+ Cash flows         ||      +--------------------++------+ assets:bank:saving ||   $1 + assets:cash        ||  $-2 +--------------------++------+                    ||  $-1 ++   This command is a higher-level variant of the 'balance' command, and+supports many of that command's features, such as multi-period reports.+It is similar to 'hledger balance assets not:fixed not:investment+not:receivable', but with smarter account detection.++   This command also supports the output destination and output format+options The output formats supported are 'txt', 'csv', 'tsv' (_Added in+1.32_), 'html', and 'json'.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: incomestatement,  Prev: cashflow,  Up: Standard report commands++28.7 incomestatement+====================++(is)++   Show revenue inflows and expense outflows during the report period.+Amounts are shown with normal positive sign, as in conventional+financial statements.++Flags:+     --sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts+                            (default)+     --valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of+                            period-end historical balances (caused by deposits,+                            withdrawals, market price fluctuations)+     --gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital+                            gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost+                            basis)+     --count                calculation mode: show the count of postings+     --change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column+                            start to column end (in multicolumn reports)+                            (default)+     --cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report+                            start (specified by e.g. -b/--begin) to column end+  -H --historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from+                            journal start to column end (includes postings+                            before report start date)+  -l --flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list+                            (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,+                            except where the account is depth-clipped.+  -t --tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts+                            include subaccount amounts.+     --drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts+     --declared             include non-parent declared accounts (best used+                            with -E)+  -A --average              show a row average column (in multicolumn+                            reports)+  -T --row-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)+     --summary-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,+                            average) (in multicolumn reports)+  -N --no-total             omit the final total row+     --no-elide             in tree mode, don't squash boring parent accounts+     --format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)+  -S --sort-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name+  -% --percent              express values in percentage of each column's+                            total+     --layout=ARG           how to show multi-commodity amounts:+                            'wide[,WIDTH]': all commodities on one line+                            'tall'        : each commodity on a new line+                            'bare'        : bare numbers, symbols in a column+     --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate hyperlinks to+                            hledger-web, with this prefix. (Usually the base+                            url shown by hledger-web; can also be relative.)+  -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:+                            txt, html, csv, tsv, json.+  -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching+                            one of the above formats selects that format.++   This command displays an income statement, showing revenues and+expenses during one or more periods.++   It shows accounts declared with the 'Revenue' or 'Expense' type (see+account types).  Or if no such accounts are declared, it shows top-level+accounts named 'revenue' or 'income' or 'expense' (case insensitive,+plurals allowed) and their subaccounts.++   Example:++$ hledger incomestatement+Income Statement 2008++                   || 2008 +===================++======+ Revenues          ||      +-------------------++------+ income:gifts      ||   $1 + income:salary     ||   $1 +-------------------++------+                   ||   $2 +===================++======+ Expenses          ||      +-------------------++------+ expenses:food     ||   $1 + expenses:supplies ||   $1 +-------------------++------+                   ||   $2 +===================++======+ Net:              ||    0 ++   This command is a higher-level variant of the 'balance' command, and+supports many of that command's features, such as multi-period reports.+It is similar to 'hledger balance '(revenues|income)' expenses', but+with smarter account detection, and revenues/income displayed with their+sign flipped.++   This command also supports the output destination and output format+options The output formats supported are 'txt', 'csv', 'tsv' (_Added in+1.32_), 'html', and 'json'.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Advanced report commands,  Next: Chart commands,  Prev: Standard report commands,  Up: Top++29 Advanced report commands+***************************++* Menu:++* balance::+* roi::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: balance,  Next: roi,  Up: Advanced report commands++29.1 balance+============++(bal)++   A flexible, general purpose "summing" report that shows accounts with+some kind of numeric data.  This can be balance changes per period, end+balances, budget performance, unrealised capital gains, etc.++Flags:+     --sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts+                            (default)+     --valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of+                            period-end historical balances (caused by deposits,+                            withdrawals, market price fluctuations)+     --gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital+                            gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost+                            basis)+     --budget[=DESCPAT]     calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts+                            together with budget goals defined by periodic+                            transactions. With a DESCPAT argument (must be+                            separated by = not space),+                            use only periodic transactions with matching+                            description+                            (case insensitive substring match).+     --count                calculation mode: show the count of postings+     --change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column+                            start to column end (in multicolumn reports,+                            default)+     --cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report+                            start (specified by e.g. -b/--begin) to column end+  -H --historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from+                            journal start to column end (includes postings+                            before report start date)+  -l --flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list+                            (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,+                            except where the account is depth-clipped.+  -t --tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts+                            include subaccount amounts.+     --drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts+     --declared             include non-parent declared accounts (best used+                            with -E)+  -A --average              show a row average column (in multicolumn+                            reports)+  -T --row-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)+     --summary-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,+                            average) (in multicolumn reports)+  -N --no-total             omit the final total row+     --no-elide             in tree mode, don't squash boring parent accounts+     --format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)+  -S --sort-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name (in+                            flat mode). With multiple columns, sorts by the row+                            total, or by row average if that is displayed.+  -% --percent              express values in percentage of each column's+                            total+  -r --related              show the other accounts transacted with, instead+     --invert               display all amounts with reversed sign+     --transpose            switch rows and columns (use vertical time axis)+     --layout=ARG           how to lay out multi-commodity amounts and the+                            overall table:+                            'wide[,W]': commodities on same line, up to W wide+                            'tall'    : commodities on separate lines+                            'bare'    : commodity symbols in a separate column+                            'tidy'    : each data field in its own column+     --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate links to hledger-web,+                            with this prefix. (Usually the base url shown by+                            hledger-web; can also be relative.)+  -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:+                            txt, html, csv, tsv, json, fods.+  -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching+                            one of the above formats selects that format.++   'balance' is one of hledger's oldest and most versatile commands, for+listing account balances, balance changes, values, value changes and+more, during one time period or many.  Generally it shows a table, with+rows representing accounts, and columns representing periods.++   Note there are some variants of the 'balance' command with convenient+defaults, which are simpler to use: 'balancesheet',+'balancesheetequity', 'cashflow' and 'incomestatement'.  When you need+more control, then use 'balance'.++* Menu:++* balance features::+* Simple balance report::+* Balance report line format::+* Filtered balance report::+* List or tree mode::+* Depth limiting::+* Dropping top-level accounts::+* Showing declared accounts::+* Sorting by amount::+* Percentages::+* Multi-period balance report::+* Balance change end balance::+* Balance report modes::+* Budget report::+* Balance report layout::+* Balance report output::+* Some useful balance reports::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: balance features,  Next: Simple balance report,  Up: balance++29.1.1 balance features+-----------------------++Here's a quick overview of the 'balance' command's features, followed by+more detailed descriptions and examples.  Many of these work with the+other balance-like commands as well ('bs', 'cf', 'is'..).++   'balance' can show..++   * accounts as a list ('-l') or a tree ('-t')+   * optionally depth-limited ('-[1-9]')+   * sorted by declaration order and name, or by amount++   ..and their..++   * balance changes (the default)+   * or actual and planned balance changes ('--budget')+   * or value of balance changes ('-V')+   * or change of balance values ('--valuechange')+   * or unrealised capital gain/loss ('--gain')+   * or balance changes from sibling postings ('--related'/'-r')+   * or postings count ('--count')++   ..in..++   * one time period (the whole journal period by default)+   * or multiple periods ('-D', '-W', '-M', '-Q', '-Y', '-p INTERVAL')++   ..either..++   * per period (the default)+   * or accumulated since report start date ('--cumulative')+   * or accumulated since account creation ('--historical/-H')++   ..possibly converted to..++   * cost ('--value=cost[,COMM]'/'--cost'/'-B')+   * or market value, as of transaction dates ('--value=then[,COMM]')+   * or at period ends ('--value=end[,COMM]')+   * or now ('--value=now')+   * or at some other date ('--value=YYYY-MM-DD')++   ..with..++   * totals ('-T'), averages ('-A'), percentages ('-%'), inverted sign+     ('--invert')+   * rows and columns swapped ('--transpose')+   * another field used as account name ('--pivot')+   * custom-formatted line items (single-period reports only)+     ('--format')+   * commodities displayed on the same line or multiple lines+     ('--layout')++   This command supports the output destination and output format+options, with output formats 'txt', 'csv', 'tsv' (_Added in 1.32_),+'json', and (multi-period reports only:) 'html', 'fods' (_Added in+1.40_).  In 'txt' output in a colour-supporting terminal, negative+amounts are shown in red.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Simple balance report,  Next: Balance report line format,  Prev: balance features,  Up: balance++29.1.2 Simple balance report+----------------------------++With no arguments, 'balance' shows a list of all accounts and their+change of balance - ie, the sum of posting amounts, both inflows and+outflows - during the entire period of the journal.  ("Simple" here+means just one column of numbers, covering a single period.  You can+also have multi-period reports, described later.)++   For real-world accounts, these numbers will normally be their end+balance at the end of the journal period; more on this below.++   Accounts are sorted by declaration order if any, and then+alphabetically by account name.  For instance (using+examples/sample.journal):++$ hledger -f examples/sample.journal bal+                  $1  assets:bank:saving+                 $-2  assets:cash+                  $1  expenses:food+                  $1  expenses:supplies+                 $-1  income:gifts+                 $-1  income:salary+                  $1  liabilities:debts+--------------------+                   0  ++   Accounts with a zero balance (and no non-zero subaccounts, in tree+mode - see below) are hidden by default.  Use '-E/--empty' to show them+(revealing 'assets:bank:checking' here):++$ hledger -f examples/sample.journal bal  -E+                   0  assets:bank:checking+                  $1  assets:bank:saving+                 $-2  assets:cash+                  $1  expenses:food+                  $1  expenses:supplies+                 $-1  income:gifts+                 $-1  income:salary+                  $1  liabilities:debts+--------------------+                   0  ++   The total of the amounts displayed is shown as the last line, unless+'-N'/'--no-total' is used.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Balance report line format,  Next: Filtered balance report,  Prev: Simple balance report,  Up: balance++29.1.3 Balance report line format+---------------------------------++For single-period balance reports displayed in the terminal (only), you+can use '--format FMT' to customise the format and content of each line.+Eg:++$ hledger -f examples/sample.journal balance --format "%20(account) %12(total)"+              assets          $-1+         bank:saving           $1+                cash          $-2+            expenses           $2+                food           $1+            supplies           $1+              income          $-2+               gifts          $-1+              salary          $-1+   liabilities:debts           $1+---------------------------------+                                0++   The FMT format string specifies the formatting applied to each+account/balance pair.  It may contain any suitable text, with data+fields interpolated like so:++     %[MIN][.MAX](FIELDNAME)++   * MIN pads with spaces to at least this width (optional)++   * MAX truncates at this width (optional)++   * FIELDNAME must be enclosed in parentheses, and can be one of:++        * 'depth_spacer' - a number of spaces equal to the account's+          depth, or if MIN is specified, MIN * depth spaces.+        * 'account' - the account's name+        * 'total' - the account's balance/posted total, right justified++   Also, FMT can begin with an optional prefix to control how+multi-commodity amounts are rendered:++   * '%_' - render on multiple lines, bottom-aligned (the default)+   * '%^' - render on multiple lines, top-aligned+   * '%,' - render on one line, comma-separated++   There are some quirks.  Eg in one-line mode, '%(depth_spacer)' has no+effect, instead '%(account)' has indentation built in.  Experimentation+may be needed to get pleasing results.++   Some example formats:++   * '%(total)' - the account's total+   * '%-20.20(account)' - the account's name, left justified, padded to+     20 characters and clipped at 20 characters+   * '%,%-50(account) %25(total)' - account name padded to 50+     characters, total padded to 20 characters, with multiple+     commodities rendered on one line+   * '%20(total) %2(depth_spacer)%-(account)' - the default format for+     the single-column balance report+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Filtered balance report,  Next: List or tree mode,  Prev: Balance report line format,  Up: balance++29.1.4 Filtered balance report+------------------------------++You can show fewer accounts, a different time period, totals from+cleared transactions only, etc.  by using query arguments or options to+limit the postings being matched.  Eg:++$ hledger -f examples/sample.journal bal --cleared assets date:200806+                 $-2  assets:cash+--------------------+                 $-2  +++File: hledger.info,  Node: List or tree mode,  Next: Depth limiting,  Prev: Filtered balance report,  Up: balance++29.1.5 List or tree mode+------------------------++By default, or with '-l/--flat', accounts are shown as a flat list with+their full names visible, as in the examples above.++   With '-t/--tree', the account hierarchy is shown, with subaccounts'+"leaf" names indented below their parent:++$ hledger -f examples/sample.journal balance+                 $-1  assets+                  $1    bank:saving+                 $-2    cash+                  $2  expenses+                  $1    food+                  $1    supplies+                 $-2  income+                 $-1    gifts+                 $-1    salary+                  $1  liabilities:debts+--------------------+                   0++   Notes:++   * "Boring" accounts are combined with their subaccount for more+     compact output, unless '--no-elide' is used.  Boring accounts have+     no balance of their own and just one subaccount (eg 'assets:bank'+     and 'liabilities' above).++   * All balances shown are "inclusive", ie including the balances from+     all subaccounts.  Note this means some repetition in the output,+     which requires explanation when sharing reports with+     non-plaintextaccounting-users.  A tree mode report's final total is+     the sum of the top-level balances shown, not of all the balances+     shown.++   * Each group of sibling accounts (ie, under a common parent) is+     sorted separately.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Depth limiting,  Next: Dropping top-level accounts,  Prev: List or tree mode,  Up: balance++29.1.6 Depth limiting+---------------------++With a 'depth:NUM' query, or '--depth NUM' option, or just '-NUM' (eg:+'-3') balance reports will show accounts only to the specified depth,+hiding the deeper subaccounts.  This can be useful for getting an+overview without too much detail.++   Account balances at the depth limit always include the balances from+any deeper subaccounts (even in list mode).  Eg, limiting to depth 1:++$ hledger -f examples/sample.journal balance -1+                 $-1  assets+                  $2  expenses+                 $-2  income+                  $1  liabilities+--------------------+                   0  +++File: hledger.info,  Node: Dropping top-level accounts,  Next: Showing declared accounts,  Prev: Depth limiting,  Up: balance++29.1.7 Dropping top-level accounts+----------------------------------++You can also hide one or more top-level account name parts, using+'--drop NUM'.  This can be useful for hiding repetitive top-level+account names:++$ hledger -f examples/sample.journal bal expenses --drop 1+                  $1  food+                  $1  supplies+--------------------+                  $2  +++File: hledger.info,  Node: Showing declared accounts,  Next: Sorting by amount,  Prev: Dropping top-level accounts,  Up: balance++29.1.8 Showing declared accounts+--------------------------------++With '--declared', accounts which have been declared with an account+directive will be included in the balance report, even if they have no+transactions.  (Since they will have a zero balance, you will also need+'-E/--empty' to see them.)++   More precisely, _leaf_ declared accounts (with no subaccounts) will+be included, since those are usually the more useful in reports.++   The idea of this is to be able to see a useful "complete" balance+report, even when you don't have transactions in all of your declared+accounts yet.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Sorting by amount,  Next: Percentages,  Prev: Showing declared accounts,  Up: balance++29.1.9 Sorting by amount+------------------------++With '-S/--sort-amount', accounts with the largest (most positive)+balances are shown first.  Eg: 'hledger bal expenses -MAS' shows your+biggest averaged monthly expenses first.  When more than one commodity+is present, they will be sorted by the alphabetically earliest commodity+first, and then by subsequent commodities (if an amount is missing a+commodity, it is treated as 0).++   Revenues and liability balances are typically negative, however, so+'-S' shows these in reverse order.  To work around this, you can add+'--invert' to flip the signs.  Or you could use one of the higher-level+balance reports ('bs', 'is'..), which flip the sign automatically (eg:+'hledger is -MAS').+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Percentages,  Next: Multi-period balance report,  Prev: Sorting by amount,  Up: balance++29.1.10 Percentages+-------------------++With '-%/--percent', balance reports show each account's value expressed+as a percentage of the (column) total.++   Note it is not useful to calculate percentages if the amounts in a+column have mixed signs.  In this case, make a separate report for each+sign, eg:++$ hledger bal -% amt:`>0`+$ hledger bal -% amt:`<0`++   Similarly, if the amounts in a column have mixed commodities, convert+them to one commodity with '-B', '-V', '-X' or '--value', or make a+separate report for each commodity:++$ hledger bal -% cur:\\$+$ hledger bal -% cur:€+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Multi-period balance report,  Next: Balance change end balance,  Prev: Percentages,  Up: balance++29.1.11 Multi-period balance report+-----------------------------------++With a report interval (set by the '-D/--daily', '-W/--weekly',+'-M/--monthly', '-Q/--quarterly', '-Y/--yearly', or '-p/--period' flag),+'balance' shows a tabular report, with columns representing successive+time periods (and a title):++$ hledger -f examples/sample.journal bal --quarterly income expenses -E+Balance changes in 2008:++                   ||  2008q1  2008q2  2008q3  2008q4 +===================++=================================+ expenses:food     ||       0      $1       0       0 + expenses:supplies ||       0      $1       0       0 + income:gifts      ||       0     $-1       0       0 + income:salary     ||     $-1       0       0       0 +-------------------++---------------------------------+                   ||     $-1      $1       0       0 ++   Notes:++   * The report's start/end dates will be expanded, if necessary, to+     fully encompass the displayed subperiods (so that the first and+     last subperiods have the same duration as the others).+   * Leading and trailing periods (columns) containing all zeroes are+     not shown, unless '-E/--empty' is used.+   * Accounts (rows) containing all zeroes are not shown, unless+     '-E/--empty' is used.+   * Amounts with many commodities are shown in abbreviated form, unless+     '--no-elide' is used.+   * Average and/or total columns can be added with the '-A/--average'+     and '-T/--row-total' flags.+   * The '--transpose' flag can be used to exchange rows and columns.+   * The '--pivot FIELD' option causes a different transaction field to+     be used as "account name".  See PIVOTING.+   * The '--summary-only' flag ('--summary' also works) hides all but+     the Total and Average columns (those should be enabled with+     '--row-total' and '-A/--average').++   Multi-period reports with many periods can be too wide for easy+viewing in the terminal.  Here are some ways to handle that:++   * Hide the totals row with '-N/--no-total'+   * Filter to a single currency with 'cur:'+   * Convert to a single currency with '-V [--infer-market-price]'+   * Use a more compact layout like '--layout=bare'+   * Maximize the terminal window+   * Reduce the terminal's font size+   * View with a pager like less, eg: 'hledger bal -D --color=yes | less+     -RS'+   * Output as CSV and use a CSV viewer like visidata ('hledger bal -D+     -O csv | vd -f csv'), Emacs' csv-mode ('M-x csv-mode, C-c C-a'), or+     a spreadsheet ('hledger bal -D -o a.csv && open a.csv')+   * Output as HTML and view with a browser: 'hledger bal -D -o a.html+     && open a.html'+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Balance change end balance,  Next: Balance report modes,  Prev: Multi-period balance report,  Up: balance++29.1.12 Balance change, end balance+-----------------------------------++It's important to be clear on the meaning of the numbers shown in+balance reports.  Here is some terminology we use:++   A *_balance change_* is the net amount added to, or removed from, an+account during some period.++   An *_end balance_* is the amount accumulated in an account as of some+date (and some time, but hledger doesn't store that; assume end of day+in your timezone).  It is the sum of previous balance changes.++   We call it a *_historical end balance_* if it includes all balance+changes since the account was created.  For a real world account, this+means it will match the "historical record", eg the balances reported in+your bank statements or bank web UI. (If they are correct!)++   In general, balance changes are what you want to see when reviewing+revenues and expenses, and historical end balances are what you want to+see when reviewing or reconciling asset, liability and equity accounts.++   'balance' shows balance changes by default.  To see accurate+historical end balances:++  1. Initialise account starting balances with an "opening balances"+     transaction (a transfer from equity to the account), unless the+     journal covers the account's full lifetime.++  2. Include all of of the account's prior postings in the report, by+     not specifying a report start date, or by using the+     '-H/--historical' flag.  ('-H' causes report start date to be+     ignored when summing postings.)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Balance report modes,  Next: Budget report,  Prev: Balance change end balance,  Up: balance++29.1.13 Balance report modes+----------------------------++The balance command is quite flexible; here is the full detail on how to+control what it reports.  If the following seems complicated, don't+worry - this is for advanced reporting, and it does take time and+experimentation to get familiar with all the report modes.++   There are three important option groups:++     hledger balance [CALCULATIONMODE] [ACCUMULATIONMODE] [VALUATIONMODE] ...++* Menu:++* Calculation mode::+* Accumulation mode::+* Valuation mode::+* Combining balance report modes::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Calculation mode,  Next: Accumulation mode,  Up: Balance report modes++29.1.13.1 Calculation mode+..........................++The basic calculation to perform for each table cell.  It is one of:++   * '--sum' : sum the posting amounts (*default*)+   * '--budget' : sum the amounts, but also show the budget goal amount+     (for each account/period)+   * '--valuechange' : show the change in period-end historical balance+     values (caused by deposits, withdrawals, and/or market price+     fluctuations)+   * '--gain' : show the unrealised capital gain/loss, (the current+     valued balance minus each amount's original cost)+   * '--count' : show the count of postings+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Accumulation mode,  Next: Valuation mode,  Prev: Calculation mode,  Up: Balance report modes++29.1.13.2 Accumulation mode+...........................++How amounts should accumulate across a report's subperiods/columns.+Another way to say it: which time period's postings should contribute to+each cell's calculation.  It is one of:++   * '--change' : calculate with postings from column start to column+     end, ie "just this column".  Typically used to see+     revenues/expenses.  (*default for balance, cashflow,+     incomestatement*)++   * '--cumulative' : calculate with postings from report start to+     column end, ie "previous columns plus this column".  Typically used+     to show changes accumulated since the report's start date.  Not+     often used.++   * '--historical/-H' : calculate with postings from journal start to+     column end, ie "all postings from before report start date until+     this column's end".  Typically used to see historical end balances+     of assets/liabilities/equity.  (*default for balancesheet,+     balancesheetequity*)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Valuation mode,  Next: Combining balance report modes,  Prev: Accumulation mode,  Up: Balance report modes++29.1.13.3 Valuation mode+........................++Which kind of value or cost conversion should be applied, if any, before+displaying the report.  See Cost reporting and Value reporting for more+about conversions.++   A valuation (or cost) mode can be selected with the -value option:++   * no conversion : don't convert to cost or value (*default*)+   * '--value=cost[,COMM]' : convert amounts to cost (then optionally to+     some other commodity)+   * '--value=then[,COMM]' : convert amounts to market value on+     transaction dates+   * '--value=end[,COMM]' : convert amounts to market value on period+     end date(s)+     (*default with '--valuechange', '--gain'*)+   * '--value=now[,COMM]' : convert amounts to market value on today's+     date+   * '--value=YYYY-MM-DD[,COMM]' : convert amounts to market value on+     another date++   or with the legacy -B/-V/-X options, which are equivalent and easier+to type:++   * '-B'/'--cost' : like -value=cost+   * '-V'/'--market' : like -value=end+   * '-X COMM'/'--exchange COMM' : like -value=end,COMM++   Note that -value can also convert to cost, as a convenience; but+actually -cost and -value are independent options, and could be used+together.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Combining balance report modes,  Prev: Valuation mode,  Up: Balance report modes++29.1.13.4 Combining balance report modes+........................................++Most combinations of these modes should produce reasonable reports, but+if you find any that seem wrong or misleading, let us know.  The+following restrictions are applied:++   * '--valuechange' implies '--value=end'+   * '--valuechange' makes '--change' the default when used with the+     'balancesheet'/'balancesheetequity' commands+   * '--cumulative' or '--historical' disables '--row-total/-T'++   For reference, here is what the combinations of accumulation and+valuation show:++Valuation:>no valuation    '--value= then'   '--value= end'   '--value=+Accumulation:v                                                YYYY-MM-DD+                                                              /now'+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+'--change'change in        sum of            period-end       DATE-value+         period            posting-date      value of         of change in+                           market values     change in        period+                           in period         period+'--cumulative'change from  sum of            period-end       DATE-value+         report start to   posting-date      value of         of change+         period end        market values     change from      from report+                           from report       report start     start to+                           start to period   to period end    period end+                           end+'--historicalchange from   sum of            period-end       DATE-value+/-H'     journal start     posting-date      value of         of change+         to period end     market values     change from      from journal+         (historical end   from journal      journal start    start to+         balance)          start to period   to period end    period end+                           end+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Budget report,  Next: Balance report layout,  Prev: Balance report modes,  Up: balance++29.1.14 Budget report+---------------------++The '--budget' report is like a regular balance report, but with two+main differences:++   * Budget goals and performance percentages are also shown, in+     brackets+   * Accounts which don't have budget goals are hidden by default.++   This is useful for comparing planned and actual income, expenses,+time usage, etc.++   Periodic transaction rules are used to define budget goals.  For+example, here's a periodic rule defining monthly goals for bus travel+and food expenses:++;; Budget+~ monthly+  (expenses:bus)              $30+  (expenses:food)            $400++   After recording some actual expenses,++;; Two months worth of expenses+2017-11-01+  income                   $-1950+  expenses:bus                $35+  expenses:food:groceries    $310+  expenses:food:dining        $42+  expenses:movies             $38+  assets:bank:checking++2017-12-01+  income                   $-2100+  expenses:bus                $53+  expenses:food:groceries    $380+  expenses:food:dining        $32+  expenses:gifts             $100+  assets:bank:checking++   we can see a budget report like this:++$ hledger bal -M --budget+Budget performance in 2017-11-01..2017-12-31:++               ||                  Nov                   Dec +===============++============================================+ <unbudgeted>  || $-425                 $-565                + expenses      ||  $425 [ 99% of $430]   $565 [131% of $430] + expenses:bus  ||   $35 [117% of  $30]    $53 [177% of  $30] + expenses:food ||  $352 [ 88% of $400]   $412 [103% of $400] +---------------++--------------------------------------------+               ||     0 [  0% of $430]      0 [  0% of $430] ++   This is "goal-based budgeting"; you define goals for accounts and+periods, often recurring, and hledger shows performance relative to the+goals.  This contrasts with "envelope budgeting", which is more detailed+and strict - useful when cash is tight, but also quite a bit more work.+https://plaintextaccounting.org/Budgeting has more on this topic.++* Menu:++* Using the budget report::+* Budget date surprises::+* Selecting budget goals::+* Budgeting vs forecasting::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Using the budget report,  Next: Budget date surprises,  Up: Budget report++29.1.14.1 Using the budget report+.................................++Historically this report has been confusing and fragile.  hledger's+version should be relatively robust and intuitive, but you may still+find surprises.  Here are more notes to help with learning and+troubleshooting.++   * In the above example, 'expenses:bus' and 'expenses:food' are shown+     because they have budget goals during the report period.++   * Their parent 'expenses' is also shown, with budget goals aggregated+     from the children.++   * The subaccounts 'expenses:food:groceries' and+     'expenses:food:dining' are not shown since they have no budget goal+     of their own, but they contribute to 'expenses:food''s actual+     amount.++   * Unbudgeted accounts 'expenses:movies' and 'expenses:gifts' are also+     not shown, but they contribute to 'expenses''s actual amount.++   * The other unbudgeted accounts 'income' and 'assets:bank:checking'+     are grouped as '<unbudgeted>'.++   * '--depth' or 'depth:' can be used to limit report depth in the+     usual way (but will not reveal unbudgeted subaccounts).++   * Amounts are always inclusive of subaccounts (even in '-l/--list'+     mode).++   * Numbers displayed in a -budget report will not always agree with+     the totals, because of hidden unbudgeted accounts; this is normal.+     '-E/--empty' can be used to reveal the hidden accounts.++   * In the periodic rules used for setting budget goals, unbalanced+     postings are convenient.++   * You can filter budget reports with the usual queries, eg to focus+     on particular accounts.  It's common to restrict them to just+     expenses.  (The '<unbudgeted>' account is occasionally hard to+     exclude; this is because of date surprises, discussed below.)++   * When you have multiple currencies, you may want to convert them to+     one ('-X COMM --infer-market-prices') and/or show just one at a+     time ('cur:COMM').  If you do need to show multiple currencies at+     once, '--layout bare' can be helpful.++   * You can "roll over" amounts (actual and budgeted) to the next+     period with '--cumulative'.++   See also: https://hledger.org/budgeting.html.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Budget date surprises,  Next: Selecting budget goals,  Prev: Using the budget report,  Up: Budget report++29.1.14.2 Budget date surprises+...............................++With small data, or when starting out, some of the generated budget goal+transaction dates might fall outside the report periods.  Eg with the+following journal and report, the first period appears to have no+'expenses:food' budget.  (Also the '<unbudgeted>' account should be+excluded by the 'expenses' query, but isn't.):++~ monthly in 2020+  (expenses:food)  $500++2020-01-15+  expenses:food    $400+  assets:checking++$ hledger bal --budget expenses+Budget performance in 2020-01-15:++               ||         2020-01-15 +===============++====================+ <unbudgeted>  || $400               + expenses:food ||    0 [ 0% of $500] +---------------++--------------------+               || $400 [80% of $500] ++   In this case, the budget goal transactions are generated on first+days of of month (this can be seen with 'hledger print --forecast+tag:generated expenses').  Whereas the report period defaults to just+the 15th day of january (this can be seen from the report table's column+headings).++   To fix this kind of thing, be more explicit about the report period+(and/or the periodic rules' dates).  In this case, adding '-b 2020' does+the trick.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Selecting budget goals,  Next: Budgeting vs forecasting,  Prev: Budget date surprises,  Up: Budget report++29.1.14.3 Selecting budget goals+................................++By default, the budget report uses all available periodic transaction+rules to generate goals.  This includes rules with a different report+interval from your report.  Eg if you have daily, weekly and monthly+periodic rules, all of these will contribute to the goals in a monthly+budget report.++   You can select a subset of periodic rules by providing an argument to+the '--budget' flag.  '--budget=DESCPAT' will match all periodic rules+whose description contains DESCPAT, a case-insensitive substring (not a+regular expression or query).  This means you can give your periodic+rules descriptions (remember that two spaces are needed between period+expression and description), and then select from multiple budgets+defined in your journal.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Budgeting vs forecasting,  Prev: Selecting budget goals,  Up: Budget report++29.1.14.4 Budgeting vs forecasting+..................................++'--forecast' and '--budget' both use the periodic transaction rules in+the journal to generate temporary transactions for reporting purposes.+However they are separate features - though you can use both at the same+time if you want.  Here are some differences between them:++-forecast                                -budget+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+is a general option; it enables          is a balance command option;+forecasting with all reports             it selects the balance+                                         report's budget mode+generates visible transactions which     generates invisible+appear in reports                        transactions which produce+                                         goal amounts+generates forecast transactions from     generates budget goal+after the last regular transaction, to   transactions throughout the+the end of the report period; or with    report period, optionally+an argument '--forecast=PERIODEXPR'      restricted by periods+generates them throughout the            specified in the periodic+specified period, both optionally        transaction rules+restricted by periods specified in the+periodic transaction rules+uses all periodic rules                  uses all periodic rules; or+                                         with an argument+                                         '--budget=DESCPAT' uses just+                                         the rules matched by DESCPAT+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Balance report layout,  Next: Balance report output,  Prev: Budget report,  Up: balance++29.1.15 Balance report layout+-----------------------------++The '--layout' option affects how 'balance' and the other balance-like+commands show multi-commodity amounts and commodity symbols.  It can+improve readability, for humans and/or machines (other software).  It+has four possible values:++   * '--layout=wide[,WIDTH]': commodities are shown on a single line,+     optionally elided to WIDTH+   * '--layout=tall': each commodity is shown on a separate line+   * '--layout=bare': commodity symbols are in their own column, amounts+     are bare numbers+   * '--layout=tidy': data is normalised to easily-consumed "tidy" form,+     with one row per data value.  (This one is currently supported only+     by the 'balance' command.)++   Here are the '--layout' modes supported by each output format Only+CSV output supports all of them:++-      txt   csv   html   json   sql+---------------------------------------+wide   Y     Y     Y+tall   Y     Y     Y+bare   Y     Y     Y+tidy         Y++   Examples:++* Menu:++* Wide layout::+* Tall layout::+* Bare layout::+* Tidy layout::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Wide layout,  Next: Tall layout,  Up: Balance report layout++29.1.15.1 Wide layout+.....................++With many commodities, reports can be very wide:++$ hledger -f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade -3 -T -Y --layout=wide+Balance changes in 2012-01-01..2014-12-31:++                  ||                                          2012                                                     2013                                             2014                                                      Total +==================++====================================================================================================================================================================================================================+ Assets:US:ETrade || 10.00 ITOT, 337.18 USD, 12.00 VEA, 106.00 VHT  70.00 GLD, 18.00 ITOT, -98.12 USD, 10.00 VEA, 18.00 VHT  -11.00 ITOT, 4881.44 USD, 14.00 VEA, 170.00 VHT  70.00 GLD, 17.00 ITOT, 5120.50 USD, 36.00 VEA, 294.00 VHT +------------------++--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+                  || 10.00 ITOT, 337.18 USD, 12.00 VEA, 106.00 VHT  70.00 GLD, 18.00 ITOT, -98.12 USD, 10.00 VEA, 18.00 VHT  -11.00 ITOT, 4881.44 USD, 14.00 VEA, 170.00 VHT  70.00 GLD, 17.00 ITOT, 5120.50 USD, 36.00 VEA, 294.00 VHT ++   A width limit reduces the width, but some commodities will be hidden:++$ hledger -f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade -3 -T -Y --layout=wide,32+Balance changes in 2012-01-01..2014-12-31:++                  ||                             2012                             2013                   2014                            Total +==================++===========================================================================================================================+ Assets:US:ETrade || 10.00 ITOT, 337.18 USD, 2 more..  70.00 GLD, 18.00 ITOT, 3 more..  -11.00 ITOT, 3 more..  70.00 GLD, 17.00 ITOT, 3 more.. +------------------++---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+                  || 10.00 ITOT, 337.18 USD, 2 more..  70.00 GLD, 18.00 ITOT, 3 more..  -11.00 ITOT, 3 more..  70.00 GLD, 17.00 ITOT, 3 more.. +++File: hledger.info,  Node: Tall layout,  Next: Bare layout,  Prev: Wide layout,  Up: Balance report layout++29.1.15.2 Tall layout+.....................++Each commodity gets a new line (may be different in each column), and+account names are repeated:++$ hledger -f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade -3 -T -Y --layout=tall+Balance changes in 2012-01-01..2014-12-31:++                  ||       2012        2013         2014        Total +==================++==================================================+ Assets:US:ETrade || 10.00 ITOT   70.00 GLD  -11.00 ITOT    70.00 GLD + Assets:US:ETrade || 337.18 USD  18.00 ITOT  4881.44 USD   17.00 ITOT + Assets:US:ETrade ||  12.00 VEA  -98.12 USD    14.00 VEA  5120.50 USD + Assets:US:ETrade || 106.00 VHT   10.00 VEA   170.00 VHT    36.00 VEA + Assets:US:ETrade ||              18.00 VHT                294.00 VHT +------------------++--------------------------------------------------+                  || 10.00 ITOT   70.00 GLD  -11.00 ITOT    70.00 GLD +                  || 337.18 USD  18.00 ITOT  4881.44 USD   17.00 ITOT +                  ||  12.00 VEA  -98.12 USD    14.00 VEA  5120.50 USD +                  || 106.00 VHT   10.00 VEA   170.00 VHT    36.00 VEA +                  ||              18.00 VHT                294.00 VHT +++File: hledger.info,  Node: Bare layout,  Next: Tidy layout,  Prev: Tall layout,  Up: Balance report layout++29.1.15.3 Bare layout+.....................++Commodity symbols are kept in one column, each commodity has its own+row, amounts are bare numbers, account names are repeated:++$ hledger -f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade -3 -T -Y --layout=bare+Balance changes in 2012-01-01..2014-12-31:++                  || Commodity    2012    2013     2014    Total +==================++=============================================+ Assets:US:ETrade || GLD             0   70.00        0    70.00 + Assets:US:ETrade || ITOT        10.00   18.00   -11.00    17.00 + Assets:US:ETrade || USD        337.18  -98.12  4881.44  5120.50 + Assets:US:ETrade || VEA         12.00   10.00    14.00    36.00 + Assets:US:ETrade || VHT        106.00   18.00   170.00   294.00 +------------------++---------------------------------------------+                  || GLD             0   70.00        0    70.00 +                  || ITOT        10.00   18.00   -11.00    17.00 +                  || USD        337.18  -98.12  4881.44  5120.50 +                  || VEA         12.00   10.00    14.00    36.00 +                  || VHT        106.00   18.00   170.00   294.00 ++   Bare layout also affects CSV output, which is useful for producing+data that is easier to consume, eg for making charts:++$ hledger -f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade -3 -O csv --layout=bare+"account","commodity","balance"+"Assets:US:ETrade","GLD","70.00"+"Assets:US:ETrade","ITOT","17.00"+"Assets:US:ETrade","USD","5120.50"+"Assets:US:ETrade","VEA","36.00"+"Assets:US:ETrade","VHT","294.00"+"Total:","GLD","70.00"+"Total:","ITOT","17.00"+"Total:","USD","5120.50"+"Total:","VEA","36.00"+"Total:","VHT","294.00"++   Bare layout will sometimes display an extra row for the no-symbol+commodity, because of zero amounts (hledger treats zeroes as+commodity-less, usually).  This can break 'hledger-bar' confusingly+(workaround: add a 'cur:' query to exclude the no-symbol row).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Tidy layout,  Prev: Bare layout,  Up: Balance report layout++29.1.15.4 Tidy layout+.....................++This produces normalised "tidy data" (see+https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/tidyr/vignettes/tidy-data.html)+where every variable has its own column and each row represents a single+data point.  This is the easiest kind of data for other software to+consume:++$ hledger -f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade -3 -Y -O csv --layout=tidy+"account","period","start_date","end_date","commodity","value"+"Assets:US:ETrade","2012","2012-01-01","2012-12-31","GLD","0"+"Assets:US:ETrade","2012","2012-01-01","2012-12-31","ITOT","10.00"+"Assets:US:ETrade","2012","2012-01-01","2012-12-31","USD","337.18"+"Assets:US:ETrade","2012","2012-01-01","2012-12-31","VEA","12.00"+"Assets:US:ETrade","2012","2012-01-01","2012-12-31","VHT","106.00"+"Assets:US:ETrade","2013","2013-01-01","2013-12-31","GLD","70.00"+"Assets:US:ETrade","2013","2013-01-01","2013-12-31","ITOT","18.00"+"Assets:US:ETrade","2013","2013-01-01","2013-12-31","USD","-98.12"+"Assets:US:ETrade","2013","2013-01-01","2013-12-31","VEA","10.00"+"Assets:US:ETrade","2013","2013-01-01","2013-12-31","VHT","18.00"+"Assets:US:ETrade","2014","2014-01-01","2014-12-31","GLD","0"+"Assets:US:ETrade","2014","2014-01-01","2014-12-31","ITOT","-11.00"+"Assets:US:ETrade","2014","2014-01-01","2014-12-31","USD","4881.44"+"Assets:US:ETrade","2014","2014-01-01","2014-12-31","VEA","14.00"+"Assets:US:ETrade","2014","2014-01-01","2014-12-31","VHT","170.00"+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Balance report output,  Next: Some useful balance reports,  Prev: Balance report layout,  Up: balance++29.1.16 Balance report output+-----------------------------++As noted in Output format, if you choose HTML output (by using '-O html'+or '-o somefile.html'), you can create a 'hledger.css' file in the same+directory to customise the report's appearance.++   The HTML and FODS output formats can generate hyperlinks to a+'hledger-web' register view for each account and period.  E.g.  if your+'hledger-web' server is reachable at 'http://localhost:5000' then you+might run the 'balance' command with the extra option+'--base-url=http://localhost:5000'.  You can also produce relative+links, like '--base-url="some/path"' or '--base-url=""'.)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Some useful balance reports,  Prev: Balance report output,  Up: balance++29.1.17 Some useful balance reports+-----------------------------------++Some frequently used 'balance' options/reports are:++   * 'bal -M revenues expenses'+     Show revenues/expenses in each month.  Also available as the+     'incomestatement' command.++   * 'bal -M -H assets liabilities'+     Show historical asset/liability balances at each month end.  Also+     available as the 'balancesheet' command.++   * 'bal -M -H assets liabilities equity'+     Show historical asset/liability/equity balances at each month end.+     Also available as the 'balancesheetequity' command.++   * 'bal -M assets not:receivable'+     Show changes to liquid assets in each month.  Also available as the+     'cashflow' command.++   Also:++   * 'bal -M expenses -2 -SA'+     Show monthly expenses summarised to depth 2 and sorted by average+     amount.++   * 'bal -M --budget expenses'+     Show monthly expenses and budget goals.++   * 'bal -M --valuechange investments'+     Show monthly change in market value of investment assets.++   * 'bal investments --valuechange -D date:lastweek amt:'>1000' -STA+     [--invert]'+     Show top gainers [or losers] last week+++File: hledger.info,  Node: roi,  Prev: balance,  Up: Advanced report commands++29.2 roi+========++Shows the time-weighted (TWR) and money-weighted (IRR) rate of return on+your investments.++Flags:+     --cashflow                 show all amounts that were used to compute+                                returns+     --investment=QUERY         query to select your investment transactions+     --profit-loss=QUERY --pnl  query to select profit-and-loss or+                                appreciation/valuation transactions++   At a minimum, you need to supply a query (which could be just an+account name) to select your investment(s) with '--inv', and another+query to identify your profit and loss transactions with '--pnl'.++   If you do not record changes in the value of your investment+manually, or do not require computation of time-weighted return (TWR),+'--pnl' could be an empty query ('--pnl ""' or '--pnl STR' where 'STR'+does not match any of your accounts).++   This command will compute and display the internalized rate of return+(IRR, also known as money-weighted rate of return) and time-weighted+rate of return (TWR) for your investments for the time period requested.+IRR is always annualized due to the way it is computed, but TWR is+reported both as a rate over the chosen reporting period and as an+annual rate.++   Price directives will be taken into account if you supply appropriate+'--cost' or '--value' flags (see VALUATION).++   Note, in some cases this report can fail, for these reasons:++   * Error (NotBracketed): No solution for Internal Rate of Return+     (IRR). Possible causes: IRR is huge (>1000000%), balance of+     investment becomes negative at some point in time.+   * Error (SearchFailed): Failed to find solution for Internal Rate of+     Return (IRR). Either search does not converge to a solution, or+     converges too slowly.++   Examples:++   * Using roi to compute total return of investment in stocks:+     https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/blob/master/examples/investing/roi-unrealised.ledger++   * Cookbook > Return on Investment: https://hledger.org/roi.html++* Menu:++* Spaces and special characters in --inv and --pnl::+* Semantics of --inv and --pnl::+* IRR and TWR explained::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Spaces and special characters in --inv and --pnl,  Next: Semantics of --inv and --pnl,  Up: roi++29.2.1 Spaces and special characters in '--inv' and+---------------------------------------------------++'--pnl' Note that '--inv' and '--pnl''s argument is a query, and queries+could have several space-separated terms (see QUERIES).++   To indicate that all search terms form single command-line argument,+you will need to put them in quotes (see Special characters):++$ hledger roi --inv 'term1 term2 term3 ...'++   If any query terms contain spaces themselves, you will need an extra+level of nested quoting, eg:++$ hledger roi --inv="'Assets:Test 1'" --pnl="'Equity:Unrealized Profit and Loss'"+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Semantics of --inv and --pnl,  Next: IRR and TWR explained,  Prev: Spaces and special characters in --inv and --pnl,  Up: roi++29.2.2 Semantics of '--inv' and '--pnl'+---------------------------------------++Query supplied to '--inv' has to match all transactions that are related+to your investment.  Transactions not matching '--inv' will be ignored.++   In these transactions, ROI will conside postings that match '--inv'+to be "investment postings" and other postings (not matching '--inv')+will be sorted into two categories: "cash flow" and "profit and loss",+as ROI needs to know which part of the investment value is your+contributions and which is due to the return on investment.++   * "Cash flow" is depositing or withdrawing money, buying or selling+     assets, or otherwise converting between your investment commodity+     and any other commodity.  Example:++     2019-01-01 Investing in Snake Oil+       assets:cash          -$100+       investment:snake oil+     +     2020-01-01 Selling my Snake Oil+       assets:cash           $10+       investment:snake oil  = 0++   * "Profit and loss" is change in the value of your investment:++     2019-06-01 Snake Oil falls in value+       investment:snake oil  = $57+       equity:unrealized profit or loss++   All non-investment postings are assumed to be "cash flow", unless+they match '--pnl' query.  Changes in value of your investment due to+"profit and loss" postings will be considered as part of your investment+return.++   Example: if you use '--inv snake --pnl equity:unrealized', then+postings in the example below would be classifed as:++2019-01-01 Snake Oil #1+  assets:cash          -$100   ; cash flow posting+  investment:snake oil         ; investment posting++2019-03-01 Snake Oil #2+  equity:unrealized pnl  -$100 ; profit and loss posting+  snake oil                    ; investment posting++2019-07-01 Snake Oil #3+  equity:unrealized pnl        ; profit and loss posting+  cash          -$100          ; cash flow posting+  snake oil     $50            ; investment posting+++File: hledger.info,  Node: IRR and TWR explained,  Prev: Semantics of --inv and --pnl,  Up: roi++29.2.3 IRR and TWR explained+----------------------------++"ROI" stands for "return on investment".  Traditionally this was+computed as a difference between current value of investment and its+initial value, expressed in percentage of the initial value.++   However, this approach is only practical in simple cases, where+investments receives no in-flows or out-flows of money, and where rate+of growth is fixed over time.  For more complex scenarios you need+different ways to compute rate of return, and this command implements+two of them: IRR and TWR.++   Internal rate of return, or "IRR" (also called "money-weighted rate+of return") takes into account effects of in-flows and out-flows, and+the time between them.  Investment at a particular fixed interest rate+is going to give you more interest than the same amount invested at the+same interest rate, but made later in time.  If you are withdrawing from+your investment, your future gains would be smaller (in absolute+numbers), and will be a smaller percentage of your initial investment,+so your IRR will be smaller.  And if you are adding to your investment,+you will receive bigger absolute gains, which will be a bigger+percentage of your initial investment, so your IRR will be larger.++   As mentioned before, in-flows and out-flows would be any cash that+you personally put in or withdraw, and for the "roi" command, these are+the postings that match the query in the'--inv' argument and NOT match+the query in the'--pnl' argument.++   If you manually record changes in the value of your investment as+transactions that balance them against "profit and loss" (or "unrealized+gains") account or use price directives, then in order for IRR to+compute the precise effect of your in-flows and out-flows on the rate of+return, you will need to record the value of your investement on or+close to the days when in- or out-flows occur.++   In technical terms, IRR uses the same approach as computation of net+present value, and tries to find a discount rate that makes net present+value of all the cash flows of your investment to add up to zero.  This+could be hard to wrap your head around, especially if you haven't done+discounted cash flow analysis before.  Implementation of IRR in hledger+should produce results that match the '=XIRR' formula in Excel.++   Second way to compute rate of return that 'roi' command implements is+called "time-weighted rate of return" or "TWR". Like IRR, it will+account for the effect of your in-flows and out-flows, but unlike IRR it+will try to compute the true rate of return of the underlying asset,+compensating for the effect that deposits and withdrawas have on the+apparent rate of growth of your investment.++   TWR represents your investment as an imaginary "unit fund" where+in-flows/ out-flows lead to buying or selling "units" of your investment+and changes in its value change the value of "investment unit".  Change+in "unit price" over the reporting period gives you rate of return of+your investment, and make TWR less sensitive than IRR to the effects of+cash in-flows and out-flows.++   References:++   * Explanation of rate of return+   * Explanation of IRR+   * Explanation of TWR+   * IRR vs TWR+   * Examples of computing IRR and TWR and discussion of the limitations+     of both metrics+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Chart commands,  Next: Data generation commands,  Prev: Advanced report commands,  Up: Top++30 Chart commands+*****************++* Menu:++* activity::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: activity,  Up: Chart commands++30.1 activity+=============++Show an ascii barchart of posting counts per interval.++Flags:+no command-specific flags++   The activity command displays an ascii histogram showing transaction+counts by day, week, month or other reporting interval (by day is the+default).  With query arguments, it counts only matched transactions.++   Examples:++$ hledger activity --quarterly+2008-01-01 **+2008-04-01 *******+2008-07-01 +2008-10-01 **+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Data generation commands,  Next: Maintenance commands,  Prev: Chart commands,  Up: Top++31 Data generation commands+***************************++* Menu:++* close::+* rewrite::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: close,  Next: rewrite,  Up: Data generation commands++31.1 close+==========++(equity)++   'close' prints several kinds of "closing" and/or "opening"+transactions, useful in various situations: migrating balances to a new+journal file, retaining earnings into equity, consolidating balances,+viewing lot costs..  Like 'print', it prints valid journal entries.  You+can copy these into your journal file(s) when you are happy with how+they look.++Flags:+     --clopen[=TAGVAL]      show closing and opening balances transactions,+                            for AL accounts by default+     --close[=TAGVAL]       show just a closing balances transaction+     --open[=TAGVAL]        show just an opening balances transaction+     --assert[=TAGVAL]      show a balance assertions transaction+     --assign[=TAGVAL]      show a balance assignments transaction+     --retain[=TAGVAL]      show a retain earnings transaction, for RX+                            accounts by default+  -x --explicit             show all amounts explicitly+     --show-costs           show amounts with different costs separately+     --interleaved          show source and destination postings together+     --assertion-type=TYPE  =, ==, =* or ==*+     --close-desc=DESC      set closing transaction's description+     --close-acct=ACCT      set closing transaction's destination account+     --open-desc=DESC       set opening transaction's description+     --open-acct=ACCT       set opening transaction's source account+     --round=TYPE           how much rounding or padding should be done when+                            displaying amounts ?+                            none - show original decimal digits,+                                   as in journal (default)+                            soft - just add or remove decimal zeros+                                   to match precision+                            hard - round posting amounts to precision+                                   (can unbalance transactions)+                            all  - also round cost amounts to precision+                                   (can unbalance transactions)++   'close' has six modes, selected by choosing one of the mode flags:+'--clopen', '--close' (default), '--open', '--assert', '--assign', or+'--retain'.  They are all doing the same kind of operation, but with+different defaults for different situations.++   The journal entries generated by 'close' will have a 'clopen:' tag,+which is helpful when you want to exclude them from reports.  If the+main journal file name contains a number, the tag's value will be that+base file name with the number incremented.  Eg if the journal file is+2025.journal, the tag will be 'clopen:2026'.  Or you can set the tag+value by providing an argument to the mode flag.  Eg '--close=foo' or+'--clopen=2025-main'.++* Menu:++* close --clopen::+* close --close::+* close --open::+* close --assert::+* close --assign::+* close --retain::+* close customisation::+* close and balance assertions::+* close examples::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: close --clopen,  Next: close --close,  Up: close++31.1.1 close -clopen+--------------------++This is useful if migrating balances to a new journal file at the start+of a new year.  It prints a "closing balances" transaction that zeroes+out account balances (Asset and Liability accounts, by default), and an+opposite "opening balances" transaction that restores them again.+Typically, you would run++hledger close --clopen -e NEWYEAR >> $LEDGER_FILE++   and then move the opening transaction from the old file to the new+file (and probably also update your LEDGER_FILE environment variable).++   Why might you do this ?  If your reports are fast, you may not need+it.  But at some point you will probably want to partition your data by+time, for performance or data integrity or regulatory reasons.  A new+file or set of files per year is common.  Then, having each file/fileset+"bookended" with opening and closing balance transactions will allow you+to freely pick and choose which files to read - just the current year,+any past year, any sequence of years, or all of them - while showing+correct account balances in each case.  The earliest opening balances+transaction sets correct starting balances, and any later+closing/opening pairs will harmlessly cancel each other out.++   The balances will be transferred to and from 'equity:opening/closing+balances' by default.  You can override this by using '--close-acct'+and/or '--open-acct'.++   You can select a different set of accounts to close/open by providing+an account query.  Eg to add Equity accounts, provide arguments like+'assets liabilities equity' or 'type:ALE'.  When migrating to a new+file, you'll usually want to bring along the AL or ALE accounts, but not+the RX accounts (Revenue, Expense).++   Assertions will be added indicating and checking the new balances of+the closed/opened accounts.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: close --close,  Next: close --open,  Prev: close --clopen,  Up: close++31.1.2 close -close+-------------------++This prints just the closing balances transaction of '--clopen'.  It is+the default if you don't specify a mode.++   More customisation options are described below.  Among other things,+you can use 'close --close' to generate a transaction moving the+balances from any set of accounts, to a different account.  (If you need+to move just a portion of the balance, see hledger-move.)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: close --open,  Next: close --assert,  Prev: close --close,  Up: close++31.1.3 close -open+------------------++This prints just the opening balances transaction of '--clopen'.  (It is+similar to Ledger's equity command.)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: close --assert,  Next: close --assign,  Prev: close --open,  Up: close++31.1.4 close -assert+--------------------++This prints a transaction that asserts the account balances as they are+on the end date (and adds an 'assert:' tag).  It could be useful as+documention and to guard against changes.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: close --assign,  Next: close --retain,  Prev: close --assert,  Up: close++31.1.5 close -assign+--------------------++This prints a transaction that assigns the account balances as they are+on the end date (and adds an "assign:" tag).  Unlike balance assertions,+assignments will post changes to balances as needed to reach the+specified amounts.++   This is another way to set starting balances when migrating to a new+file, and it will set them correctly even in the presence of earlier+files which do not have a closing balances transaction.  However, it can+hide errors, and disturb the accounting equation, so '--clopen' is+usually recommended.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: close --retain,  Next: close customisation,  Prev: close --assign,  Up: close++31.1.6 close -retain+--------------------++This is like '--close', but it closes Revenue and Expense account+balances by default.  They will be transferred to 'equity:retained+earnings', or another account specified with '--close-acct'.++   Revenues and expenses correspond to changes in equity.  They are+categorised separately for reporting purposes, but traditionally at the+end of each accounting period, businesses consolidate them into equity,+This is called "retaining earnings", or "closing the books".++   In personal accounting, there's not much reason to do this, and most+people don't.  (One reason to do it is to help the 'balancesheetequity'+report show a zero total, demonstrating that the accounting equation+(A-L=E) is satisfied.)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: close customisation,  Next: close and balance assertions,  Prev: close --retain,  Up: close++31.1.7 close customisation+--------------------------++In all modes, the following things can be overridden:++   * the accounts to be closed/opened, with account query arguments+   * the closing/opening dates, with '-e OPENDATE'+   * the balancing account, with '--close-acct=ACCT' and/or+     '--open-acct=ACCT'+   * the transaction descriptions, with '--close-desc=DESC' and+     '--open-desc=DESC'+   * the transactions' 'clopen' tag value, with a 'TAGVAL' argument for+     the mode flag (see above).++   By default, the closing date is yesterday, or the journal's end date,+whichever is later; and the opening date is always one day after the+closing date.  You can change these by specifying a report end date; the+closing date will be the last day of the report period.  Eg '-e 2024'+means "close on 2023-12-31, open on 2024-01-01".++   With '--x/--explicit', the balancing amount will be shown explicitly,+and if it involves multiple commodities, a separate posting will be+generated for each of them (similar to 'print -x').++   With '--interleaved', each individual transfer is shown with source+and destination postings next to each other (perhaps useful for+troubleshooting).++   With '--show-costs', balances' costs are also shown, with different+costs kept separate.  This may generate very large journal entries, if+you have many currency conversions or investment transactions.  'close+--show-costs' is currently the best way to view investment lots with+hledger.  (To move or dispose of lots, see the more capable+'hledger-move' script.)+++File: hledger.info,  Node: close and balance assertions,  Next: close examples,  Prev: close customisation,  Up: close++31.1.8 close and balance assertions+-----------------------------------++'close' adds balance assertions verifying that the accounts have been+reset to zero in a closing transaction or restored to their previous+balances in an opening transaction.  These provide useful error+checking, but you can ignore them temporarily with '-I', or remove them+if you prefer.++   Single-commodity, subaccount-exclusive balance assertions ('=') are+generated by default.  This can be changed with '--assertion-type='==*''+(eg).++   When running 'close' you should probably avoid using '-C', '-R',+'status:' (filtering by status or realness) or '--auto' (generating+postings), since the generated balance assertions would then require+these.++   Transactions with multiple dates (eg posting dates) spanning the file+boundary also can disrupt the balance assertions:++2023-12-30 a purchase made in december, cleared in january+    expenses:food          5+    assets:bank:checking  -5  ; date: 2023-01-02++   To solve this you can transfer the money to and from a temporary+account, splitting the multi-day transaction into two single-day+transactions:++; in 2022.journal:+2022-12-30 a purchase made in december, cleared in january+    expenses:food          5+    equity:pending        -5++; in 2023.journal:+2023-01-02 last year's transaction cleared+    equity:pending         5 = 0+    assets:bank:checking  -5+++File: hledger.info,  Node: close examples,  Prev: close and balance assertions,  Up: close++31.1.9 close examples+---------------------++* Menu:++* Retain earnings::+* Migrate balances to a new file::+* More detailed close examples::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Retain earnings,  Next: Migrate balances to a new file,  Up: close examples++31.1.9.1 Retain earnings+........................++Record 2022's revenues/expenses as retained earnings on 2022-12-31,+appending the generated transaction to the journal:++$ hledger close --retain -f 2022.journal -p 2022 >> 2022.journal++   After this, to see 2022's revenues and expenses you must exclude the+retain earnings transaction:++$ hledger -f 2022.journal is not:desc:'retain earnings'+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Migrate balances to a new file,  Next: More detailed close examples,  Prev: Retain earnings,  Up: close examples++31.1.9.2 Migrate balances to a new file+.......................................++Close assets/liabilities on 2022-12-31 and re-open them on 2023-01-01:++$ hledger close --clopen -f 2022.journal -p 2022+# copy/paste the closing transaction to the end of 2022.journal+# copy/paste the opening transaction to the start of 2023.journal++   After this, to see 2022's end-of-year balances you must exclude the+closing balances transaction:++$ hledger -f 2022.journal bs not:desc:'closing balances'++   For more flexibility, it helps to tag closing and opening+transactions with eg 'clopen:NEWYEAR', then you can ensure correct+balances by excluding all opening/closing transactions except the first,+like so:++$ hledger bs -Y -f 2021.j -f 2022.j -f 2023.j expr:'tag:clopen=2021 or not tag:clopen'+$ hledger bs -Y -f 2021.j -f 2022.j           expr:'tag:clopen=2021 or not tag:clopen'+$ hledger bs -Y -f 2022.j -f 2023.j           expr:'tag:clopen=2022 or not tag:clopen'+$ hledger bs -Y -f 2021.j                     expr:'tag:clopen=2021 or not tag:clopen'+$ hledger bs -Y -f 2022.j                     expr:'tag:clopen=2022 or not tag:clopen'+$ hledger bs -Y -f 2023.j                     # unclosed file, no query needed+++File: hledger.info,  Node: More detailed close examples,  Prev: Migrate balances to a new file,  Up: close examples++31.1.9.3 More detailed close examples+.....................................++See examples/multi-year.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: rewrite,  Prev: close,  Up: Data generation commands++31.2 rewrite+============++Print all transactions, rewriting the postings of matched transactions.+For now the only rewrite available is adding new postings, like print+-auto.++Flags:+     --add-posting='ACCT  AMTEXPR'  add a posting to ACCT, which may be+                                    parenthesised. AMTEXPR is either a literal+                                    amount, or *N which means the transaction's+                                    first matched amount multiplied by N (a+                                    decimal number). Two spaces separate ACCT+                                    and AMTEXPR.+     --diff                         generate diff suitable as an input for+                                    patch tool++   This is a start at a generic rewriter of transaction entries.  It+reads the default journal and prints the transactions, like print, but+adds one or more specified postings to any transactions matching QUERY.+The posting amounts can be fixed, or a multiplier of the existing+transaction's first posting amount.++   Examples:++$ hledger-rewrite.hs ^income --add-posting '(liabilities:tax)  *.33  ; income tax' --add-posting '(reserve:gifts)  $100'+$ hledger-rewrite.hs expenses:gifts --add-posting '(reserve:gifts)  *-1"'+$ hledger-rewrite.hs -f rewrites.hledger++   rewrites.hledger may consist of entries like:++= ^income amt:<0 date:2017+  (liabilities:tax)  *0.33  ; tax on income+  (reserve:grocery)  *0.25  ; reserve 25% for grocery+  (reserve:)  *0.25  ; reserve 25% for grocery++   Note the single quotes to protect the dollar sign from bash, and the+two spaces between account and amount.++   More:++$ hledger rewrite [QUERY]        --add-posting "ACCT  AMTEXPR" ...+$ hledger rewrite ^income        --add-posting '(liabilities:tax)  *.33'+$ hledger rewrite expenses:gifts --add-posting '(budget:gifts)  *-1"'+$ hledger rewrite ^income        --add-posting '(budget:foreign currency)  *0.25 JPY; diversify'++   Argument for '--add-posting' option is a usual posting of transaction+with an exception for amount specification.  More precisely, you can use+''*'' (star symbol) before the amount to indicate that that this is a+factor for an amount of original matched posting.  If the amount+includes a commodity name, the new posting amount will be in the new+commodity; otherwise, it will be in the matched posting amount's+commodity.++* Menu:++* Re-write rules in a file::+* Diff output format::+* rewrite vs print --auto::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Re-write rules in a file,  Next: Diff output format,  Up: rewrite++31.2.1 Re-write rules in a file+-------------------------------++During the run this tool will execute so called "Automated Transactions"+found in any journal it process.  I.e instead of specifying this+operations in command line you can put them in a journal file.++$ rewrite-rules.journal++   Make contents look like this:++= ^income+    (liabilities:tax)  *.33++= expenses:gifts+    budget:gifts  *-1+    assets:budget  *1++   Note that ''='' (equality symbol) that is used instead of date in+transactions you usually write.  It indicates the query by which you+want to match the posting to add new ones.++$ hledger rewrite -f input.journal -f rewrite-rules.journal > rewritten-tidy-output.journal++   This is something similar to the commands pipeline:++$ hledger rewrite -f input.journal '^income' --add-posting '(liabilities:tax)  *.33' \+  | hledger rewrite -f - expenses:gifts      --add-posting 'budget:gifts  *-1'       \+                                                --add-posting 'assets:budget  *1'       \+  > rewritten-tidy-output.journal++   It is important to understand that relative order of such entries in+journal is important.  You can re-use result of previously added+postings.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Diff output format,  Next: rewrite vs print --auto,  Prev: Re-write rules in a file,  Up: rewrite++31.2.2 Diff output format+-------------------------++To use this tool for batch modification of your journal files you may+find useful output in form of unified diff.++$ hledger rewrite --diff -f examples/sample.journal '^income' --add-posting '(liabilities:tax)  *.33'++   Output might look like:++--- /tmp/examples/sample.journal++++ /tmp/examples/sample.journal+@@ -18,3 +18,4 @@+ 2008/01/01 income+-    assets:bank:checking  $1++    assets:bank:checking            $1+     income:salary++    (liabilities:tax)                0+@@ -22,3 +23,4 @@+ 2008/06/01 gift+-    assets:bank:checking  $1++    assets:bank:checking            $1+     income:gifts++    (liabilities:tax)                0++   If you'll pass this through 'patch' tool you'll get transactions+containing the posting that matches your query be updated.  Note that+multiple files might be update according to list of input files+specified via '--file' options and 'include' directives inside of these+files.++   Be careful.  Whole transaction being re-formatted in a style of+output from 'hledger print'.++   See also:++   https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/99+++File: hledger.info,  Node: rewrite vs print --auto,  Prev: Diff output format,  Up: rewrite++31.2.3 rewrite vs. print -auto+------------------------------++This command predates print -auto, and currently does much the same+thing, but with these differences:++   * with multiple files, rewrite lets rules in any file affect all+     other files.  print -auto uses standard directive scoping; rules+     affect only child files.++   * rewrite's query limits which transactions can be rewritten; all are+     printed.  print -auto's query limits which transactions are+     printed.++   * rewrite applies rules specified on command line or in the journal.+     print -auto applies rules specified in the journal.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Maintenance commands,  Next: PART 5 COMMON TASKS,  Prev: Data generation commands,  Up: Top++32 Maintenance commands+***********************++* Menu:++* check::+* diff::+* setup::+* test::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: check,  Next: diff,  Up: Maintenance commands++32.1 check+==========++Check for various kinds of errors in your data.++Flags:+no command-specific flags++   hledger provides a number of built-in correctness checks to help+validate your data and prevent errors.  Some are run automatically, some+when you enable '--strict' mode; or you can run any of them on demand by+providing them as arguments to the 'check' command.  'check' produces no+output and a zero exit code if all is well.  Eg:++hledger check                      # run basic checks+hledger check -s                   # run basic and strict checks+hledger check ordereddates payees  # run basic checks and two others++   If you are an Emacs user, you can also configure flycheck-hledger to+run these checks, providing instant feedback as you edit the journal.++   Here are the checks currently available.  They are generally checked+in the order they are shown here, and only the first failure will be+reported.++* Menu:++* Basic checks::+* Strict checks::+* Other checks::+* Custom checks::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Basic checks,  Next: Strict checks,  Up: check++32.1.1 Basic checks+-------------------++These important checks are performed by default, by almost all hledger+commands:++   * *parseable* - data files are in a supported format, with no syntax+     errors and no invalid include directives.  This ensures that all+     files exist and are readable.++   * *autobalanced* - all transactions are balanced, after automatically+     inferring missing amounts and conversion rates and then converting+     amounts to cost.  This ensures that each transaction's journal+     entry is well formed.++   * *assertions* - all balance assertions in the journal are passing.+     Balance assertions are a strong defense against errors, catching+     many problems.  This check is on by default, but if it gets in your+     way, you can disable it temporarily with+     '-I'/'--ignore-assertions', or as a default by adding that flag to+     your config file.  (Then use '-s'/'--strict' or 'hledger check+     assertions' when you want to enable it).+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Strict checks,  Next: Other checks,  Prev: Basic checks,  Up: check++32.1.2 Strict checks+--------------------++When the '-s'/'--strict' flag is used (AKA strict mode), all commands+will perform the following additional checks (and 'assertions', above).+These provide extra error-catching power to help you keep your data+clean and correct:++   * *balanced* - like 'autobalanced', but implicit conversions between+     commodities are not allowed; all conversion transactions must use+     cost notation or equity postings.  This prevents wrong conversions+     caused by typos.++   * *commodities* - all commodity symbols used must be declared.  This+     guards against mistyping or omitting commodity symbols.++   * *accounts* - all account names used must be declared.  This+     prevents the use of mis-spelled or outdated account names.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Other checks,  Next: Custom checks,  Prev: Strict checks,  Up: check++32.1.3 Other checks+-------------------++These are not wanted by everyone, but can be run using the 'check'+command:++   * *tags* - all tags used must be declared.  This prevents mis-spelled+     tag names.  Note hledger fairly often finds unintended tags in+     comments.++   * *payees* - all payees used in transactions must be declared.  This+     will force you to declare any new payee name before using it.  Most+     people will probably find this a bit too strict.++   * *ordereddates* - within each file, transactions must be ordered by+     date.  This is a simple and effective error catcher.  It's not+     included in strict mode, but you can add it by running 'hledger+     check -s ordereddates'.  If enabled, this check is performed before+     balance assertions.++   * *recentassertions* - all accounts with balance assertions must have+     one that's within the 7 days before their latest posting.  This+     will encourage adding balance assertions for your active+     asset/liability accounts, which in turn should encourage you to+     reconcile regularly with those real world balances - another strong+     defense against errors.  ('hledger close --assert >>$LEDGER_FILE'+     is a convenient way to add new balance assertions.  Later these+     become quite redundant, and you might choose to remove them to+     reduce clutter.)++   * *uniqueleafnames* - no two accounts may have the same last account+     name part (eg the 'checking' in 'assets:bank:checking').  This+     ensures each account can be matched by a unique short name, easier+     to remember and to type.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Custom checks,  Prev: Other checks,  Up: check++32.1.4 Custom checks+--------------------++You can build your own custom checks with add-on command scripts.  See+also Cookbook > Scripting.  Here are some examples from hledger/bin/:++   * *hledger-check-tagfiles* - all tag values containing '/' exist as+     file paths++   * *hledger-check-fancyassertions* - more complex balance assertions+     are passing+++File: hledger.info,  Node: diff,  Next: setup,  Prev: check,  Up: Maintenance commands++32.2 diff+=========++Compares a particular account's transactions in two input files.  It+shows any transactions to this account which are in one file but not in+the other.++Flags:+no command-specific flags++   More precisely: for each posting affecting this account in either+file, this command looks for a corresponding posting in the other file+which posts the same amount to the same account (ignoring date,+description, etc).++   Since it compares postings, not transactions, this also works when+multiple bank transactions have been combined into a single journal+entry.++   This command is useful eg if you have downloaded an account's+transactions from your bank (eg as CSV data): when hledger and your bank+disagree about the account balance, you can compare the bank data with+your journal to find out the cause.++   Examples:++$ hledger diff -f $LEDGER_FILE -f bank.csv assets:bank:giro +These transactions are in the first file only:++2014/01/01 Opening Balances+    assets:bank:giro              EUR ...+    ...+    equity:opening balances       EUR -...++These transactions are in the second file only:+++File: hledger.info,  Node: setup,  Next: test,  Prev: diff,  Up: Maintenance commands++32.3 setup+==========++Check the status of the hledger installation.++Flags:+no command-specific flags++   'setup' tests your hledger installation and prints a list of results,+sometimes with helpful hints.  This is a good first command to run after+installing hledger.  Also after upgrading, or when something's not+working, or just when you want a reminder of where things are.++   It makes one network request to detect the latest hledger release+version.  It's ok if this fails or times out.  It will use ANSI color by+default, unless disabled by NO_COLOR or -color=n.  It does not use a+pager or a config file.++   It expects that the hledger version you are running is installed in+your PATH. If not, it will stop until you have done that (to keep things+simple).++   Example:++$ hledger setup+Checking your hledger setup..+Legend: good, neutral, unknown, warning++hledger+* is a released version ?                   no  hledger 1.42.99-gbca4b39c5-20250425, mac-aarch64+* is up to date ?                          yes  1.42.99 installed, latest is 1.42.1+* is a native binary for this machine ?    yes  aarch64+* is installed in PATH ?                   yes  /Users/simon/.local/bin/hledger+* has a system text encoding configured ?  yes  UTF-8, data files should use this encoding+* has a user config file ? (optional)       no  +* current directory has a local config ?   yes  /Users/simon/src/hledger/hledger.conf+* the config file is readable ?            yes  /Users/simon/src/hledger/hledger.conf++terminal+* the NO_COLOR variable is defined ?        no  +* --color is configured by config file ?    no  +* hledger will use color by default ?      yes  +* the PAGER variable is defined ?          yes  less+* --pager is configured by config file ?    no  +* hledger will use a pager when needed ?   yes  /opt/homebrew/bin/less+* the LESS variable is defined ?           yes  +* the HLEDGER_LESS variable is defined ?    no  +* adjusting LESS variable for color etc. ? yes  +* --pretty is enabled by config file ?      no  tables will use ASCII characters+* bash shell completions are installed ?     ?  +* zsh shell completions are installed ?      ?  ++journal+* the LEDGER_FILE variable is defined ?    yes  /Users/simon/finance/2025/2025.journal+* a default journal file is readable ?     yes  /Users/simon/finance/2025/2025.journal+* it includes additional files ?           yes  15+* all commodities are declared ?           yes  10+* all accounts are declared ?              yes  160+* all accounts have types ?                 no  14 untyped+* accounts of each type were detected ?    yes  ALERXCV+* commodities/accounts are checked ?        no  use -s to check commodities/accounts+* balance assertions are checked ?         yes  use -I to ignore assertions+++File: hledger.info,  Node: test,  Prev: setup,  Up: Maintenance commands++32.4 test+=========++Run built-in unit tests.++Flags:+no command-specific flags++   This command runs the unit tests built in to hledger and hledger-lib,+printing the results on stdout.  If any test fails, the exit code will+be non-zero.++   This is mainly used by hledger developers, but you can also use it to+sanity-check the installed hledger executable on your platform.  All+tests are expected to pass - if you ever see a failure, please report as+a bug!++   Any arguments before a '--' argument will be passed to the 'tasty'+test runner as test-selecting -p patterns, and any arguments after '--'+will be passed to tasty unchanged.++   Examples:++$ hledger test               # run all unit tests+$ hledger test balance       # run tests with "balance" in their name+$ hledger test -- -h         # show tasty's options+++File: hledger.info,  Node: PART 5 COMMON TASKS,  Next: BUGS,  Prev: Maintenance commands,  Up: Top++33 PART 5: COMMON TASKS+***********************++Here are some quick examples of how to do some basic tasks with hledger.++* Menu:++* Getting help::+* Constructing command lines::+* Starting a journal file::+* Setting LEDGER_FILE::+* Setting opening balances::+* Recording transactions::+* Reconciling::+* Reporting::+* Migrating to a new file::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Getting help,  Next: Constructing command lines,  Up: PART 5 COMMON TASKS++33.1 Getting help+=================++Here's how to list commands and view options and command docs:++$ hledger                # show available commands+$ hledger --help         # show common options+$ hledger CMD --help     # show CMD's options, common options and CMD's documentation++   You can also view your hledger version's manual in several formats by+using the help command.  Eg:++$ hledger help           # show the hledger manual with info, man or $PAGER (best available)+$ hledger help journal   # show the journal topic in the hledger manual+$ hledger help --help    # find out more about the help command++   To view manuals and introductory docs on the web, visit+https://hledger.org.  Chat and mail list support and discussion archives+can be found at https://hledger.org/support.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Constructing command lines,  Next: Starting a journal file,  Prev: Getting help,  Up: PART 5 COMMON TASKS++33.2 Constructing command lines+===============================++hledger has a flexible command line interface.  We strive to keep it+simple and ergonomic, but if you run into one of the sharp edges+described in OPTIONS, here are some tips that might help:++   * command-specific options must go after the command (it's fine to+     put common options there too: 'hledger CMD OPTS ARGS')+   * you can run addon commands via hledger ('hledger ui [ARGS]') or+     directly ('hledger-ui [ARGS]')+   * enclose "problematic" arguments in single quotes+   * if needed, also add a backslash to hide regular expression+     metacharacters from the shell+   * to see how a misbehaving command line is being parsed, add+     '--debug=2'.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Starting a journal file,  Next: Setting LEDGER_FILE,  Prev: Constructing command lines,  Up: PART 5 COMMON TASKS++33.3 Starting a journal file+============================++hledger looks for your accounting data in a journal file,+'$HOME/.hledger.journal' by default:++$ hledger stats+The hledger journal file "/Users/simon/.hledger.journal" was not found.+Please create it first, eg with "hledger add" or a text editor.+Or, specify an existing journal file with -f or LEDGER_FILE.++   You can override this by setting the 'LEDGER_FILE' environment+variable (see below).  It's a good practice to keep this important file+under version control, and to start a new file each year.  So you could+do something like this:++$ mkdir ~/finance+$ cd ~/finance+$ git init+Initialized empty Git repository in /Users/simon/finance/.git/+$ touch 2023.journal+$ echo "export LEDGER_FILE=$HOME/finance/2023.journal" >> ~/.profile+$ source ~/.profile+$ hledger stats+Main file                : /Users/simon/finance/2023.journal+Included files           : +Transactions span        :  to  (0 days)+Last transaction         : none+Transactions             : 0 (0.0 per day)+Transactions last 30 days: 0 (0.0 per day)+Transactions last 7 days : 0 (0.0 per day)+Payees/descriptions      : 0+Accounts                 : 0 (depth 0)+Commodities              : 0 ()+Market prices            : 0 ()+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Setting LEDGER_FILE,  Next: Setting opening balances,  Prev: Starting a journal file,  Up: PART 5 COMMON TASKS++33.4 Setting LEDGER_FILE+========================++* Menu:++* Set LEDGER_FILE on unix::+* Set LEDGER_FILE on mac::+* Set LEDGER_FILE on Windows::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Set LEDGER_FILE on unix,  Next: Set LEDGER_FILE on mac,  Up: Setting LEDGER_FILE++33.4.1 Set LEDGER_FILE on unix+------------------------------++It depends on your shell, but running these commands in the terminal+will work for many people; adapt if needed:++$ echo 'export LEDGER_FILE=~/finance/main.journal' >> ~/.profile+$ source ~/.profile++   When correctly configured:++   * 'env | grep LEDGER_FILE' will show your new setting+   * and so should 'hledger setup' and 'hledger files'.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Set LEDGER_FILE on mac,  Next: Set LEDGER_FILE on Windows,  Prev: Set LEDGER_FILE on unix,  Up: Setting LEDGER_FILE++33.4.2 Set LEDGER_FILE on mac+-----------------------------++In a terminal window, follow the unix procedure above.++   Also, this optional step may be helpful for GUI applications:++  1. Add an entry to '~/.MacOSX/environment.plist' like++     {+       "LEDGER_FILE" : "~/finance/main.journal"+     }++  2. Run 'killall Dock' in a terminal window (or restart the machine),+     to complete the change.++   When correctly configured for GUI applications:++   * apps started from the dock or a spotlight search, such as a GUI+     Emacs, will be aware of the new LEDGER_FILE setting.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Set LEDGER_FILE on Windows,  Prev: Set LEDGER_FILE on mac,  Up: Setting LEDGER_FILE++33.4.3 Set LEDGER_FILE on Windows+---------------------------------++It can be easier to create a default file at+'C:\Users\USER\.hledger.journal', and have it include your other files.+See I'm on Windows, how do I keep my files in AppData++   Otherwise: using the gui is easiest:++  1. In task bar, search for 'environment variables', and choose "Edit+     environment variables for your account".+  2. Create or change a 'LEDGER_FILE' setting in the User variables+     pane.  A typical value would be+     'C:\Users\USER\finance\main.journal'.+  3. Click OK to complete the change.+  4. And open a new powershell window.  (Existing windows won't see the+     change.)++   Or at the command line, you can do it this way:++  1. In a powershell window, run+     '[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("LEDGER_FILE",+     "C:\User\USER\finance\main.journal",+     [System.EnvironmentVariableTarget]::User)'+  2. And open a new powershell window.  (Existing windows won't see the+     change.)++   Warning, doing this from the Windows command line can be tricky;+other methods you may find online:++   * may not affect the current window+   * may not be persistent+   * may not work unless you are an administrator+   * may limit values to 1024 characters+   * may break dynamic references to other variables+   * may require a new-enough version of powershell+   * or may be intended for the older command window.+   * If you still have trouble, see eg Setting Windows PowerShell+     environment variables or Adding path permanently to windows using+     powershell doesn't appear to work.++   When correctly configured:++   * in a new powershell window, '$env:LEDGER_FILE' will show your new+     setting+   * and so should 'hledger setup' and (once the file exists) 'hledger+     files'.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Setting opening balances,  Next: Recording transactions,  Prev: Setting LEDGER_FILE,  Up: PART 5 COMMON TASKS++33.5 Setting opening balances+=============================++Pick a starting date for which you can look up the balances of some+real-world assets (bank accounts, wallet..)  and liabilities (credit+cards..).++   To avoid a lot of data entry, you may want to start with just one or+two accounts, like your checking account or cash wallet; and pick a+recent starting date, like today or the start of the week.  You can+always come back later and add more accounts and older transactions, eg+going back to january 1st.++   Add an opening balances transaction to the journal, declaring the+balances on this date.  Here are two ways to do it:++   * The first way: open the journal in any text editor and save an+     entry like this:++     2023-01-01 * opening balances+         assets:bank:checking                $1000   = $1000+         assets:bank:savings                 $2000   = $2000+         assets:cash                          $100   = $100+         liabilities:creditcard               $-50   = $-50+         equity:opening/closing balances++     These are start-of-day balances, ie whatever was in the account at+     the end of the previous day.++     The * after the date is an optional status flag.  Here it means+     "cleared & confirmed".++     The currency symbols are optional, but usually a good idea as+     you'll be dealing with multiple currencies sooner or later.++     The = amounts are optional balance assertions, providing extra+     error checking.++   * The second way: run 'hledger add' and follow the prompts to record+     a similar transaction:++     $ hledger add+     Adding transactions to journal file /Users/simon/finance/2023.journal+     Any command line arguments will be used as defaults.+     Use tab key to complete, readline keys to edit, enter to accept defaults.+     An optional (CODE) may follow transaction dates.+     An optional ; COMMENT may follow descriptions or amounts.+     If you make a mistake, enter < at any prompt to go one step backward.+     To end a transaction, enter . when prompted.+     To quit, enter . at a date prompt or press control-d or control-c.+     Date [2023-02-07]: 2023-01-01+     Description: * opening balances+     Account 1: assets:bank:checking+     Amount  1: $1000+     Account 2: assets:bank:savings+     Amount  2 [$-1000]: $2000+     Account 3: assets:cash+     Amount  3 [$-3000]: $100+     Account 4: liabilities:creditcard+     Amount  4 [$-3100]: $-50+     Account 5: equity:opening/closing balances+     Amount  5 [$-3050]: +     Account 6 (or . or enter to finish this transaction): .+     2023-01-01 * opening balances+         assets:bank:checking                      $1000+         assets:bank:savings                       $2000+         assets:cash                                $100+         liabilities:creditcard                     $-50+         equity:opening/closing balances          $-3050+     +     Save this transaction to the journal ? [y]: +     Saved.+     Starting the next transaction (. or ctrl-D/ctrl-C to quit)+     Date [2023-01-01]: .++   If you're using version control, this could be a good time to commit+the journal.  Eg:++$ git commit -m 'initial balances' 2023.journal+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Recording transactions,  Next: Reconciling,  Prev: Setting opening balances,  Up: PART 5 COMMON TASKS++33.6 Recording transactions+===========================++As you spend or receive money, you can record these transactions using+one of the methods above (text editor, hledger add) or by using the+hledger-iadd or hledger-web add-ons, or by using the import command to+convert CSV data downloaded from your bank.++   Here are some simple transactions, see the hledger_journal(5) manual+and hledger.org for more ideas:++2023/1/10 * gift received+  assets:cash   $20+  income:gifts++2023.1.12 * farmers market+  expenses:food    $13+  assets:cash++2023-01-15 paycheck+  income:salary+  assets:bank:checking    $1000+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Reconciling,  Next: Reporting,  Prev: Recording transactions,  Up: PART 5 COMMON TASKS++33.7 Reconciling+================++Periodically you should reconcile - compare your hledger-reported+balances against external sources of truth, like bank statements or your+bank's website - to be sure that your ledger accurately represents the+real-world balances (and, that the real-world institutions have not made+a mistake!).  This gets easy and fast with (1) practice and (2)+frequency.  If you do it daily, it can take 2-10 minutes.  If you let it+pile up, expect it to take longer as you hunt down errors and+discrepancies.++   A typical workflow:++  1. Reconcile cash.  Count what's in your wallet.  Compare with what+     hledger reports ('hledger bal cash').  If they are different, try+     to remember the missing transaction, or look for the error in the+     already-recorded transactions.  A register report can be helpful+     ('hledger reg cash').  If you can't find the error, add an+     adjustment transaction.  Eg if you have $105 after the above, and+     can't explain the missing $2, it could be:++     2023-01-16 * adjust cash+         assets:cash    $-2 = $105+         expenses:misc++  2. Reconcile checking.  Log in to your bank's website.  Compare+     today's (cleared) balance with hledger's cleared balance ('hledger+     bal checking -C').  If they are different, track down the error or+     record the missing transaction(s) or add an adjustment transaction,+     similar to the above.  Unlike the cash case, you can usually+     compare the transaction history and running balance from your bank+     with the one reported by 'hledger reg checking -C'.  This will be+     easier if you generally record transaction dates quite similar to+     your bank's clearing dates.++  3. Repeat for other asset/liability accounts.++   Tip: instead of the register command, use hledger-ui to see a+live-updating register while you edit the journal: 'hledger-ui --watch+--register checking -C'++   After reconciling, it could be a good time to mark the reconciled+transactions' status as "cleared and confirmed", if you want to track+that, by adding the '*' marker.  Eg in the paycheck transaction above,+insert '*' between '2023-01-15' and 'paycheck'++   If you're using version control, this can be another good time to+commit:++$ git commit -m 'txns' 2023.journal+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Reporting,  Next: Migrating to a new file,  Prev: Reconciling,  Up: PART 5 COMMON TASKS++33.8 Reporting+==============++Here are some basic reports.++   Show all transactions:++$ hledger print+2023-01-01 * opening balances+    assets:bank:checking                      $1000+    assets:bank:savings                       $2000+    assets:cash                                $100+    liabilities:creditcard                     $-50+    equity:opening/closing balances          $-3050++2023-01-10 * gift received+    assets:cash              $20+    income:gifts++2023-01-12 * farmers market+    expenses:food             $13+    assets:cash++2023-01-15 * paycheck+    income:salary+    assets:bank:checking           $1000++2023-01-16 * adjust cash+    assets:cash               $-2 = $105+    expenses:misc++   Show account names, and their hierarchy:++$ hledger accounts --tree+assets+  bank+    checking+    savings+  cash+equity+  opening/closing balances+expenses+  food+  misc+income+  gifts+  salary+liabilities+  creditcard++   Show all account totals:++$ hledger balance+               $4105  assets+               $4000    bank+               $2000      checking+               $2000      savings+                $105    cash+              $-3050  equity:opening/closing balances+                 $15  expenses+                 $13    food+                  $2    misc+              $-1020  income+                $-20    gifts+              $-1000    salary+                $-50  liabilities:creditcard+--------------------+                   0++   Show only asset and liability balances, as a flat list, limited to+depth 2:++$ hledger bal assets liabilities -2+               $4000  assets:bank+                $105  assets:cash+                $-50  liabilities:creditcard+--------------------+               $4055++   Show the same thing without negative numbers, formatted as a simple+balance sheet:++$ hledger bs -2+Balance Sheet 2023-01-16++                        || 2023-01-16 +========================++============+ Assets                 ||            +------------------------++------------+ assets:bank            ||      $4000 + assets:cash            ||       $105 +------------------------++------------+                        ||      $4105 +========================++============+ Liabilities            ||            +------------------------++------------+ liabilities:creditcard ||        $50 +------------------------++------------+                        ||        $50 +========================++============+ Net:                   ||      $4055 ++   The final total is your "net worth" on the end date.  (Or use 'bse'+for a full balance sheet with equity.)++   Show income and expense totals, formatted as an income statement:++hledger is +Income Statement 2023-01-01-2023-01-16++               || 2023-01-01-2023-01-16 +===============++=======================+ Revenues      ||                       +---------------++-----------------------+ income:gifts  ||                   $20 + income:salary ||                 $1000 +---------------++-----------------------+               ||                 $1020 +===============++=======================+ Expenses      ||                       +---------------++-----------------------+ expenses:food ||                   $13 + expenses:misc ||                    $2 +---------------++-----------------------+               ||                   $15 +===============++=======================+ Net:          ||                 $1005 ++   The final total is your net income during this period.++   Show transactions affecting your wallet, with running total:++$ hledger register cash+2023-01-01 opening balances     assets:cash                   $100          $100+2023-01-10 gift received        assets:cash                    $20          $120+2023-01-12 farmers market       assets:cash                   $-13          $107+2023-01-16 adjust cash          assets:cash                    $-2          $105++   Show weekly posting counts as a bar chart:++$ hledger activity -W+2019-12-30 *****+2023-01-06 ****+2023-01-13 ****+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Migrating to a new file,  Prev: Reporting,  Up: PART 5 COMMON TASKS++33.9 Migrating to a new file+============================++At the end of the year, you may want to continue your journal in a new+file, so that old transactions don't slow down or clutter your reports,+and to help ensure the integrity of your accounting history.  See the+close command.++   If using version control, don't forget to 'git add' the new file.+++File: hledger.info,  Node: BUGS,  Prev: PART 5 COMMON TASKS,  Up: Top++34 BUGS+*******++We welcome bug reports in the hledger issue tracker+(https://bugs.hledger.org), or on the hledger chat or mail list+(https://hledger.org/support).++   Some known issues and limitations:++   hledger uses the system's text encoding when reading non-ascii text.+If no system encoding is configured, or if the data's encoding is+different, hledger will give an error.  (See Text encoding,+Troubleshooting.)++   On Microsoft Windows, depending what kind of terminal window you use,+non-ascii characters, ANSI text formatting, and/or the add command's TAB+key, may not be fully supported.  (For best results, try a powershell+window.)++   When processing large data files, hledger uses more memory than+Ledger.++* Menu:++* Troubleshooting::+++File: hledger.info,  Node: Troubleshooting,  Up: BUGS++34.1 Troubleshooting+====================++Here are some common issues you might encounter when you run hledger,+and how to resolve them (and remember also you can usually get quick+Support):++   *PATH issues: I get an error like "No command 'hledger' found"*+Depending how you installed hledger, the executables may not be in your+shell's PATH. Eg on unix systems, stack installs hledger in+'~/.local/bin' and cabal installs it in '~/.cabal/bin'.  You may need to+add one of these directories to your shell's PATH, and/or open a new+terminal window.++   *LEDGER_FILE issues: I configured LEDGER_FILE but hledger is not+using it*++   * 'LEDGER_FILE' should be a real environment variable, not just a+     shell variable.  Eg on unix, the command 'env | grep LEDGER_FILE'+     should show it.  You may need to use 'export' (see+     https://stackoverflow.com/a/7411509).  On Windows,+     '$env:LEDGER_FILE' should show it.+   * You may need to force your shell to see the new configuration.  A+     simple way is to close your terminal window and open a new one.++   *Text decoding issues: I get errors like "Illegal byte sequence" or+"Invalid or incomplete multibyte or wide character" or+"commitAndReleaseBuffer: invalid argument (invalid character)"*+hledger usually needs its input to be decodable with the system locale's+text encoding.  See Text encoding and Install: Text encoding.++   *COMPATIBILITY ISSUES: hledger gives an error with my Ledger file*+Not all of Ledger's journal file syntax or feature set is supported.+See hledger and Ledger for full details.+++Tag Table:+Node: Top208+Node: PART 1 USER INTERFACE4090+Node: Input4229+Node: Text encoding5321+Node: Data formats6070+Node: Standard input7804+Node: Multiple files8193+Node: Strict mode8930+Node: Commands9764+Node: Add-on commands11046+Node: Options12097+Node: Special characters19247+Node: Escaping shell special characters20237+Node: Escaping regular expression special characters21596+Node: Escaping in other situations23111+Node: Unicode characters24259+Node: Regular expressions25680+Node: hledger's regular expressions28939+Node: Argument files30610+Node: Config files31507+Node: Shell completions34776+Node: Output35265+Node: Output destination35456+Node: Output format36014+Node: Text output37800+Node: Box-drawing characters38784+Node: Colour39284+Node: Paging39870+Node: HTML output41411+Node: CSV / TSV output41829+Node: FODS output42083+Node: Beancount output42887+Node: Beancount account names44388+Node: Beancount commodity names44929+Node: Beancount virtual postings45576+Node: Beancount metadata45892+Node: Beancount costs46672+Node: Beancount operating currency47088+Node: SQL output47538+Node: JSON output48329+Node: Commodity styles49146+Node: Debug output50156+Node: Environment50988+Node: PART 2 DATA FORMATS52157+Node: Journal52300+Node: Journal cheatsheet54803+Node: Comments61054+Node: Transactions61998+Node: Dates63135+Node: Simple dates63287+Node: Posting dates63903+Node: Status65076+Node: Code66842+Node: Description67461+Node: Payee and note68148+Node: Transaction comments69239+Node: Postings69755+Node: Debits and credits71071+Node: Account names71630+Node: Two space delimiter72587+Node: Account hierarchy73992+Node: Other account name features74875+Node: Amounts75293+Node: Decimal marks76299+Node: Digit group marks77403+Node: Commodity78038+Node: Costs79141+Node: Cost basis / lot syntax82710+Node: Balance assertions84373+Node: Assertions and ordering85637+Node: Assertions and multiple files86356+Node: Assertions and costs87524+Node: Assertions and commodities88171+Node: Assertions and subaccounts89830+Node: Assertions and status90490+Node: Assertions and virtual postings90910+Node: Assertions and auto postings91275+Node: Assertions and precision92150+Node: Assertions and hledger add92634+Node: Posting comments93382+Node: Transaction balancing93922+Node: Tags96130+Node: Tag propagation97649+Node: Displaying tags99148+Node: When to use tags ?99541+Node: Tag names100205+Node: Directives102204+Node: Directives and multiple files103661+Node: Directive effects104606+Node: account directive107762+Node: Account comments109229+Node: Account tags109816+Node: Account error checking110225+Node: Account display order111758+Node: Account types112956+Node: alias directive116660+Node: Basic aliases117871+Node: Regex aliases118746+Node: Combining aliases119793+Node: Aliases and multiple files121247+Node: end aliases directive122030+Node: Aliases can generate bad account names122398+Node: Aliases and account types123231+Node: commodity directive124123+Node: Commodity directive syntax125935+Node: Commodity tags127501+Node: Commodity error checking127979+Node: decimal-mark directive128442+Node: include directive129021+Node: P directive131244+Node: payee directive132278+Node: tag directive132903+Node: Periodic transactions133518+Node: Periodic rule syntax135672+Node: Periodic rules and relative dates136495+Node: Two spaces between period expression and description!137272+Node: Auto postings138233+Node: Auto postings and multiple files141519+Node: Auto postings and dates141924+Node: Auto postings and transaction balancing / inferred amounts / balance assertions142365+Node: Auto posting tags143211+Node: Auto postings on forecast transactions only144106+Node: Other syntax144576+Node: Balance assignments145393+Node: Balance assignments and costs146921+Node: Balance assignments and multiple files147343+Node: Bracketed posting dates147766+Node: D directive148464+Node: apply account directive150240+Node: Y directive151107+Node: Secondary dates152098+Node: Star comments153583+Node: Valuation expressions154275+Node: Virtual postings154574+Node: Other Ledger directives156198+Node: Ledger virtual costs156956+Node: Ledger lot syntax157298+Node: Ledger fixed lot costs158151+Node: CSV159721+Node: CSV rules cheatsheet161921+Node: source164219+Node: Data cleaning / data generating commands165623+Node: archive167522+Node: encoding168450+Node: separator169493+Node: skip170146+Node: date-format170796+Node: timezone171741+Node: newest-first172867+Node: intra-day-reversed173580+Node: decimal-mark174182+Node: CSV fields and hledger fields174680+Node: fields list176556+Node: Field assignment178381+Node: Field names179600+Node: date field180932+Node: date2 field181096+Node: status field181291+Node: code field181481+Node: description field181669+Node: comment field181886+Node: account field182443+Node: amount field183161+Node: currency field186000+Node: balance field186408+Node: if block186931+Node: Matchers188458+Node: Multiple matchers190361+Node: Match groups191169+Node: if table192062+Node: balance-type194125+Node: include194952+Node: Working with CSV195521+Node: Rapid feedback196110+Node: Valid CSV196693+Node: File Extension197569+Node: Reading CSV from standard input198304+Node: Reading multiple CSV files198690+Node: Reading files specified by rule199166+Node: Valid transactions200563+Node: Deduplicating importing201388+Node: Regular expressions in CSV rules202634+Node: Setting amounts204126+Node: Amount signs206664+Node: Setting currency/commodity207729+Node: Amount decimal places209105+Node: Referencing other fields210362+Node: How CSV rules are evaluated211470+Node: Well factored rules214187+Node: CSV rules examples214677+Node: Bank of Ireland214875+Node: Coinbase216472+Node: Amazon217655+Node: Paypal219497+Node: Timeclock227247+Node: Timedot231300+Node: Timedot examples234777+Node: PART 3 REPORTING CONCEPTS237054+Node: Time periods237218+Node: Report start & end date237491+Node: Smart dates238967+Node: Report intervals241338+Node: Date adjustments241912+Node: Start date adjustment242132+Node: End date adjustment243035+Node: Period headings243816+Node: Period expressions244749+Node: Period expressions with a report interval246654+Node: More complex report intervals247102+Node: Multiple weekday intervals249218+Node: Depth250229+Node: Combining depth options251215+Node: Queries252165+Node: Query types254867+Node: acct query255242+Node: amt query255553+Node: code query256250+Node: cur query256445+Node: desc query257051+Node: date query257234+Node: date2 query257848+Node: depth query258189+Node: note query258525+Node: payee query258791+Node: real query259072+Node: status query259277+Node: type query259517+Node: tag query260075+Node: Negative queries260704+Node: not query260886+Node: Space-separated queries261173+Node: Boolean queries261861+Node: expr query263179+Node: any query263859+Node: all query264312+Node: Queries and command options264894+Node: Queries and account aliases265342+Node: Queries and valuation265667+Node: Pivoting266029+Node: Generating data268312+Node: Forecasting270112+Node: --forecast270768+Node: Inspecting forecast transactions271869+Node: Forecast reports273202+Node: Forecast tags274311+Node: Forecast period in detail274931+Node: Forecast troubleshooting276019+Node: Budgeting277090+Node: Amount formatting277650+Node: Commodity display style277894+Node: Rounding279735+Node: Trailing decimal marks280340+Node: Amount parseability281273+Node: Cost reporting282882+Node: Recording costs283713+Node: Reporting at cost285440+Node: Equity conversion postings286205+Node: Inferring equity conversion postings288850+Node: Combining costs and equity conversion postings290096+Node: Requirements for detecting equity conversion postings291321+Node: Infer cost and equity by default ?292843+Node: Value reporting293280+Node: -X Value in specified commodity294238+Node: -V Value in default commoditys295098+Node: Valuation date295835+Node: Finding market price296667+Node: --infer-market-prices market prices from transactions298047+Node: Valuation commodity301091+Node: --value Flexible valuation302524+Node: Valuation examples304367+Node: Interaction of valuation and queries306511+Node: Effect of valuation on reports307228+Node: PART 4 COMMANDS315078+Node: Help commands317867+Node: commands318053+Node: demo318261+Node: help319354+Node: User interface commands321059+Node: repl321270+Node: Examples323534+Node: run324092+Node: Examples 2326507+Node: ui327531+Node: web327668+Node: Data entry commands327796+Node: add328057+Node: add and balance assertions330991+Node: add and balance assignments331565+Node: import332258+Node: Import dry run333337+Node: Overlap detection334285+Node: First import337171+Node: Importing balance assignments338366+Node: Import and commodity styles339421+Node: Import archiving339855+Node: Import special cases340680+Node: Deduplication340898+Node: Varying file name341389+Node: Multiple versions341773+Node: Basic report commands342880+Node: accounts343181+Node: codes345693+Node: commodities346715+Node: descriptions347723+Node: files348183+Node: notes348480+Node: payees348992+Node: prices350149+Node: stats351041+Node: tags353099+Node: Standard report commands354923+Node: print355228+Node: print amount explicitness357959+Node: print alignment358897+Node: print amount style359211+Node: print parseability360441+Node: print other features361718+Node: print output format362680+Node: aregister365965+Node: aregister and posting dates370492+Node: register371393+Node: Custom register output379114+Node: balancesheet380299+Node: balancesheetequity385264+Node: cashflow390599+Node: incomestatement395412+Node: Advanced report commands400261+Node: balance400469+Node: balance features405890+Node: Simple balance report407993+Node: Balance report line format409803+Node: Filtered balance report412163+Node: List or tree mode412682+Node: Depth limiting414195+Node: Dropping top-level accounts414962+Node: Showing declared accounts415472+Node: Sorting by amount416202+Node: Percentages417056+Node: Multi-period balance report417763+Node: Balance change end balance420515+Node: Balance report modes422152+Node: Calculation mode422831+Node: Accumulation mode423535+Node: Valuation mode424636+Node: Combining balance report modes425980+Node: Budget report428010+Node: Using the budget report430310+Node: Budget date surprises432586+Node: Selecting budget goals433950+Node: Budgeting vs forecasting434898+Node: Balance report layout436575+Node: Wide layout437780+Node: Tall layout440185+Node: Bare layout441491+Node: Tidy layout443555+Node: Balance report output445099+Node: Some useful balance reports445873+Node: roi447133+Node: Spaces and special characters in --inv and --pnl449380+Node: Semantics of --inv and --pnl450106+Node: IRR and TWR explained452193+Node: Chart commands455604+Node: activity455785+Node: Data generation commands456282+Node: close456488+Node: close --clopen459553+Node: close --close461449+Node: close --open461973+Node: close --assert462223+Node: close --assign462550+Node: close --retain463229+Node: close customisation464086+Node: close and balance assertions465764+Node: close examples467286+Node: Retain earnings467523+Node: Migrate balances to a new file468026+Node: More detailed close examples469388+Node: rewrite469610+Node: Re-write rules in a file472170+Node: Diff output format473471+Node: rewrite vs print --auto474741+Node: Maintenance commands475455+Node: check475674+Node: Basic checks476757+Node: Strict checks477823+Node: Other checks478696+Node: Custom checks480398+Node: diff480837+Node: setup482045+Node: test484912+Node: PART 5 COMMON TASKS485815+Node: Getting help486264+Node: Constructing command lines487165+Node: Starting a journal file488030+Node: Setting LEDGER_FILE489434+Node: Set LEDGER_FILE on unix489722+Node: Set LEDGER_FILE on mac490241+Node: Set LEDGER_FILE on Windows490971+Node: Setting opening balances492876+Node: Recording transactions496218+Node: Reconciling496963+Node: Reporting499372+Node: Migrating to a new file503506+Node: BUGS503962+Node: Troubleshooting504788  End Tag Table
embeddedfiles/hledger.txt view
@@ -1,10953 +1,10857 @@ -HLEDGER(1)                   hledger User Manuals                   HLEDGER(1)--NAME-       hledger  -  a  robust, friendly plain text accounting app (command line-       version).--SYNOPSIS-       hledger-       or-       hledger COMMAND [OPTS] [ARGS]-DESCRIPTION-       hledger is a robust, user-friendly, cross-platform set of programs  for-       tracking  money,  time,  or any other commodity, using double-entry ac--       counting and a simple, editable file format.  hledger  is  inspired  by-       and  largely  compatible  with  ledger(1), and largely interconvertible-       with beancount(1).--       This manual is for hledger's command line  interface,  version  1.51.2.-       It also describes the common options, file formats and concepts used by-       all  hledger  programs.  It might accidentally teach you some bookkeep--       ing/accounting as well!  You don't need to know everything in  here  to-       use  hledger productively, but when you have a question about function--       ality, this doc should answer it.  It is detailed, so do skip ahead  or-       skim when needed.  You can read it on hledger.org, or as an info manual-       or  man  page  on your system.  You can also open a built-in copy, at a-       point of interest, by running-       hledger --man [CMD], hledger --info [CMD] or hledger help [TOPIC].--       (And for shorter help, try hledger --tldr [CMD].)--       The main function of the hledger CLI is to read plain  text  files  de--       scribing financial transactions, crunch the numbers, and print a useful-       report  on  the  terminal (or save it as HTML, CSV, JSON or SQL).  Many-       reports are available, as subcommands.  hledger will also detect  other-       hledger-* executables as extra subcommands.--       hledger usually reads from (and appends to) a journal file specified by-       the     LEDGER_FILE     environment     variable     (defaulting     to-       $HOME/.hledger.journal); or you can specify files with -f options.   It-       can  also  read timeclock files, timedot files, or any CSV/SSV/TSV file-       with a date field.--       Here is a small journal file describing one transaction:--              2015-10-16 bought food-                expenses:food          $10-                assets:cash--       Transactions are dated movements of money (etc.)  between two  or  more-       accounts:  bank accounts, your wallet, revenue/expense categories, peo--       ple, etc.  You can choose any account names you wish, using : to  indi--       cate  subaccounts.   There  must be at least two spaces between account-       name and amount.  Positive amounts are inflow to that account  (debit),-       negatives  are  outflow  from it (credit).  (Some reports show revenue,-       liability and equity account balances as negative numbers as a  result;-       this is normal.)--       hledger's add command can help you add transactions, or you can install-       other data entry UIs like hledger-web or hledger-iadd.  For more exten--       sive/efficient  changes,  use a text editor: Emacs + ledger-mode, VIM +-       vim-ledger, or VS Code + hledger-vscode  are  some  good  choices  (see-       https://hledger.org/editors.html).--       To  get  started,  run hledger add and follow the prompts, or save some-       entries like the above in  $HOME/.hledger.journal,  then  try  commands-       like:--              $ hledger print -x-              $ hledger aregister assets-              $ hledger balance-              $ hledger balancesheet-              $ hledger incomestatement--       Run  hledger  to  list  the commands.  See also the "Starting a journal-       file" and "Setting opening balances" sections in PART 5: COMMON TASKS.--PART 1: USER INTERFACE-Input-       hledger reads one or more data files, each time you run  it.   You  can-       specify a file with -f, like so--              $ hledger -f FILE [-f FILE2 ...] print--       Files  are  most  often  in hledger's journal format, with the .journal-       file extension (.hledger or .j also work); these files describe  trans--       actions, like an accounting general journal.--       When  no  file is specified, hledger looks for .hledger.journal in your-       home directory.--       But most people prefer to keep financial files in a  dedicated  folder,-       perhaps  with  version control.  Also, starting a new journal file each-       year is common (it's not required, but helps keep things fast  and  or--       ganised).  So we usually configure a different journal file, by setting-       the   LEDGER_FILE   environment   variable,  to  something  like  ~/fi--       nance/2023.journal.  For more about how to do that on your system,  see-       Common tasks > Setting LEDGER_FILE.--   Text encoding-       hledger  expects  non-ascii  input  to be decodable with the system lo--       cale's text encoding.  (For CSV/SSV/TSV files, this can  be  overridden-       by the encoding CSV rule.)--       So,  trying to read non-ascii files which have the wrong text encoding,-       or when no system locale is configured, will fail.  To fix  this,  con--       figure  your  system  locale appropriately, and/or convert the files to-       your system's text encoding (using iconv  on  unix,  or  powershell  or-       notepad on Windows).  See Install: Text encoding for more tips.--       hledger's output will use the system locale's encoding.--       hledger's docs and example files mostly use UTF-8 encoding.--   Data formats-       Usually  the data file is in hledger's journal format, but it can be in-       any of the supported file formats, which currently are:--       Reader:         Reads:                              Automatically used  for-                                                           files with extensions:-       ------------------------------------------------------------------------------       journal         hledger  journal  files  and some   .journal  .j   .hledger-                       Ledger journals, for transactions   .ledger-       timeclock       timeclock files, for precise time   .timeclock-                       logging-       timedot         timedot  files,  for  approximate   .timedot-                       time logging-       csv             Comma- or  other  delimiter-sepa-   .csv-                       rated values, for data import-       ssv             Semicolon separated values          .ssv-       tsv             Tab separated values                .tsv-       rules           CSV/SSV/TSV/other  separated val-   .rules-                       ues, alternate way--       These formats are described in more detail below.--       hledger detects the format automatically based on the  file  extensions-       shown  above.   If  it  can't  recognise the file extension, it assumes-       journal format.  So for non-journal files,  it's  important  to  use  a-       recognised file extension, so as to either read successfully or to show-       relevant error messages.--       You  can also force a specific reader/format by prefixing the file path-       with the format and a colon.  Eg, to read a .dat  file  containing  tab-       separated values:--              $ hledger -f tsv:/some/file.dat stats--   Standard input-       The file name - means standard input:--              $ cat FILE | hledger -f- print--       If  reading non-journal data in this way, you'll need to write the for--       mat as a prefix, like timeclock: here:--              $ echo 'i 2009/13/1 08:00:00' | hledger print -f timeclock:---   Multiple files-       You can specify multiple -f options, to read multiple files as one  big-       journal.  When doing this, note that certain features (described below)-       will be affected:--       o Balance  assertions will not see the effect of transactions in previ--         ous files.  (Usually this doesn't matter as each file  will  set  the-         corresponding opening balances.)--       o Some directives will not affect previous or subsequent files.--       If  needed,  you  can  work  around these by using a single parent file-       which includes the others, or concatenating the files into one, eg: cat-       a.journal b.journal | hledger -f- CMD.--   Strict mode-       hledger checks input files for valid data.  By default, the most impor--       tant errors are detected, while  still  accepting  easy  journal  files-       without a lot of declarations:--       o Are the input files parseable, with valid syntax ?--       o Are all transactions balanced ?--       o Do all balance assertions pass ?--       With the -s/--strict flag, additional checks are performed:--       o Are  all  accounts  posted  to,  declared with an account directive ?-         (Account error checking)--       o Are all commodities declared with a commodity directive ?  (Commodity-         error checking)--       o Are all commodity conversions declared explicitly ?--       You can use the check command to  run  individual  checks  -  the  ones-       listed above and some more.--Commands-       hledger  provides various subcommands for getting things done.  Most of-       these commands do not change the journal file; they just  read  it  and-       output  a report.  A few commands assist with adding data and file man--       agement.  Some often-used  commands  are  add,  print,  register,  bal--       ancesheet and incomestatement.--       To  show a summary of commands, run hledger with no arguments.  You can-       see the same commands summary at the start of PART 4: COMMANDS below.--       To use a particular command, run hledger CMD [CMDOPTS] [CMDARGS],--       o CMD is the full command name, or its standard abbreviation  shown  in-         the commands list, or any unambiguous prefix of the name.--       o CMDOPTS  are  command-specific options, if any.  Command-specific op--         tions must be written after the command name.  Eg: hledger print -x.--       o CMDARGS are additional  arguments  to  the  command,  if  any.   Most-         hledger  commands accept arguments representing a query, to limit the-         data in some way.  Eg: hledger reg assets:checking.--       To list a command's options, arguments, and documentation in the termi--       nal, run hledger CMD -h.  Eg: hledger bal -h.--   Add-on commands-       In addition to the built-in commands, you can install add-on  commands,-       which  will  also appear in hledger's commands list.  Some of these can-       be installed as separate packages; others can  be  found  in  hledger's-       bin/ directory, documented at https://hledger.org/scripts.html.--       Add-on  commands  are  programs  or scripts in your shell's PATH, whose-       name starts with "hledger-" and ends with no extension or a  recognised-       extension  (".bat",  ".com",  ".exe",  ".hs",  ".js",  ".lhs",  ".lua",-       ".php", ".pl", ".py", ".rb", ".rkt", or ".sh"), and (on unix  and  mac)-       which has executable permission for the current user.--       You can run add-on commands directly: hledger-ui --watch.--       Or  you  can  run them with hledger, like built-in commands: hledger ui-       --watch.  In this case hledger's config file will be used, so  you  can-       set  custom  options  for the addon there.  (Before hledger 1.50, an ---       argument was needed before addon options, but not any more.)--Options-       Run hledger -h to see general command line help.  Options can be  writ--       ten  either  before  or after the command name.  These options are spe--       cific to the hledger CLI:--              Flags:-                   --conf=CONFFILE        Use extra options defined in this config file. If-                                          not specified, searches upward and in XDG config-                                          dir for hledger.conf (or .hledger.conf in $HOME).-                -n --no-conf              ignore any config file--       And the following general options are common to most hledger commands:--              General input/data transformation flags:-                -f --file=[FMT:]FILE      Read data from FILE, or from stdin if FILE is -,-                                          inferring format from extension or a FMT: prefix.-                                          Can be specified more than once. If not specified,-                                          reads from $LEDGER_FILE or $HOME/.hledger.journal.-                   --rules=RULESFILE      Use rules defined in this rules file for-                                          converting subsequent CSV/SSV/TSV files. If not-                                          specified, uses FILE.csv.rules for each FILE.csv.-                   --alias=A=B|/RGX/=RPL  transform account names from A to B, or by-                                          replacing regular expression matches-                   --auto                 generate extra postings by applying auto posting-                                          rules ("=") to all transactions-                   --forecast[=PERIOD]    Generate extra transactions from periodic rules-                                          ("~"), from after the latest ordinary transaction-                                          until 6 months from now. Or, during the specified-                                          PERIOD (the equals is required). Auto posting rules-                                          will also be applied to these transactions. In-                                          hledger-ui, also make future-dated transactions-                                          visible at startup.-                -I --ignore-assertions    don't check balance assertions by default-                   --txn-balancing=...    how to check that transactions are balanced:-                                          'old':   use global display precision-                                          'exact': use transaction precision (default)-                   --infer-costs          infer conversion equity postings from costs-                   --infer-equity         infer costs from conversion equity postings-                   --infer-market-prices  infer market prices from costs-                   --pivot=TAGNAME        use a different field or tag as account names-                -s --strict               do extra error checks (and override -I)-                   --verbose-tags         add tags indicating generated/modified data--              General output/reporting flags (supported by some commands):-                -b --begin=DATE           include postings/transactions on/after this date-                -e --end=DATE             include postings/transactions before this date-                                          (with a report interval, will be adjusted to-                                          following subperiod end)-                -D --daily                multiperiod report with 1 day interval-                -W --weekly               multiperiod report with 1 week interval-                -M --monthly              multiperiod report with 1 month interval-                -Q --quarterly            multiperiod report with 1 quarter interval-                -Y --yearly               multiperiod report with 1 year interval-                -p --period=PERIODEXP     set begin date, end date, and/or report interval,-                                          with more flexibility-                   --today=DATE           override today's date (affects relative dates)-                   --date2                match/use secondary dates instead (deprecated)-                -U --unmarked             include only unmarked postings/transactions-                -P --pending              include only pending postings/transactions-                -C --cleared              include only cleared postings/transactions-                                          (-U/-P/-C can be combined)-                -R --real                 include only non-virtual postings-                -E --empty                Show zero items, which are normally hidden.-                                          In hledger-ui & hledger-web, do the opposite.-                   --depth=DEPTHEXP       if a number (or -NUM): show only top NUM levels-                                          of accounts. If REGEXP=NUM, only apply limiting to-                                          accounts matching the regular expression.-                -B --cost                 show amounts converted to their cost/sale amount-                -V --market               Show amounts converted to their value at period-                                          end(s) in their default valuation commodity.-                                          Equivalent to --value=end.-                -X --exchange=COMM        Show amounts converted to their value at period-                                          end(s) in the specified commodity.-                                          Equivalent to --value=end,COMM.-                   --value=WHEN[,COMM]    show amounts converted to their value on the-                                          specified date(s) in their default valuation-                                          commodity or a specified commodity. WHEN can be:-                                          'then':     value on transaction dates-                                          'end':      value at period end(s)-                                          'now':      value today-                                          YYYY-MM-DD: value on given date-                -c --commodity-style=S    Override a commodity's display style.-                                          Eg: -c '.' or -c '1.000,00 EUR'-                   --pretty[=YN]          Use box-drawing characters in text output? Can be-                                          'y'/'yes' or 'n'/'no'.-                                          If YN is specified, the equals is required.--              General help flags:-                -h --help                 show command line help-                   --tldr                 show command examples with tldr-                   --info                 show the manual with info-                   --man                  show the manual with man-                   --version              show version information-                   --debug=[1-9]          show this much debug output (default: 1)-                   --pager=YN             use a pager when needed ? y/yes (default) or n/no-                   --color=YNA --colour   use ANSI color ? y/yes, n/no, or auto (default)--       Usually hledger accepts any unambiguous flag prefix, eg you  can  write-       --tl instead of --tldr or --dry instead of --dry-run.--       You  can  combine  short  flags  which don't take arguments, eg you can-       write -MAST instead of -M -A -S -T.  Flags requiring an argument  can't-       be combined in this way (-If FILE won't work).--       If  the  same  option appears more than once in a command line, usually-       the last (right-most) wins.  Similarly, if mutually exclusive flags are-       used together, the right-most wins.  (When flags  are  mutually  exclu--       sive, they'll usually have a group prefix in --help.)--       With  most commands, arguments are interpreted as a hledger query which-       filter the data.  Some queries can be expressed either with options  or-       with arguments.--       Below are more tips for using the command line interface - feel free to-       skip these until you need them.--   Special characters-       In  commands you type at the command line, certain characters have spe--       cial meaning and sometimes need to be "escaped" or "quoted", by prefix--       ing backslashes or enclosing in quotes.--       If you are able to minimise the use of special characters in your data,-       you won't have to deal with this as much.  For example, you  could  use-       hyphen  -  or  underscore _ instead of spaces in account names, and you-       could use the USD currency code instead of the  $  currency  symbol  in-       amounts.--       But  if  you prefer to use spaced account names and $, it's fine.  Just-       be aware of this topic so you can check this doc when  needed.   (These-       examples  are  mostly  tested  on  unix;  some details might need to be-       adapted if you're on Windows.)--   Escaping shell special characters-       These are some characters which may have special meaning to your  shell-       (the program which interprets command lines):--       o SPACE, <, >, (, ), |, \, %--       o $ if followed by a word character--       So  for  example,  to  match  an  account  name containing spaces, like-       "credit card", don't write:--              $ hledger register credit card--       Instead, enclose the name in single quotes:--              $ hledger register 'credit card'--       On unix or in Windows powershell, if you use double quotes  your  shell-       will  silently treat $ as variable interpolation.  So you should proba--       bly avoid double quotes, unless  you  want  that  behaviour,  eg  in  a-       script:--              $ hledger register "assets:$SOMEACCT"--       But in an older Windows CMD.EXE window, you must use double quotes:--              C:\Users\Me> hledger register "credit card"--       On  unix  or in Windows powershell, as an alternative to quotes you can-       write a backslash before each special character:--              $ hledger register credit\ card--       Finally, since hledger's query arguments are regular  expressions  (de--       scribed  below),  you could also fill that gap with . which matches any-       character:--              $ hledger register credit.card--   Escaping regular expression special characters-       Some characters also have special meaning in regular expressions, which-       hledger's arguments often are.  Those include:--       o ., ^, $, [, ], (, ), |, \--       To escape one of these, write \ before it.  But note this is  in  addi--       tion  to the shell escaping above.  So for characters which are special-       to both shell and regular expressions, like \ and $, you will sometimes-       need two levels of escaping.--       For example, a balance report that uses a cur: query restricting it  to-       just the $ currency, should be written like this:--              $ hledger balance cur:\\$--       Explanation:--       1. Add  a backslash \ before the dollar sign $ to protect it from regu--          lar expressions (so it will be matched  literally  with  no  special-          meaning).--       2. Add  another backslash before that backslash, to protect it from the-          shell (so the shell won't consume it).--       3. $ doesn't need to be protected from the shell in this case,  because-          it's  not  followed by a word character; but it would be harmless to-          do so.--       But here's another way to write that, which tends  to  be  easier:  add-       backslashes  to  escape  from  regular  expressions,  then enclose with-       quotes to escape from the shell:--              $ hledger balance cur:'\$'--   Escaping in other situations-       hledger options and arguments are sometimes used in places  other  than-       the  command line, where the escaping/quoting rules are different.  For-       example, backslash-quoting may not be available.  Here's a quick refer--       ence:--       In unix shell       Use single quotes and/or backslash (or double quotes-                           for variable interpolation)-       In Windows power-   Use single quotes (or double quotes for variable in--       shell               terpolation)-       In Windows cmd      Use double quotes-       In   hledger-ui's   Use single or double quotes-       filter prompt-       In  hledger-web's   Use single or double quotes-       search form-       In  an   argument   Don't  use  spaces, don't shell-escape, do regex-es--       file                cape, write one argument/option per line-       In a config file    Use single or double quotes, and enclose  the  whole-                           argument ('desc:a b' not desc:'a b')-       In    ghci   (the   Use double quotes, and enclose the whole argument-       Haskell REPL)--   Unicode characters-       hledger is expected to handle non-ascii characters correctly:--       o they should be parsed correctly in input files  and  on  the  command-         line,  by all hledger tools (add, iadd, hledger-web's search/add/edit-         forms, etc.)--       o they  should  be  displayed  correctly  by  all  hledger  tools,  and-         on-screen alignment should be preserved.--       This requires a well-configured environment.  Here are some tips:--       o A  system  locale must be configured, which can decode the characters-         being used.  This is essential - see Text encoding and Install:  Text-         encoding.--       o Your  terminal  software  (eg  Terminal.app, iTerm, CMD.exe, xterm..)-         must support unicode.  On Windows, you may need to use Windows Termi--         nal.--       o The terminal must be using a font which includes the required unicode-         glyphs.--       o The terminal should be configured to display wide characters as  dou--         ble width (for report alignment).--       o On  Windows, for best results you should run hledger in the same kind-         of environment in which it was built.  Eg hledger built in the  stan--         dard  CMD.EXE  environment  (like  the binaries on our download page)-         might show display problems when run in a cygwin  or  msys  terminal,-         and vice versa.  (See eg #961).--   Regular expressions-       A  regular  expression  (regexp) is a small piece of text where certain-       characters (like ., ^, $, +, *, (), |, [], \)  have  special  meanings,-       forming  a  tiny  language for matching text precisely - very useful in-       hledger and elsewhere.  To learn all about them, visit  regular-expres--       sions.info.--       hledger  supports  regexps whenever you are entering a pattern to match-       something, eg in  query  arguments,  account  aliases,  CSV  if  rules,-       hledger-web's search form, hledger-ui's / search, etc.  You may need to-       wrap  them in quotes, especially at the command line (see Special char--       acters above).  Here are some examples:--       Account name queries (quoted for command line use):--              Regular expression:  Matches:-              -------------------  -------------------------------------------------------------              bank                 assets:bank, assets:bank:savings, expenses:art:banksy, ...-              :bank                assets:bank:savings, expenses:art:banksy-              :bank:               assets:bank:savings-              '^bank'              none of those ( ^ matches beginning of text )-              'bank$'              assets:bank   ( $ matches end of text )-              'big \$ bank'        big $ bank    ( \ disables following character's special meaning )-              '\bbank\b'           assets:bank, assets:bank:savings  ( \b matches word boundaries )-              '(sav|check)ing'     saving or checking  ( (|) matches either alternative )-              'saving|checking'    saving or checking  ( outer parentheses are not needed )-              'savings?'           saving or savings   ( ? matches 0 or 1 of the preceding thing )-              'my +bank'           my bank, my  bank, ... ( + matches 1 or more of the preceding thing )-              'my *bank'           mybank, my bank, my  bank, ... ( * matches 0 or more of the preceding thing )-              'b.nk'               bank, bonk, b nk, ... ( . matches any character )--       Some other queries:--              desc:'amazon|amzn|audible'  Amazon transactions-              cur:EUR              amounts with commodity symbol containing EUR-              cur:'\$'             amounts with commodity symbol containing $-              cur:'^\$$'           only $ amounts, not eg AU$ or CA$-              cur:....?            amounts with 4-or-more-character symbols-              tag:.=202[1-3]       things with any tag whose value contains 2021, 2022 or 2023--       Account name aliases: accept . instead of : as account separator:--              alias /\./=:         replaces all periods in account names with colons--       Show multiple top-level accounts combined as one:--              --alias='/^[^:]+/=combined'  ( [^:] matches any character other than : )--       Show accounts with the second-level part removed:--              --alias '/^([^:]+):[^:]+/ = \1'-                                   match a top-level account and a second-level account-                                   and replace those with just the top-level account-                                   ( \1 in the replacement text means "whatever was matched-                                   by the first parenthesised part of the regexp"--       CSV rules: match CSV records containing dining-related MCC codes:--              if \?MCC581[124]--       Match CSV records with a specific amount around the end/start of month:--              if %amount \b3\.99-              &  %date   (29|30|31|01|02|03)$--   hledger's regular expressions-       hledger's regular expressions come from  the  regex-tdfa  library.   If-       they're  not doing what you expect, it's important to know exactly what-       they support:--       1. they are case insensitive--       2. they are infix matching (they do not need to match the entire  thing-          being matched)--       3. they are POSIX ERE (extended regular expressions)--       4. they also support GNU word boundaries (\b, \B, \<, \>)--       5. backreferences  are supported when doing text replacement in account-          aliases or CSV rules, where backreferences can be used  in  the  re--          placement string to reference capturing groups in the search regexp.-          Otherwise, if you write \1, it will match the digit 1.--       6. they  do  not  support mode modifiers ((?s)), character classes (\w,-          \d), or anything else not mentioned above.--       7. they may not (I'm guessing not) properly  support  right-to-left  or-          bidirectional text.--       Some things to note:--       o In  the  alias directive and --alias option, regular expressions must-         be enclosed in forward  slashes  (/REGEX/).   Elsewhere  in  hledger,-         these are not required.--       o In  queries,  to match a regular expression metacharacter like $ as a-         literal character, prepend a backslash.  Eg  to  search  for  amounts-         with the dollar sign in hledger-web, write cur:\$.--       o On  the command line, some metacharacters like $ have a special mean--         ing to the shell and so must be escaped at least once more.  See Spe--         cial characters.--   Argument files-       You can save a set of command line options and arguments in a file, and-       then use them by writing @FILE.args as a hledger command argument.  The-       .args file extension is conventional, but not required.  In an argument-       file,--       o Each line can contain one argument, flag, or option.--       o Blank lines or lines beginning with # are ignored.--       o An option's flag and value should be joined by =.--       o An option value or an argument may contain spaces.  Don't use  single-         or double quotes.--       o And  generally,  use  one  less level of quoting/escaping than at the-         command line.  Eg cur:\$, not cur:\\$ as on the command line.--       For example:--              # cash.args--              assets:cash-              assets:charles schwab:sweep-              cur:\$-              -c=$1.--              $ hledger bal @cash.args--   Config files-       With hledger 1.40+, you can save extra command line options  and  argu--       ments  in  a more featureful hledger config file.  Here's a small exam--       ple:--              # General options are listed first, and used with hledger commands that support them.-              --pretty--              # Options following a `[COMMAND]` heading are used with that hledger command only.-              [print]-              --explicit --infer-costs--       To use a config file, specify it with the --conf option.   Its  options-       will  be inserted near the start of your command line, so you can over--       ride them with command line options if needed.--       Or, you can set up an automatic config file that is used  whenever  you-       run  hledger,  by  creating  hledger.conf  in  the current directory or-       above, or .hledger.conf in your home  directory  (~/.hledger.conf),  or-       hledger.conf     in     your     XDG    config    directory    (~/.con--       fig/hledger/hledger.conf).--       Here   is   another   example   config   you    could    start    with:-       https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/blob/master/hledger.conf.sample--       You  can put not only options, but also arguments in a config file.  If-       the first word in a config file's top (general) section does not  begin-       with  a  dash (eg: print), it is treated as the command argument (over--       riding any argument on the command line).--       On unix machines, you can add a shebang line at the  top  of  a  config-       file,  set executable permission on the file, and use it like a script.-       Eg (the -S is needed on some operating systems):--              #!/usr/bin/env -S hledger --conf--       You can ignore config files by adding the -n/--no-conf flag to the com--       mand line.  This is useful when using hledger in scripts, or when trou--       bleshooting.  When both --conf and  --no-conf  options  are  used,  the-       right-most wins.--       To  inspect  the  processing of config files, use --debug or --debug=8.-       Or, run the setup command, which will display any active config  files.-       (setup is not affected by config files itself, unlike other commands.)--       Warning!--       There  aren't  many  hledger  features that need a warning, but this is-       one!--       Automatic config files, while convenient, also make hledger  less  pre--       dictable  and dependable.  It's easy to make a config file that changes-       a report's behaviour, or  breaks  your  hledger-using  scripts/applica--       tions, in ways that will surprise you later.--       If you don't want this,--       1. Just don't create a hledger.conf file on your machine.--       2. Also  be  alert  to  downloaded  directories  which  may  contain  a-          hledger.conf file.--       3. Also if you are sharing scripts or  examples  or  support,  consider-          that others may have a hledger.conf file.--       Conversely, once you decide to use this feature, try to remember:--       1. Whenever  a  hledger command does not work as expected, try it again-          with -n (--no-conf) to see if a config file was to blame.--       2. Whenever you call hledger from a script, consider whether that  call-          should use -n or not.--       3. Be  conservative about what you put in your config file; try to con--          sider the effect on all your reports.--       4. To troubleshoot the effect of config  files,  run  with  --debug  or-          --debug 8.--       The config file feature was added in hledger 1.40.--   Shell completions-       If  you  use  the  bash  or  zsh shells, you can optionally set up con--       text-sensitive autocompletion for hledger command lines.  Try  pressing-       hledger<SPACE><TAB><TAB>  (should list all hledger commands) or hledger-       reg acct:<TAB><TAB> (should list your  top-level  account  names).   If-       completions  aren't  working,  or for more details, see Install > Shell-       completions.--Output-   Output destination-       hledger commands send their output to the terminal by default.  You can-       of course redirect this, eg into a file, using standard shell syntax:--              $ hledger print > foo.txt--       Some commands (print, register, stats, the balance commands) also  pro--       vide  the  -o/--output-file  option,  which does the same thing without-       needing the shell.  Eg:--              $ hledger print -o foo.txt-              $ hledger print -o -        # write to stdout (the default)--   Output format-       Some commands offer other kinds of output, not just text on the  termi--       nal.  Here are those commands and the formats currently supported:--       command                 txt     html     csv/tsv     fods     beancount      sql     json-       ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------       aregister               Y       Y        Y           Y                               Y-       balance                 Y       Y        Y           Y                               Y-       balancesheet            Y       Y        Y           Y                               Y-       balancesheetequity      Y       Y        Y           Y                               Y-       cashflow                Y       Y        Y           Y                               Y-       incomestatement         Y       Y        Y           Y                               Y-       print                   Y       Y        Y           Y        Y              Y       Y-       register                Y       Y        Y           Y                               Y--       You  can  also  see  which output formats a command supports by running-       hledger CMD -h and looking for the -O/--output-format=FMT option,--       You can select the output format by using that option:--              $ hledger print -O csv    # print CSV to standard output--       or by  choosing  a  suitable  filename  extension  with  the  -o/--out--       put-file=FILE.FMT option:--              $ hledger balancesheet -o foo.csv    # write CSV to foo.csv--       The -O option can be combined with -o to override the file extension if-       needed:--              $ hledger balancesheet -o foo.txt -O csv    # write CSV to foo.txt--       Here are some notes about the various output formats.--   Text output-       This is the default: human readable, plain text report output, suitable-       for viewing with a monospace font in a terminal.  If your data contains-       unicode or wide characters, you'll need a terminal and font that render-       those correctly.  (This can be challenging on MS Windows.)--       Some  reports  (register,  aregister) will normally use the full window-       width.  If this isn't working or you want to override it, you  can  use-       the -w/--width option.--       Balance  reports (balance, balancesheet, incomestatement...)  use what--       ever width they need.  Multi-period multi-currency reports can often be-       wider than the window.  Besides using a pager, helpful  techniques  for-       this  situation  include  --layout=bare,  -X  COMM,  cur:, --transpose,-       --tree, --depth, --drop, switching to html output, etc.--   Box-drawing characters-       hledger draws simple table borders by default, to minimise the risk  of-       display  problems  caused by a terminal/font not supporting box-drawing-       characters.--       But your terminal and font probably do support them,  so  we  recommend-       using  the --pretty flag to show prettier tables in the terminal.  This-       is a good flag to add to your hledger config file.--   Colour-       hledger tries to automatically detect ANSI colour and text styling sup--       port and use it when appropriate.  (Currently, it is used rather  mini--       mally:  some reports show negative numbers in red, and help output uses-       bold text for emphasis.)--       You can override this by setting the NO_COLOR environment  variable  to-       disable  it,  or  by using the --color/--colour option, perhaps in your-       config file, with a y/yes or n/no value to force it on or off.--   Paging-       In unix-like environments, when displaying large output (in any  output-       format) in the terminal, hledger tries to use a pager when appropriate.-       (You  can disable this with the --pager=no option, perhaps in your con--       fig file.)--       The pager shows one page of text at a time, and lets you scroll  around-       to  see more.  While it is active, usually SPACE shows the next page, h-       shows help, and q quits.  The home/end/page up/page  down/cursor  keys,-       and mouse scrolling, may also work.--       hledger will use the pager specified by the PAGER environment variable,-       otherwise  less  if  available, otherwise more if available.  (With one-       exception: hledger help -p TOPIC will always use less, so that  it  can-       scroll to the topic.)--       The  pager  is  expected  to  display  hledger's  ANSI  colour and text-       styling.  If you see junk characters, you might need to configure  your-       pager  to  handle ANSI codes.  Or you could disable colour as described-       above.--       If you are using the less pager, hledger automatically appends a number-       of options to the LESS variable to enable ANSI colour and a  number  of-       other   conveniences.   (At  the  time  of  writing:  --chop-long-lines-       --hilite-unread       --ignore-case       --no-init       --quit-at-eof-       --quit-if-one-screen            --RAW-CONTROL-CHARS           --shift=8-       --squeeze-blank-lines --use-backslash ).  If these don't work well, you-       can set your preferred options in the HLEDGER_LESS variable, which will-       be used instead.--   HTML output-       HTML output can be styled by an optional hledger.css file in  the  same-       directory.--       HTML  output  will  be  a  HTML fragment, not a complete HTML document.-       Like other hledger output, for non-ascii characters  it  will  use  the-       system locale's text encoding (see Text encoding).--   CSV / TSV output-       In  CSV or TSV output, digit group marks (such as thousands separators)-       are disabled automatically.--   FODS output-       FODS is the OpenDocument Spreadsheet format as plain XML,  as  accepted-       by  LibreOffice  and OpenOffice.  If you use their spreadsheet applica--       tions, this is better than CSV because it works across locales (decimal-       point vs.  decimal comma, character encoding stored in XML header, thus-       no problems with umlauts), it supports fixed header rows  and  columns,-       cell  types  (string  vs.   number vs.  date), separation of number and-       currency (currency is displayed but the cell type is still a number ac--       cessible for computation), styles (bold), borders.  Btw.  you can still-       extract CSV from FODS/ODS  using  various  utilities  like  libreoffice-       --headless or ods2csv.--   Beancount output-       This  is  Beancount's  journal format.  You can use this to export your-       hledger data to Beancount, eg to use the Fava web app.--       hledger will try to adjust your data to suit Beancount,  automatically.-       Be  cautious  and  check  the  conversion until you are confident it is-       good.  If you plan to export to Beancount often, you may want to follow-       its conventions, for a cleaner conversion:--       o use Beancount-friendly account names--       o use currency codes instead of currency symbols--       o use cost notation instead of equity conversion postings--       o avoid virtual postings, balance assignments, and secondary dates.--       There is one big adjustment you must handle  yourself:  for  Beancount,-       the  top  level  account names must be Assets, Liabilities, Equity, In--       come, and/or Expenses.  You can use account aliases to rewrite your ac--       count names temporarily, if needed, as in  this  hledger2beancount.conf-       config file.--       2024-12-20: Some more things not yet handled for you:--       o P  directives  are  not converted automatically - convert those your--         self.--       o Balance assignments are  not  converted  (Beancount  doesn't  support-         them) - replace those with explicit amounts.--   Beancount account names-       Aside  from the top-level names, hledger will adjust your account names-       to make valid Beancount account names, by capitalising each  part,  re--       placing  spaces  with  -,  replacing  other unsupported characters with-       C<HEXBYTES>, prepending A to account name parts which don't begin  with-       a  letter  or  digit, and appending :A to account names which have only-       one part.--   Beancount commodity names-       hledger will adjust your commodity names to make valid  Beancount  com--       modity/currency names, which must be 2-24 uppercase letters, digits, or-       ',  ., _, -, beginning with a letter and ending with a letter or digit.-       hledger will convert known currency symbols to ISO 4217 currency codes,-       capitalise letters, replace spaces with -,  replace  other  unsupported-       characters with C<HEXBYTES>, and prepend or append C if needed.--   Beancount virtual postings-       Beancount doesn't allow virtual postings; if you have any, they will be-       omitted from beancount output.--   Beancount metadata-       hledger  tags  will be converted to Beancount metadata (except for tags-       whose name begins with _).  Metadata names will be adjusted to be Bean--       count-compatible: beginning with a lowercase letter, at least two char--       acters long, and with unsupported characters encoded.  Metadata  values-       will use Beancount's string type.--       In  hledger,  objects can have the same tag repeated with multiple val--       ues.   Eg  an  assets:cash  account  might  have  both  type:Asset  and-       type:Cash  tags.   For  Beancount these will be combined into one, with-       the values combined, comma separated.  Eg: type: "Asset, Cash".--   Beancount costs-       Beancount doesn't allow redundant  costs  and  conversion  postings  as-       hledger  does.   If you have any of these, the conversion postings will-       be omitted.  Currently we support at most one cost +  conversion  post--       ings group per transaction.--   Beancount operating currency-       Declaring  an  operating  currency  (or several) improves Beancount and-       Fava reports.  Currently hledger will declare  each  currency  used  in-       cost  amounts  as an operating currency.  If needed, replace these with-       your own declaration, like--              option "operating_currency" "USD"--   SQL output-       SQL output is expected to work at least with SQLite,  MySQL  and  Post--       gres.--       The  SQL  statements are expected to be executed in the empty database.-       If you already have tables created via SQL output of hledger, you would-       probably want to either clear data from these (via delete  or  truncate-       SQL  statements) or drop the tables completely before import; otherwise-       your postings would be duplicated.--       For SQLite, it is more useful if you modify the generated id  field  to-       be a PRIMARY KEY.  Eg:--              $ hledger print -O sql | sed 's/id serial/id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT NOT NULL/g' | ...--       This is not yet much used; feedback is welcome.--   JSON output-       Our  JSON is rather large and verbose, since it is a faithful represen--       tation of hledger's internal data types.  To understand its  structure,-       read    the   Haskell   type   definitions,   which   are   mostly   in-       https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/blob/mas--       ter/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs.  hledger-web's OpenAPI  specifi--       cation may also be relevant.--       hledger  stores  numbers  with  sometimes up to 255 significant digits.-       This is too many digits for most JSON consumers, so in JSON  output  we-       round numbers to at most 10 decimal places.  (We don't limit the number-       of  integer  digits.)  If you find this causing problems, please let us-       know.  Related: #1195--       This is not yet much used; feedback is welcome.--   Commodity styles-       When displaying amounts, hledger infers a standard  display  style  for-       each commodity/currency, as described below in Commodity display style.--       If needed, this can be overridden by a -c/--commodity-style option (ex--       cept for cost amounts and amounts displayed by the print command, which-       are  always  displayed with all decimal digits).  For example, the fol--       lowing will force dollar amounts to be displayed as shown:--              $ hledger print -c '$1.000,0'--       This option can be repeated to set the display style for multiple  com--       modities/currencies.  Its argument is as described in the commodity di--       rective.   Note that omitting the commodity symbol will set the display-       style for just the no-symbol commodity, not all commodities.--       In some cases hledger will adjust number formatting  to  improve  their-       parseability (such as adding trailing decimal marks when needed).--   Debug output-       We intend hledger to be relatively easy to troubleshoot, introspect and-       develop.   You  can  add --debug[=N] to any hledger command line to see-       additional debug output.  N ranges from 1 (least output,  the  default)-       to  9  (maximum output).  Typically you would start with 1 and increase-       until you are seeing enough.  Debug output goes to stderr, and  is  not-       affected by -o/--output-file (unless you redirect stderr to stdout, eg:-       2>&1).   It  will be interleaved with normal output, which can help re--       veal when parts of the code are evaluated.  To capture debug output  in-       a log file instead, you can usually redirect stderr, eg:--              hledger bal --debug=3 2>hledger.log--       (This option doesn't work in a config file yet.)--Environment-       These environment variables affect hledger:--       HLEDGER_LESS  If  less  is your pager, this variable specifies the less-       options hledger should use.  (Otherwise,  LESS  +  custom  options  are-       used.)--       LEDGER_FILE  The default journal file, to be used when no -f/--file op--       tion is provided.  For example,  it  could  be  ~/finance/main.journal.-       This  can  also  be  a  glob  pattern, eg ./2???.journal.  (If the glob-       matches multiple files, only the alphanumerically first one  is  used.)-       If  LEDGER_FILE points to a non-existent file, an error will be raised.-       If the value is the empty string, it is ignored.--       If LEDGER_FILE is not set and -f is not provided, the  default  journal-       file  is  $HOME/.hledger.journal  (or  if a home directory can't be de--       tected, ./.hledger.journal).--       See also Common tasks > Setting LEDGER_FILE.--       NO_COLOR If this environment variable exists (with any value, including-       empty), hledger will not use ANSI color codes in terminal  output,  un--       less overridden by an explicit --color=y or --colour=y option.--PART 2: DATA FORMATS-Journal-       hledger's usual data source is a plain text file containing journal en--       tries  in hledger journal format.  If you're looking for a quick refer--       ence, jump ahead to the journal cheatsheet (or use the  table  of  con--       tents at https://hledger.org/hledger.html).--       This  file represents an accounting General Journal.  The .journal file-       extension is most often used, though not strictly required.  The  jour--       nal  file  contains  a number of transaction entries, each describing a-       transfer of money (or any commodity) between  two  or  more  named  ac--       counts, in a simple format readable by both hledger and humans.--       hledger's  journal  format  is compatible with most of Ledger's journal-       format, but not all of it.  The differences and interoperation tips are-       described at hledger and Ledger.  With some care, and by  avoiding  in--       compatible  features,  you  can  keep  your hledger journal readable by-       Ledger and vice versa.  This can useful eg for comparing the  behaviour-       of one app against the other.--       You can use hledger without learning any more about this file; just use-       the add or web or import commands to create and update it.--       Many users, though, edit the journal file with a text editor, and track-       changes with a version control system such as git.  Editor add-ons such-       as  ledger-mode  or  hledger-mode  for  Emacs,  vim-ledger for Vim, and-       hledger-vscode for Visual Studio Code, make this easier, adding colour,-       formatting, tab  completion,  and  useful  commands.   See  Editors  at-       hledger.org for the full list.--       A hledger journal file can contain three kinds of thing: comment lines,-       transactions,  and/or  directives (including periodic transaction rules-       and auto posting rules).  Understanding the journal  file  format  will-       also  give  you a good understanding of hledger's data model.  Here's a-       quick cheatsheet/overview, followed by detailed  descriptions  of  each-       part.--   Journal cheatsheet-              # Here is the main syntax of hledger's journal format-              # (omitting extra Ledger compatibility syntax).--              ###############################################################################--              # 1. These are comment lines, for notes or temporarily disabling things.-              ; They begin with # or ;--              comment-              Or, lines can be enclosed within "comment" / "end comment".-              This is a block of-              commented lines.-              end comment--              # Some journal entries can have semicolon comments at end of line  ; like this-              # Some of them require 2 or more spaces before the semicolon.--              ###############################################################################--              # 2. Directives customise processing or output in some way.-              # You don't need any directives to get started.-              # But they can add more error checking, or change how things are displayed.-              # They begin with a word, letter, or symbol.-              # They are most often placed at the top, before transactions.--              account assets             ; Declare valid account names and display order.-              account assets:savings     ; A subaccount. This one represents a bank account.-              account assets:checking    ; Another. Note, 2+ spaces after the account name.-              account assets:receivable  ; Accounting type is inferred from english names,-              account passifs            ; or declared with a "type" tag, type:L-              account expenses           ; type:X-                                         ; A follow-on comment line, indented.-              account expenses:rent      ; Expense and revenue categories are also accounts.-                                         ; Subaccounts inherit their parent's type.--              commodity $0.00         ; Declare valid commodities and their display styles.-              commodity 1.000,00 EUR--              decimal-mark .          ; The decimal mark used in this file (if ambiguous).--              payee Whole Foods       ; Declare a valid payee name.--              tag trip                ; Declare a valid tag name.--              P 2024-03-01 AAPL $179  ; Declare a market price for AAPL in $ on this date.--              include other.journal   ; Include another journal file here.--              # Declare a recurring "periodic transaction", for budget/forecast reports-              ~ monthly  set budget goals  ; <- Note, 2+ spaces before the description.-                  (expenses:rent)      $1000-                  (expenses:food)       $500--              # Declare an auto posting rule, to modify existing transactions in reports-              = revenues:consulting-                  liabilities:tax:2024:us          *0.25  ; Add a tax liability & expense-                  expenses:tax:2024:us            *-0.25  ; for 25% of the revenue.--              ###############################################################################--              # 3. Transactions are what it's all about.-              # They are dated events, usually movements of money between 2 or more accounts.-              # They begin with a numeric date.-              # Here is their basic shape:-              #-              # DATE DESCRIPTION    ; The transaction's date and optional description.-              #   ACCOUNT1  AMOUNT  ; A posting of an amount to/from this account, indented.-              #   ACCOUNT2  AMOUNT  ; A second posting, balancing the first.-              #   ...               ; More if needed. Amounts must sum to zero.-              #                     ; Note, 2+ spaces between account names and amounts.--              2024-01-01 opening balances         ; At the start, declare pre-existing balances this way.-                  assets:savings          $10000  ; Account names can be anything. lower case is easy to type.-                  assets:checking          $1000  ; assets, liabilities, equity, revenues, expenses are common.-                  liabilities:credit card  $-500  ; liabilities, equity, revenues balances are usually negative.-                  equity:start                    ; One amount can be left blank. $-10500 is inferred here.-                                                  ; Some of these accounts we didn't declare above,-                                                  ; so -s/--strict would complain.--              2024-01-03 ! (12345) pay rent-                  ; Additional transaction comment lines, indented.-                  ; There can be a ! or * after the date meaning "pending" or "cleared".-                  ; There can be a parenthesised (code) after the date/status.-                                                  ; Amounts' sign shows direction of flow.-                  assets:checking          $-500  ; Minus means removed from this account (credit).-                  expenses:rent             $500  ; Plus means added to this account (debit).--              ; Keeping transactions in date order is optional (but helps error checking).--              2024-01-02 Gringott's Bank | withdrawal  ; Description can be PAYEE | NOTE-                  assets:bank:gold       -10 gold-                  assets:pouch            10 gold--              2024-01-02 shopping-                  expenses:clothing        1 gold-                  expenses:wands           5 gold-                  assets:pouch            -6 gold--              2024-01-02 receive gift-                  revenues:gifts          -3 "Chocolate Frogs"  ; Complex commodity symbols-                  assets:pouch             3 "Chocolate Frogs"  ; must be in double quotes.--              2024-01-15 buy some shares, in two lots                 ; Cost can be noted.-                  assets:investments:2024-01-15     2.0 AAAA @ $1.50  ; @  means per-unit cost-                  assets:investments:2024-01-15-02  3.0 AAAA @@ $4    ; @@ means total cost-                                    ; ^ Per-lot subaccounts are sometimes useful.-                  assets:checking                 $-7--              2024-01-15 assert some account balances on this date-                  ; Balances can be asserted in any transaction, with =, for extra error checking.-                  ; Assertion txns like this one can be made with hledger close --assert --show-costs-                  ;-                  assets:savings                    $0                   = $10000-                  assets:checking                   $0                   =   $493-                  assets:bank:gold                   0 gold              =    -10 gold-                  assets:pouch                       0 gold              =      4 gold-                  assets:pouch                       0 "Chocolate Frogs" =      3 "Chocolate Frogs"-                  assets:investments:2024-01-15      0.0 AAAA            =      2.0 AAAA @  $1.50-                  assets:investments:2024-01-15-02   0.0 AAAA            =      3.0 AAAA @@ $4-                  liabilities:credit card           $0                   =  $-500--              2024-02-01 note some event, or a transaction not yet fully entered, on this date-                  ; Postings are not required.--              # Consistent YYYY-MM-DD date format is recommended,-              # but you can use . or / and omit leading zeros if you prefer.-              2024.01.01-              2024/1/1--   Comments-       Lines in the journal will be ignored if they begin with a hash (#) or a-       semicolon  (;).  (See also Other syntax.)  hledger will also ignore re--       gions beginning with a comment line and ending with an end comment line-       (or file end).  Here's a suggestion for choosing between them:--       o # for top-level notes--       o ; for commenting out things temporarily--       o comment for quickly commenting large regions (remember it's there, or-         you might get confused)--       Eg:--              # a comment line-              ; another commentline-              comment-              A multi-line comment block,-              continuing until "end comment" directive-              or the end of the current file.-              end comment--       Some hledger entries can have same-line comments attached to them, from-       ; (semicolon) to end of line.  See Transaction comments,  Posting  com--       ments, and Account comments below.--   Transactions-       Transactions  are the main unit of information in a journal file.  They-       represent events, typically a movement of some quantity of  commodities-       between two or more named accounts.--       Each  transaction is recorded as a journal entry, beginning with a sim--       ple date in column 0.  This can be followed by any of the following op--       tional fields, separated by spaces:--       o a status character (empty, !, or *)--       o a code (any short number or text, enclosed in parentheses)--       o a description (any remaining text until end of line or a semicolon)--       o a comment (any remaining text following  a  semicolon  until  end  of-         line, and any following indented lines beginning with a semicolon)--       o 0 or more indented posting lines, describing what was transferred and-         the  accounts  involved (indented comment lines are also allowed, but-         not blank lines or non-indented lines).--       Here's a simple journal file containing one transaction:--              2008/01/01 income-                assets:bank:checking   $1-                income:salary         $-1--   Dates-   Simple dates-       Dates in the journal  file  use  simple  dates  format:  YYYY-MM-DD  or-       YYYY/MM/DD or YYYY.MM.DD, with leading zeros optional.  The year may be-       omitted,  in  which case it will be inferred from the context: the cur--       rent transaction, the default year set with a Y directive, or the  cur--       rent  date  when  the  command  is  run.   Some  examples:  2010-01-31,-       2010/01/31, 2010.1.31, 1/31.--       (The UI also accepts simple dates, as well as the more  flexible  smart-       dates documented in the hledger manual.)--   Posting dates-       You  can  give  individual  postings a different date from their parent-       transaction, by adding a posting comment containing a tag  (see  below)-       like  ; date:DATE.  (There's also a Ledger-compatible syntax, ; [DATE],-       which can be convenient.)--       This is probably the best way to control posting dates  precisely.   Eg-       in  this  example the expense should appear in May reports, and the de--       duction from checking should be reported on 6/1 for easy bank reconcil--       iation:--              2015/5/30-                  expenses:food     $10  ; food purchased on saturday 5/30-                  assets:checking        ; bank cleared it on monday, date:6/1--              $ hledger -f t.j register food-              2015-05-30                      expenses:food                  $10           $10--              $ hledger -f t.j register checking-              2015-06-01                      assets:checking               $-10          $-10--       DATE should be a simple date; if the year is not specified it will  use-       the year of the transaction's date.-       The  date: tag must have a valid simple date value if it is present, eg-       a date: tag with no value is not allowed.--   Status-       Transactions (or individual postings within a transaction) can  have  a-       status  mark,  which  is  a single character before the transaction de--       scription (or posting account name), separated from it by a space,  in--       dicating one of three statuses:--       mark     status-       -------------------                unmarked-       !        pending-       *        cleared--       When  reporting,  you  can  filter  by  status  with the -U/--unmarked,-       -P/--pending, and -C/--cleared flags (and you can combine these, eg -UP-       to match all except cleared things).  Or you can use the status:,  sta--       tus:!, and status:* queries, or the U, P, C keys in hledger-ui.--       (Note: in Ledger the "unmarked" state is called "uncleared"; in hledger-       we renamed it to "unmarked" for semantic clarity.)--       Status  marks  are optional, but can be helpful eg for reconciling with-       real-world accounts.  Some editor modes provide highlighting and short--       cuts for working with status.  Eg in Emacs ledger-mode, you can  toggle-       transaction status with C-c C-e, or posting status with C-c C-c.--       What  "uncleared", "pending", and "cleared" actually mean is up to you.-       Here's one suggestion:--       status       meaning-       ---------------------------------------------------------------------------       uncleared    recorded but not yet reconciled; needs review-       pending      tentatively reconciled (if needed, eg during a big reconcil--                    iation)-       cleared      complete, reconciled as far as possible, and considered cor--                    rect--       With this scheme, you would use -PC to see the current balance at  your-       bank, -U to see things which will probably hit your bank soon (like un--       cashed  checks),  and no flags to see the most up-to-date state of your-       finances.--   Code-       After the status mark, but before the description, you  can  optionally-       write  a  transaction  "code", enclosed in parentheses.  This is a good-       place to record a check number, or some other important transaction  id-       or reference number.--   Description-       After  the  date,  status mark and/or code fields, the rest of the line-       (or until a comment is begun with ;) is the transaction's  description.-       Here you can describe the transaction (called the "narration" in tradi--       tional  bookkeeping),  or you can record a payee/payer name, or you can-       leave it empty.--       Transaction descriptions show up in print output and  in  register  re--       ports, and can be listed with the descriptions command.--       You  can query by description with desc:DESCREGEX, or pivot on descrip--       tion with --pivot desc.--   Payee and note-       Sometimes people want a dedicated payee/payer field that can be queried-       and checked more strictly.  If you want that, you can write a |  (pipe)-       character  in the description.  This divides it into a "payee" field on-       the left, and a "note" field on the right.  (Either can be empty.)--       You can query these  with  payee:PAYEEREGEX  and  note:NOTEREGEX,  list-       their  values  with the payees and notes commands, or pivot on payee or-       note.--       Note: in transactions with no | character, description, payee, and note-       all have the same value.  Once a | is added, they become distinct.  (If-       you'd like to change this behaviour, please  propose  it  on  the  mail-       list.)--       If you want more strict error checking, you can declare the valid payee-       names  with payee directives, and then enforce these with hledger check-       payees.  (Note: because of the above, for this you'll  need  to  ensure-       every  transaction  description  contains a | and therefore a checkable-       payee name, even if it's empty.)--   Transaction comments-       Text following ;, after a transaction description, and/or  on  indented-       lines  immediately  below it, form comments for that transaction.  They-       are reproduced by print but otherwise ignored, except they may  contain-       tags, which are not ignored.--              2012-01-01 something  ; a transaction comment-                  ; a second line of transaction comment-                  expenses   1-                  assets--   Postings-       A  posting  is an addition of some amount to, or removal of some amount-       from, an account.  Each posting line begins with at least one space  or-       tab (2 or 4 spaces is common), followed by:--       o (optional) a status character (empty, !, or *), followed by a space--       o (required)  an  account  name  (any text, optionally including single-         spaces.  If anything follows the account name on the same  line,  the-         account name must be ended by two or more spaces.)--       o (optional) an amount--       o (optional)  a  same-line  posting comment, beginning with a semicolon-         (;).--       If the amount is positive, it is being added to the account;  if  nega--       tive, it is being removed from the account.--       The  posting  amounts  in a transaction must sum up to zero, indicating-       that the inflows and outflows are  equal.   We  call  this  a  balanced-       transaction.   (You can read more about the details of transaction bal--       ancing below.)--       If no amount is written, it will be calculated automatically  from  the-       other  postings  in  the transaction, so as to balance the transaction.-       In other words, in any transaction you can leave one posting amountless-       to save typing.--   Debits and credits-       The traditional accounting concepts of debit and credit of course exist-       in hledger, but we represent them with numeric sign.  Positive and neg--       ative posting amounts represent debits and credits respectively.--       You don't need to remember that, but if you would  like  to  -  eg  for-       helping  newcomers or for talking with your accountant - here's a handy-       mnemonic:--       debit  / plus  / left  / short  words-       credit / minus / right / longer words--   Account names-       Accounts are the main way of categorising things  in  hledger.   As  in-       Double  Entry Bookkeeping, they can represent real world accounts (such-       as a bank account), or more abstract categories such as "money spent on-       food" or "money borrowed from Frank".--       Account names are flexible.  They may be capitalised or not;  they  may-       contain  letters, numbers, punctuation, symbols, or single spaces; they-       may be in any language.--       Typically we use the five  traditional  accounting  categories  as  the-       starting point for account names.  In english they are:--       assets, liabilities, equity, revenues, expenses--       These  will  be discussed more in Account types below.  In hledger docs-       you may see them referred to as A, L, E, R, X for short.--   Two space delimiter-       Note the two or more spaces delimiter that's sometimes  required  after-       account  names.    hledger's  account names, inherited from Ledger, are-       very permissive; they may contain pretty much any kind of text, includ--       ing single spaces and semicolons.  Because of this, they must be termi--       nated by two or more spaces if there is anything following them on  the-       same line.  For example, if an amount, balance assignment, or same-line-       comment  follows  an account name, they must be preceded by two or more-       spaces, else they would be considered part of the account name:--              bad:     assets:accounts receivable $10        ; <- too close!-              good:    assets:accounts receivable  $10--              bad:     assets:accounts receivable =$1000     ; <- too close!-              good:    assets:accounts receivable  =$1000--              bad:     assets:accounts receivable ; comment.   <- too close!-              good:    assets:accounts receivable  ; comment--       This two-space delimiter appears in a few places in  hledger,  such  as-       after  account  names in postings or account directives; also after the-       period expression in periodic transaction rules.  When you are starting-       out, expect it to catch you out at least  once.   It's  annoying  some--       times,  but it lets us use expressive account names while still keeping-       the syntax light.--   Account hierarchy-       For more precise reporting, we usually divide accounts  into  more  de--       tailed  subaccounts, subsubaccounts, and so on, by writing a full colon-       between account name parts.  For example, instead of writing assets and-       expenses, we might write assets:bank:checking and expenses:food.   From-       these names hledger will infer this hierarchy of five accounts:--              assets-              assets:bank-              assets:bank:checking-              expenses-              expenses:food--       Or as an outline:--              assets-               bank-                checking-              expenses-               food--       hledger reports can summarise the account tree to any depth, so you can-       make  your  subcategories  as detailed as you like.  But don't go over--       board, especially when getting started; simpler categories can be  less-       work.--   Other account name features-       Enclosing  the  account  name  in  parentheses  or  brackets, like (ex--       penses:food), enables a non-standard bookkeeping feature: virtual post--       ings.--       Account names can be rewritten and restructured, temporarily or  perma--       nently, by account aliases.--   Amounts-       After the account name, there is usually an amount.  (Remember: between-       account name and amount, there must be two or more spaces.)--       hledger's  amount  format is flexible, supporting several international-       formats.  Here are some examples.  Amounts have a  number  (the  "quan--       tity"):--              1--       ..and usually a currency symbol or commodity name (more on this below),-       to  the  left  or  right  of the quantity, with or without a separating-       space:--              $1-              4000 AAPL-              3 "green apples"--       Amounts can be preceded by a minus sign (or a plus sign, though plus is-       the default), The sign can be written before or after a left-side  com--       modity symbol:--              -$1-              $-1--       One  or more spaces between the sign and the number are acceptable when-       parsing (but they won't be displayed in output):--              + $1-              $-      1--       Scientific E notation is allowed:--              1E-6-              EUR 1E3--   Decimal marks-       A decimal mark can be written as a period or a comma:--              1.23-              1,23--       Both of these are common in international number formats, so hledger is-       not biased towards one or the other.   Because  hledger  also  supports-       digit  group  marks (eg thousands separators), this means that a number-       like 1,000 or 1.000 containing just one period or comma  is  ambiguous.-       In  such  cases,  hledger  by default assumes it is a decimal mark, and-       will parse both of those as 1.--       To help hledger parse such ambiguous numbers more  accurately,  if  you-       use  digit group marks, we recommend declaring the decimal mark explic--       itly.  The best way is to add a decimal-mark directive at  the  top  of-       each data file, like this:--              decimal-mark .--       Or  you  can  declare  it  per commodity with commodity directives, de--       scribed below.--       hledger also accepts numbers like 10. with no digits after the  decimal-       mark  (and will sometimes display numbers that way to disambiguate them-       - see Trailing decimal marks).--   Digit group marks-       In the integer part of the amount quantity (left of the decimal  mark),-       groups  of digits can optionally be separated by a digit group mark - a-       comma or period (whichever is not used as decimal  mark),  or  a  space-       (several  Unicode  space  variants,  like  no-break space, are also ac--       cepted).   So these are all valid amounts in a journal file:--                   $1,000,000.00-                EUR 2.000.000,00-              INR 9,99,99,999.00-                    1 000 000.00   ; <- ordinary space-                    1 000 000.00   ; <- no-break space--   Commodity-       Amounts in hledger have both a "quantity", which is  a  signed  decimal-       number, and a "commodity", which is a currency symbol, stock ticker, or-       any word or phrase describing something you are tracking.--       If the commodity name contains non-letters (spaces, numbers, or punctu--       ation),  you must always write it inside double quotes ("green apples",-       "ABC123").--       If you write just a bare number, that too will have a  commodity,  with-       name ""; we call that the "no-symbol commodity".--       Actually,  hledger  combines  these  single-commodity amounts into more-       powerful multi-commodity amounts, which are what it works with most  of-       the  time.   A multi-commodity amount could be, eg: 1 USD, 2 EUR, 3.456-       TSLA.  In practice,  you  will  only  see  multi-commodity  amounts  in-       hledger's output; you can't write them directly in the journal file.--       By default, the format of amounts in the journal influences how hledger-       displays  them in output.  This is explained in Commodity display style-       below.--   Costs-       After a posting amount, you can note its cost (when buying) or  selling-       price  (when  selling)  in another commodity, by writing either @ UNIT--       PRICE or @@ TOTALPRICE after it.  This indicates a conversion  transac--       tion, where one commodity is exchanged for another.--       (You  might  also  see this called "transaction price" in hledger docs,-       discussions, or code; that term was directionally neutral and  reminded-       that  it  is a price specific to a transaction, but we now just call it-       "cost", with the understanding that the transaction could be a purchase-       or a sale.)--       Costs are usually written explicitly with @ or @@, but can also be  in--       ferred automatically for simple multi-commodity transactions.  Note, if-       costs  are  inferred,  the  order of postings is significant; the first-       posting will have a cost attached, in the commodity of the second.--       As an example, here are several ways to record purchases of  a  foreign-       currency  in  hledger, using the cost notation either explicitly or im--       plicitly:--       1. Write the price per unit, as @ UNITPRICE after the amount:--                  2009/1/1-                    assets:euros     100 @ $1.35  ; one hundred euros purchased at $1.35 each-                    assets:dollars                 ; balancing amount is -$135.00--       2. Write the total price, as @@ TOTALPRICE after the amount:--                  2009/1/1-                    assets:euros     100 @@ $135  ; one hundred euros purchased at $135 for the lot-                    assets:dollars--       3. Specify amounts for all postings, using exactly two commodities, and-          let hledger infer the price that balances the transaction.  Note the-          effect of posting order: the price is added to first posting, making-          it 100 @@ $135, as in example 2:--                  2009/1/1-                    assets:euros     100          ; one hundred euros purchased-                    assets:dollars  $-135          ; for $135--       Amounts can be converted to cost at report  time  using  the  -B/--cost-       flag; this is discussed more in the Cost reporting section.--       Note  that  the  cost normally should be a positive amount, though it's-       not required to be.  This can be a little confusing, see discussion  at-       --infer-market-prices: market prices from transactions.--   Balance assertions-       hledger  supports  Ledger-style  balance  assertions  in journal files.-       These look like, for example, = EXPECTEDBALANCE following  a  posting's-       amount.   Eg  here  we assert the expected dollar balance in accounts a-       and b after each posting:--              2013/1/1-                a   $1 =  $1-                b      = $-1--              2013/1/2-                a   $1 =  $2-                b  $-1 = $-2--       After reading a journal file, hledger will check all balance assertions-       and report an error if any of them fail.  Balance assertions  can  pro--       tect  you  from, eg, inadvertently disrupting reconciled balances while-       cleaning up old entries.  You can disable  them  temporarily  with  the-       -I/--ignore-assertions flag, which can be useful for troubleshooting or-       for  reading Ledger files.  (Note: this flag currently does not disable-       balance assignments, described below).--   Assertions and ordering-       hledger calculates and checks an account's balance assertions  in  date-       order (and when there are multiple assertions on the same day, in parse-       order).   Note  this  is different from Ledger, which checks assertions-       always in parse order, ignoring dates.--       This means in hledger you can freely reorder transactions, postings, or-       files, and balance assertions will usually keep working.  The exception-       is when you reorder multiple postings on the same day, to the same  ac--       count, which have balance assertions; those will likely need updating.--   Assertions and multiple files-       If an account has transactions appearing in multiple files, balance as--       sertions can still work - but only if those files are part of a hierar--       chy made by include directives.--       If  the  same  files  are  specified with two -f options on the command-       line, the assertions in the second will not see the balances  from  the-       first.--       To  work  around  this, arrange your files in a hierarchy with include.-       Or, you could concatenate the files temporarily, and process them  like-       one big file.--       Why  does  it work this way ?  It might be related to hledger's goal of-       stable predictable reports.  File hierarchy is considered  "permanent",-       part of your data, while the order of command line options/arguments is-       not.   We don't want transient changes to be able to change the meaning-       of the data.  Eg it would be frustrating if tomorrow all  your  balance-       assertions  broke because you wrote command line arguments in a differ--       ent order.  (Discussion welcome.)--   Assertions and costs-       Balance assertions ignore costs, and should normally be written without-       one:--              2019/1/1-                (a)     $1 @ 1 = $1--       We do allow costs to be written in balance assertion amounts,  however,-       and  print  shows  them,  but  they  don't affect whether the assertion-       passes or fails.  This is for backward compatibility  (hledger's  close-       command  used  to  generate balance assertions with costs), and because-       balance assignments do use costs (see below).--   Assertions and commodities-       The balance assertions described so far are "single  commodity  balance-       assertions": they assert and check the balance in one commodity, ignor--       ing  any  others  that  may be present.  This is how balance assertions-       work in Ledger also.--       If an account contains multiple commodities, you can assert their  bal--       ances  by  writing  multiple  postings with balance assertions, one for-       each commodity:--              2013/1/1-                usd   $-1-                eur   -1-                both--              2013/1/2-                both    0 = $1-                both    0 = 1--       In hledger you can make a stronger "sole commodity  balance  assertion"-       by  writing  two  equals signs (== EXPECTEDBALANCE).  This also asserts-       that there are no other commodities in the account besides the asserted-       one (or at least, that their current balance is zero):--              2013/1/1-                usd   $-1  == $-1  ; these sole commodity assertions succeed-                eur   -1  == -1-                both      ;==  $1  ; this one would fail because 'both' contains $ and--       It's less easy to make a "sole commodities balance assertion" (note the-       plural) - ie, asserting that an account contains two or more  specified-       commodities and no others.  It can be done by--       1. isolating each commodity in a subaccount, and asserting those--       2. and  also  asserting  there are no commodities in the parent account-          itself:--          2013/1/1-            usd       $-1-            eur       -1-            both        0 == 0   ; nothing up my sleeve-            both:usd   $1 == $1  ; a dollar here-            both:eur   1 == 1  ; a euro there--   Assertions and subaccounts-       All of the balance assertions above (both = and ==) are "subaccount-ex--       clusive balance assertions"; they ignore any  balances  that  exist  in-       deeper subaccounts.--       In  hledger  you  can make "subaccount-inclusive balance assertions" by-       adding a star after the equals (=* or ==*):--              2019/1/1-                equity:start-                assets:checking  $10-                assets:savings   $10-                assets            $0 ==* $20  ; assets + subaccounts contains $20 and nothing else--   Assertions and status-       Balance assertions always consider postings of all statuses  (unmarked,-       pending,  or  cleared);  they  are  not affected by the -U/--unmarked /-       -P/--pending / -C/--cleared flags or the status: query.--   Assertions and virtual postings-       Balance assertions always consider both real and virtual postings; they-       are not affected by the --real/-R flag or real: query.--   Assertions and auto postings-       Balance assertions are affected by the  --auto  flag,  which  generates-       auto postings, which can alter account balances.  Because auto postings-       are optional in hledger, accounts affected by them effectively have two-       balances.   But  balance  assertions  can only test one or the other of-       these.  So to avoid making fragile assertions, either:--       o assert the balance calculated with --auto, and always use --auto with-         that file--       o or assert the balance calculated without --auto, and never use --auto-         with that file--       o or avoid balance assertions on accounts affected by auto postings (or-         avoid auto postings entirely).--   Assertions and precision-       Balance assertions compare the exactly calculated  amounts,  which  are-       not  always  what  is  shown  by reports.  Eg a commodity directive may-       limit the display precision, but this will not  affect  balance  asser--       tions.  Balance assertion failure messages show exact amounts.--   Assertions and hledger add-       Balance  assertions  can  be included in the amounts given in add.  All-       types of assertions are supported, and assertions can be used as  in  a-       normal journal file.--       All  transactions,  not just those that have an explicit assertion, are-       validated against the existing assertions in the journal.   This  means-       it  is possible for an added transaction to fail even if its assertions-       are correct as of the transaction date.--       If this assertion checking is not desired, then it can be disabled with-       -I.--       However, balance assignments are currently not supported.--   Posting comments-       Text following ;, at the end of a  posting  line,  and/or  on  indented-       lines  immediately  below it, form comments for that posting.  They are-       reproduced by print but otherwise  ignored,  except  they  may  contain-       tags, which are not ignored.--              2012-01-01-                  expenses   1  ; a comment for posting 1-                  assets-                  ; a comment for posting 2-                  ; a second comment line for posting 2--   Transaction balancing-       How exactly does hledger decide when a transaction is balanced ?  Espe--       cially  when  it  involves costs, which often are not exact, because of-       repeating decimals, or imperfect data from financial institutions ?  In-       each commodity, hledger sums the transaction's posting  amounts,  after-       converting  any  with  costs;  then it checks if that sum is zero, when-       rounded to a suitable number of decimal digits - which we call the bal--       ancing precision.--       Since version 1.50, hledger infers balancing precision in each transac--       tion from  the  amounts  in  that  transaction's  journal  entry  (like-       Ledger).   Ie,  when  checking  the balance of commodity A, it uses the-       highest decimal precision seen for A in the  journal  entry  (excluding-       cost amounts).  This makes transaction balancing robust; any imbalances-       must  be  visibly accounted for in the journal entry, display precision-       can be freely increased with -c,  and  compatibility  with  Ledger  and-       Beancount journals is good.--       Note that hledger versions before 1.50 worked differently: they allowed-       display  precision  to  override  the balancing precision.  This masked-       small imbalances and caused fragility (see issue #2402).  As a  result,-       some journal entries (or CSV rules) that worked with hledger <1.50, are-       now  rejected  with an "unbalanced transaction" error.  If you hit this-       problem, it's easy to fix:--       o You can restore the old behaviour, by adding  --txn-balancing=old  to-         the  command or to your ~/.hledger.conf file.  This lets you keep us--         ing old journals unchanged, though without the above benefits.--       o Or you can fix the problem entries (recommended).   There  are  three-         ways, use whichever seems best:--         1. make cost amounts more precise (add more/better decimal digits)--         2. or  make non-cost amounts less precise (remove unnecessary decimal-            digits that are raising the precision)--         3. or add a posting to absorb the imbalance (eg  "expenses:rounding".-            Remember  that  one posting may omit the amount; that's convenient-            here.)--   Tags-       Tags are a way to add extra labels  or  data  fields  to  transactions,-       postings,  or  accounts,  which  you can match with a tag: query in re--       ports.  (See queries below.)--       Tags are a single word or hyphenated word, immediately  followed  by  a-       full  colon,  written within a comment.  (Yes, storing data in comments-       is slightly weird.)  Here's a transaction with a tag:--              2025-01-01 groceries        ; some-tag:-                  assets:checking-                  expenses:food       $1--       A tag can have a value, a single line of text written after the  colon.-       Tag values can't contain newlines.:--              2025-01-01 groceries        ; tag1: this is tag1's value--       Multiple tags can be separated by comma.  Tag values can't contain com--       mas.:--              2025-01-01 groceries        ; tag1:value 1, tag2:value 2, comment text--       A tag can have multiple values:--              2025-01-01 groceries        ; tag1:value 1, tag1:value 2--       You  can  write  each tag on its own line of you prefer (but they still-       can't contain commas):--              2025-01-01 groceries-                  ; tag1: value 1-                  ; tag2: value 2--       Tags can be attached to individual postings, rather  than  the  overall-       transaction:--              2025-01-01 rent-                  assets:checking-                  expenses:rent       $1000  ; postingtag:--       Tags can be attached to accounts, in their account directive:--              account assets:checking    ; acct-number: 123-45-6789--   Tag propagation-       In addition to what they are attached to, tags also affect related data-       in a few ways, allowing more powerful queries:--       1. Accounts -> postings.  Postings inherit tags from their account.--       2. Transactions -> postings.  Postings inherit tags from their transac--          tion.--       3. Postings  ->  transactions.   Transactions  also acquire the tags of-          their postings.--       So when you use a tag: query to match  whole  transactions,  individual-       postings, or accounts, it's good to understand how tags behave.  Here's-       an example showing all three kinds of propagation:--              account assets:checking-              account expenses:food           ; atag:--              2025-01-01 groceries            ; ttag:-                  assets:checking             ; p1tag:-                  expenses:food           $1  ; p2tag:--       data part       has tags         explanation-       ------------------------------------------------------------------------------       assets:check-                    no tags attached-       ing account-       expenses:food   atag             atag: in comment-       account-       assets:check-   p1tag, ttag      p1tag:   in  comment,  ttag  acquired  from-       ing posting                      transaction-       expenses:food   p2tag,   atag,   p2tag:  in comment, atag from account, ttag-       posting         ttag             from transaction-       groceries       ttag,   p1tag,   ttag: in comment, p1tag from first posting,-       transaction     p2tag, atag      p2tag and atag from second posting--   Displaying tags-       You can use the tags command to list tag names or values.--       The print command also shows tags.--       You  can use --pivot to display tag values in other reports, in various-       ways (eg appended to account names, like pseudo subaccounts).--   When to use tags ?-       Tags provide more dimensions of categorisation, complementing  accounts-       and  transaction descriptions.  When to use each of these is somewhat a-       matter of taste.  Accounts have the most built-in  support,  and  regex-       queries  on  descriptions are also quite powerful.  So you may not need-       tags at all.  But if you want to  track  multiple  cross-cutting  cate--       gories,  they  can  be a good fit.  For example, you could tag trip-re--       lated transactions with trip: YEAR:PLACE, without disturbing your usual-       account categories.--   Tag names-       What is allowed in a tag name ?  Most non-whitespace characters.  Eg  :-       is a valid tag.--       For  extra error checking, you can declare valid tag names with the tag-       directive, and then enforce these with the  check  command.   But  note-       that  tags  are  detected quite loosely at present, sometimes where you-       didn't intend them.  Eg a comment like ;  see  https://foo.com  adds  a-       https tag.--       There are several tag names which have special significance to hledger.-       They are explained elsewhere, but here's a quick reference:--               type                   -- declares an account's type-               date                   -- overrides a posting's date-               date2                  -- overrides a posting's secondary date-               assert                 -- appears on txns generated by close --assert-               retain                 -- appears on txns generated by close --retain-               start                  -- appears on txns generated by close --migrate/--close/--open/--assign-               t                      -- appears on postings generated from timedot letters--               generated-transaction  -- appears on txns generated by a periodic rule-               modified-transaction   -- appears on txns which have had auto postings added-               generated-posting      -- appears on generated postings-               cost-posting           -- appears on postings which have (or could have) a cost,-                                         and which have equivalent conversion postings in the transaction-               conversion-posting     -- appears on postings which are to a V/Conversion account-                                         and which have an equivalent cost posting in the transaction--       The second group above (generated-transaction, etc.)  are normally hid--       den,  with a _ prefix added.  This means print doesn't show them by de--       fault; but you can still use them in queries.  You can add  the  --ver--       bose-tags  flag  to  make  them  visible, which can be useful for trou--       bleshooting.--   Directives-       Besides transactions, there is something else you can put in a  journal-       file:  directives.   These  are declarations, beginning with a keyword,-       that modify hledger's behaviour.  Some directives can  have  more  spe--       cific  subdirectives,  indented  below  them.  hledger's directives are-       similar to Ledger's in many cases, but there are also many differences.-       Directives are not required, but can be useful.  Here are the main  di--       rectives:--       purpose                                    directive-       ---------------------------------------------------------------------------       READING DATA:-       Rewrite account names                      alias-       Comment out sections of the file           comment-       Declare  file's  decimal  mark,  to help   decimal-mark-       parse amounts accurately-       Include other data files                   include-       GENERATING DATA:-       Generate recurring transactions or  bud-   ~-       get goals-       Generate   extra  postings  on  existing   =-       transactions-       CHECKING FOR ERRORS:-       Define valid entities  to  provide  more   account, commodity, payee, tag-       error checking-       REPORTING:-       Declare accounts' type and display order   account-       Declare commodity display styles           commodity-       Declare market prices                      P--   Directives and multiple files-       Directives  vary in their scope, ie which journal entries and which in--       put files they affect.  Most often, a directive will affect the follow--       ing entries and included files if any, until the  end  of  the  current-       file - and no further.  You might find this inconvenient!  For example,-       alias  directives do not affect parent or sibling files.  But there are-       usually workarounds; for example, put alias directives in your top-most-       file, before including other files.--       The restriction, though it may be annoying  at  first,  is  in  a  good-       cause; it allows reports to be stable and deterministic, independent of-       the  order  of input.  Without it, reports could show different numbers-       depending on the order of -f options, or the positions of  include  di--       rectives in your files.--   Directive effects-       Here  are  all  hledger's directives, with their effects and scope sum--       marised - nine main directives, plus  four  others  which  we  consider-       non-essential:--       di-        what it does                                                       ends-       rec-                                                                          at-       tive                                                                          file-                                                                                     end?-       ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------       ac-        Declares  an account, for checking all entries in all files; and   N-       count      its display order and type.  Subdirectives: any text, ignored.-       alias      Rewrites account names, in following entries until end  of  cur-   Y-                  rent file or end aliases.  Command line equivalent: --alias-       com-       Ignores  part  of the journal file, until end of current file or   Y-       ment       end comment.-       com-       Declares up to four things: 1.  a commodity symbol, for checking   N,N,Y,Y-       mod-       all amounts in all files 2.  the display style for  all  amounts-       ity        of  this  commodity  3.  the decimal mark for parsing amounts of-                  this commodity, in the rest of this file and  its  children,  if-                  there  is no decimal-mark directive 4.  the precision to use for-                  balanced-transaction checking in this commodity,  in  this  file-                  and  its  children.    Takes  precedence over D.  Subdirectives:-                  format (ignored).  Command line equivalent: -c/--commodity-style-       deci-      Declares the decimal mark, for parsing amounts of  all  commodi-   Y-       mal-mark   ties in following entries until next decimal-mark or end of cur--                  rent  file.  Included files can override.  Takes precedence over-                  commodity and D.-       include    Includes entries and directives from another file,  as  if  they   N-                  were   written   inline.   Command  line  alternative:  multiple-                  -f/--file-       payee      Declares a payee name, for checking all entries in all files.      N-       P          Declares the market price of a commodity on some date, for value   N-                  reports.-       ~          Declares a  periodic  transaction  rule  that  generates  future   N-       (tilde)    transactions  with  --forecast  and  budget  goals  with balance-                  --budget.-       Other-       syntax:-       apply      Prepends a common parent account to all account names,  in  fol-   Y-       account    lowing entries until end of current file or end apply account.-       D          Sets  a  default  commodity to use for no-symbol amounts;and, if   Y,Y,N,N-                  there is no commodity directive for this commodity: its  decimal-                  mark, balancing precision, and display style, as above.-       Y          Sets  a default year to use for any yearless dates, in following   Y-                  entries until end of current file.-       =          Declares an auto posting rule that generates extra  postings  on   partly-       (equals)   matched  transactions with --auto, in current, parent, and child-                  files (but not sibling files, see #1212).-       Other      Other directives from Ledger's file format are accepted but  ig--       Ledger     nored.-       direc--       tives--   account directive-       account directives can be used to declare accounts (ie, the places that-       amounts  are transferred from and to).  Though not required, these dec--       larations can provide several benefits:--       o They can document your intended chart of accounts, providing a refer--         ence.--       o They can store additional account information as comments, or as tags-         which can be used to filter or pivot reports.--       o They can restrict which accounts may be posted to by transactions, eg-         in strict mode, which helps prevent errors.--       o They influence account display order in reports, allowing  non-alpha--         betic sorting (eg Revenues to appear above Expenses).--       o They  can  help  hledger know your accounts' types (asset, liability,-         equity, revenue, expense), enabling reports like balancesheet and in--         comestatement.--       o They help with account name completion (in hledger add,  hledger-web,-         hledger-iadd, ledger-mode, etc.)--       They  are  written  as the word account followed by a hledger-style ac--       count name.  Eg:--              account assets:bank:checking--       Ledger-style indented subdirectives are also accepted, but ignored:--              account assets:bank:checking-                format subdirective  ; currently ignored--   Account comments-       Text following two or more spaces and ; at the end of an account direc--       tive line, and/or following ; on indented lines immediately  below  it,-       form  comments for that account.  They are ignored except they may con--       tain tags, which are not ignored.--       The two-space requirement for same-line account comments is  because  ;-       is allowed in account names.--              account assets:bank:checking    ; same-line comment, at least 2 spaces before the semicolon-                ; next-line comment-                ; some tags - type:A, acctnum:12345--   Account error checking-       By  default,  accounts  need  not be declared; they come into existence-       when a posting references them.   This  is  convenient,  but  it  means-       hledger  can't warn you when you mis-spell an account name in the jour--       nal.  Usually you'll find that error later, as an extra account in bal--       ance reports, or an incorrect balance when reconciling.--       In strict mode, enabled with the -s/--strict  flag,  or  when  you  run-       hledger check accounts, hledger will report an error if any transaction-       uses  an  account  name that has not been declared by an account direc--       tive.  Some notes:--       o The declaration is case-sensitive; transactions must use the  correct-         account name capitalisation.--       o The  account  directive's scope is "whole file and below" (see direc--         tives).  This means it affects all of the current file, and any files-         it includes, but not parent or sibling files.  The  position  of  ac--         count  directives  within the file does not matter, though it's usual-         to put them at the top.--       o Accounts can only be declared in journal files, but will  affect  in--         cluded files of all types.--       o It's  currently  not  possible  to declare "all possible subaccounts"-         with a wildcard; every account posted to must be declared.--       o If you use the --infer-equity flag, you will also  need  declarations-         for the account names it generates.--   Account display order-       Account directives also cause hledger to display accounts in a particu--       lar  order, not just alphabetically.  Eg, here is a conventional order--       ing for the top-level accounts:--              account assets-              account liabilities-              account equity-              account revenues-              account expenses--       Now hledger displays them in that order:--              $ hledger accounts-              assets-              liabilities-              equity-              revenues-              expenses--       If there are undeclared accounts, those will be displayed last, in  al--       phabetical order.--       Sorting is done within each group of sibling accounts, at each level of-       the  account  tree.  Eg, a declaration like account parent:child influ--       ences child's position among its siblings.--       Note, it does not affect parent's position; for that, you need  an  ac--       count parent declaration.--       Sibling  accounts  are always displayed together; hledger won't display-       x:y in between a:b and a:c.--       An account directive both declares an account as a valid  posting  tar--       get,  and  declares  its display order; you can't easily do one without-       the other.--   Account types-       hledger knows that in accounting there are three main account types:--       Asset       A   things you own-       Liability   L   things you owe-       Equity      E   owner's investment,-                       balances  the   two-                       above--       and two more representing changes in these:--       Revenue   R   inflows (also known-                     as Income)-       Expense   X   outflows--       hledger also uses a couple of subtypes:--       Cash         C   liquid assets-       Conversion   V   commodity   conver--                        sions equity--       As a convenience, hledger will detect these  types  automatically  from-       english  account  names.  But it's better to declare them explicitly by-       adding a type: tag in the account directives.  The tag's value  can  be-       any of the types or one-letter abbreviations above.--       Here  is  a typical set of account type declarations.  Subaccounts will-       inherit their parent's type, or can override it:--              account assets             ; type: A-              account liabilities        ; type: L-              account equity             ; type: E-              account revenues           ; type: R-              account expenses           ; type: X--              account assets:bank        ; type: C-              account assets:cash        ; type: C--              account equity:conversion  ; type: V--       This enables the easy balancesheet,  balancesheetequity,  cashflow  and-       incomestatement reports, and querying by type:.--       Tips:--       o You can list accounts and their types, for troubleshooting:--                $ hledger accounts --types [ACCTPAT] [type:TYPECODES] [-DEPTH] [--locations]--       o It's  a  good  idea  to declare at least one account for each account-         type.  Having some types declared and some inferred can disrupt  cer--         tain reports.--       o The  rules for inferring types from account names are as follows (us--         ing Regular expressions).-       If they don't work for you, just ignore them  and  declare  your  types-       with type: tags.--                If account's name contains this case insensitive regular expression | its type is-                --------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------                ^assets?(:.+)?:(cash|bank|che(ck|que?)(ing)?|savings?|current)(:|$) | Cash-                ^assets?(:|$)                                                       | Asset-                ^(debts?|liabilit(y|ies))(:|$)                                      | Liability-                ^equity:(trad(e|ing)|conversion)s?(:|$)                             | Conversion-                ^equity(:|$)                                                        | Equity-                ^(income|revenue)s?(:|$)                                            | Revenue-                ^expenses?(:|$)                                                     | Expense--       o As mentioned above, subaccounts will inherit a type from their parent-         account.  To be precise, an account's type is decided by the first of-         these that exists:--         1. A type: declaration for this account.--         2. A  type:  declaration  in the parent accounts above it, preferring-            the nearest.--         3. An account type inferred from this account's name.--         4. An account type inferred from a parent account's name,  preferring-            the nearest parent.--         5. Otherwise, it will have no type.--       o Account aliases can disrupt account types.--   alias directive-       You can define account alias rules which rewrite your account names, or-       parts of them, before generating reports.  This can be useful for:--       o expanding shorthand account names to their full form, allowing easier-         data entry and a less verbose journal--       o adapting old journals to your current chart of accounts--       o experimenting with new account organisations, like a new hierarchy--       o combining two accounts into one, eg to see their sum or difference on-         one line--       o customising reports--       Account aliases also rewrite account names in account directives.  They-       do   not  affect  account  names  being  entered  via  hledger  add  or-       hledger-web.--       Account aliases are very powerful.  They are generally easy to use cor--       rectly, but you can also generate invalid account names with them; more-       on this below.--       See also Rewrite account names.--   Basic aliases-       To set an account alias, use the alias directive in your journal  file.-       This  affects all subsequent journal entries in the current file or its-       included files (but note: not sibling or  parent  files).   The  spaces-       around the = are optional:--              alias OLD = NEW--       Or, you can use the --alias 'OLD=NEW' option on the command line.  This-       affects all entries.  It's useful for trying out aliases interactively.--       OLD  and  NEW  are case sensitive full account names.  hledger will re--       place any occurrence of the old account name with the new one.   Subac--       counts are also affected.  Eg:--              alias checking = assets:bank:wells fargo:checking-              ; rewrites "checking" to "assets:bank:wells fargo:checking", or "checking:a" to "assets:bank:wells fargo:checking:a"--   Regex aliases-       There  is  also a more powerful variant that uses a regular expression,-       indicated by wrapping the pattern in forward  slashes.   (This  is  the-       only  place where hledger requires forward slashes around a regular ex--       pression.)--       Eg:--              alias /REGEX/ = REPLACEMENT--       or:--              $ hledger --alias '/REGEX/=REPLACEMENT' ...--       Any part of an account name matched by REGEX will be  replaced  by  RE--       PLACEMENT.  REGEX is case-insensitive as usual.--       If  you  need  to match a forward slash, escape it with a backslash, eg-       /\/=:.--       If REGEX contains parenthesised match groups, these can  be  referenced-       by the usual backslash and number in REPLACEMENT:--              alias /^(.+):bank:([^:]+):(.*)/ = \1:\2 \3-              ; rewrites "assets:bank:wells fargo:checking" to  "assets:wells fargo checking"--       REPLACEMENT continues to the end of line (or on command line, to end of-       option argument), so it can contain trailing whitespace.--   Combining aliases-       You  can  define  as many aliases as you like, using journal directives-       and/or command line options.--       Recursive aliases - where an account name is rewritten  by  one  alias,-       then  by  another  alias, and so on - are allowed.  Each alias sees the-       effect of previously applied aliases.--       In such cases it can be important to understand which aliases  will  be-       applied  and  in  which order.  For (each account name in) each journal-       entry, we apply:--       1. alias directives preceding the journal entry, most  recently  parsed-          first (ie, reading upward from the journal entry, bottom to top)--       2. --alias  options,  in  the  order  they appeared on the command line-          (left to right).--       In other words, for (an account name in) a given journal entry:--       o the nearest alias declaration before/above the entry is applied first--       o the next alias before/above that will be be applied next, and so on--       o aliases defined after/below the entry do not affect it.--       This gives nearby aliases precedence over distant ones, and helps  pro--       vide  semantic stability - aliases will keep working the same way inde--       pendent of which files are being read and in which order.--       In case of trouble, adding --debug=6 to  the  command  line  will  show-       which aliases are being applied when.--   Aliases and multiple files-       As  explained at Directives and multiple files, alias directives do not-       affect parent or sibling files.  Eg in this command,--              hledger -f a.aliases -f b.journal--       account aliases defined in a.aliases will not  affect  b.journal.   In--       cluding the aliases doesn't work either:--              include a.aliases--              2023-01-01  ; not affected by a.aliases-                foo  1-                bar--       This means that account aliases should usually be declared at the start-       of your top-most file, like this:--              alias foo=Foo-              alias bar=Bar--              2023-01-01  ; affected by aliases above-                foo  1-                bar--              include c.journal  ; also affected--   end aliases directive-       You can clear (forget) all currently defined aliases (seen in the jour--       nal so far, or defined on the command line) with this directive:--              end aliases--   Aliases can generate bad account names-       Be  aware  that  account  aliases  can produce malformed account names,-       which could cause confusing reports or invalid print output.  For exam--       ple, you could erase all account names:--              2021-01-01-                a:aa     1-                b--              $ hledger print --alias '/.*/='-              2021-01-01-                                 1--       The above print output is not a valid journal.  Or you could insert  an-       illegal  double space, causing print output that would give a different-       journal when reparsed:--              2021-01-01-                old    1-                other--              $ hledger print --alias old="new  USD" | hledger -f- print-              2021-01-01-                  new             USD 1-                  other--   Aliases and account types-       If an account with a type declaration (see Declaring accounts > Account-       types) is renamed by an alias, normally the account type remains in ef--       fect.--       However, renaming in a way that reshapes the account tree (eg  renaming-       parent  accounts  but  not their children, or vice versa) could prevent-       child accounts from inheriting the account type of their parents.--       Secondly, if an account's type is being inferred from its name,  renam--       ing it by an alias could prevent or alter that.--       If  you  are  using account aliases and the type: query is not matching-       accounts as you expect, try troubleshooting with the accounts  command,-       eg something like:--              $ hledger accounts --types -1 --alias assets=bassetts--   commodity directive-       The commodity directive performs several functions:--       1. It  declares which commodity symbols may be used in the journal, en--          abling useful error checking with strict mode or the check  command.-          See Commodity error checking below.--       2. It  declares  how all amounts in this commodity should be displayed,-          eg how many decimals to show.  See Commodity display style above.--       3. (If no decimal-mark directive is in effect:)  It  sets  the  decimal-          mark  to  expect (period or comma) when parsing amounts in this com--          modity, in this file and files it includes, from the directive until-          end of current file.  See Decimal marks above.--       4. It declares the precision with which this commodity's amounts should-          be compared when checking for  balanced  transactions,  anywhere  in-          this file and files it includes, until end of current file.--       Declaring  commodities  solves several common parsing/display problems,-       so we recommend it.--       Note that effects 3 and 4 above end at the end of the directive's file,-       and will not affect sibling or parent files.  So if you are relying  on-       them  (especially  4)  and using multiple files, placing your commodity-       directives in a top-level parent file might  be  important.   Or,  keep-       your  decimal marks unambiguous and your entries well balanced and pre--       cise.--       Omitting the commodity symbol will set the display style for  just  the-       no-symbol commodity, not all commodities.--       Commodity  styles can be overridden by the -c/--commodity-style command-       line option.--       (Related: #793)--   Commodity directive syntax-       A commodity directive is normally the word commodity followed by a sam--       ple amount (and optionally a comment).  Only the  amount's  symbol  and-       the number's format is significant.  Eg:--              commodity $1000.00-              commodity 1.000,00 EUR-              commodity 1 000 000.0000   ; the no-symbol commodity--       Commodities do not have tags (tags in the comment will be ignored).--       A  commodity  directive's sample amount must always include a period or-       comma decimal mark (this rule  helps  disambiguate  decimal  marks  and-       digit  group  marks).   If  you  don't want to show any decimal digits,-       write the decimal mark at the end:--              commodity 1000. AAAA       ; show AAAA with no decimals--       Commodity symbols containing spaces, numbers, or  punctuation  must  be-       enclosed in double quotes, as usual:--              commodity 1.0000 "AAAA 2023"--       Commodity  directives normally include a sample amount, but can declare-       only a symbol (ie, just function 1 above):--              commodity $-              commodity INR-              commodity "AAAA 2023"-              commodity ""               ; the no-symbol commodity--       Commodity directives may also be written with an indented format subdi--       rective, as in Ledger.  The symbol is repeated and must be the same  in-       both places.  Other subdirectives are currently ignored:--              ; display indian rupees with currency name on the left,-              ; thousands, lakhs and crores comma-separated,-              ; period as decimal point, and two decimal places.-              commodity INR-                format INR 1,00,00,000.00-                an unsupported subdirective  ; ignored by hledger--   Commodity error checking-       In  strict  mode  (-s/--strict) (or when you run hledger check commodi--       ties), hledger will report an error if an undeclared  commodity  symbol-       is  used.  (With one exception: zero amounts are always allowed to have-       no commodity symbol.)  It works like account error checking  (described-       above).--   decimal-mark directive-       You can use a decimal-mark directive - usually one per file, at the top-       of the file - to declare which character represents a decimal mark when-       parsing amounts in this file.  It can look like--              decimal-mark .--       or--              decimal-mark ,--       This  prevents  any  ambiguity  when parsing numbers in the file, so we-       recommend it, especially if the file contains  digit  group  marks  (eg-       thousands separators).--   include directive-       You  can  pull in the content of additional files by writing an include-       directive, like this:--              include SOMEFILE--       This has the same effect as if SOMEFILE's content was inlined  at  this-       point.   (With  any include directives in SOMEFILE processed similarly,-       recursively.)--       Only journal files can include other files.  They can include  journal,-       timeclock or timedot files, but not CSV files.--       If  the  file path begins with a tilde, that means your home directory:-       include ~/main.journal.--       If  it  begins  with  a  slash,  it  is  an  absolute   path:   include-       /home/user/main.journal.   Otherwise  it  is  relative to the including-       file's folder: include ../finances/main.journal.--       Also, the path may have a file type prefix to  force  a  specific  file-       format,  overriding  the  file  extension(s) (as described in Data for--       mats): include timedot:notes/2023.md.--       The path may contain glob patterns to match multiple files.   hledger's-       globs  are  similar  to zsh's: ? to match any character; [a-z] to match-       any character in a range; * to  match  zero  or  more  characters  that-       aren't  a path separator (like /); ** to match zero or more subdirecto--       ries and/or zero or more characters at the start of a file  name;  etc.-       For convenience, include always excludes the current file.  So, you can-       do--       o include  *.journal  to include all other journal files in the current-         directory (excluding dot files)--       o include **.journal to include all other journal files in this  direc--         tory and below (excluding dot files and top-level dot directories)--       o include timelogs/2???.timedot to include all timedot files named like-         a year number.--       Note  *  and  ** usually won't match dot files or dot directories, with-       one exception: ** does search non-top-level dot directories.   If  this-       causes  problems,  make  your glob pattern more specific (eg **.journal-       instead of **).--       If you are using many, or deeply nested, include files, and have an er--       ror that's hard to pinpoint: a good troubleshooting command is  hledger-       files --debug=6 (or 7).--   P directive-       The P directive declares a market price, which is a conversion rate be--       tween  two commodities on a certain date.  This allows value reports to-       convert amounts of one commodity to their value in another, on or after-       that date.  These prices are often  obtained  from  a  stock  exchange,-       cryptocurrency exchange, the or foreign exchange market.--       The format is:--              P DATE COMMODITY1SYMBOL COMMODITY2AMOUNT--       DATE  is a simple date, COMMODITY1SYMBOL is the symbol of the commodity-       being priced, and COMMODITY2AMOUNT is the amount (symbol and  quantity)-       of commodity 2 that one unit of commodity 1 is worth on this date.  Ex--       amples:--              # one euro was worth $1.35 from 2009-01-01 onward:-              P 2009-01-01  $1.35--              # and $1.40 from 2010-01-01 onward:-              P 2010-01-01  $1.40--       The  -V,  -X  and  --value flags use these market prices to show amount-       values in another commodity.  See Value reporting.--   payee directive-       payee PAYEE NAME--       This directive can be used to declare a limited set of payees which may-       appear in transaction descriptions.  The "payees" check will report  an-       error  if any transaction refers to a payee that has not been declared.-       Eg:--              payee Whole Foods    ; a comment--       Payees do not have tags (tags in the comment will be ignored).--       To declare the empty payee name, use "".--              payee ""--       Ledger-style indented subdirectives, if any, are currently ignored.--   tag directive-       tag TAGNAME--       This directive can be used to declare a limited set of  tag  names  al--       lowed in tags.  TAGNAME should be a valid tag name (no spaces).  Eg:--              tag  item-id--       Any indented subdirectives are currently ignored.--       The  "tags"  check  will  report an error if any undeclared tag name is-       used.  It is quite easy to accidentally create a tag through normal use-       of colons in comments; if you want to prevent this, you can declare and-       check your tags .--   Periodic transactions-       The ~ directive declares a "periodic rule"  which  generates  temporary-       extra transactions, usually recurring at some interval, when hledger is-       run with the --forecast flag.  These "forecast transactions" are useful-       for  forecasting  future activity.  They exist only for the duration of-       the report, and only when --forecast is used; they are not saved in the-       journal file by hledger.--       Periodic rules also have a second use: with the --budget flag they  set-       budget goals for budgeting.--       Periodic  rules  can  be  a little tricky, so before you use them, read-       this whole section, or at least the following tips:--       1. Two spaces accidentally added or omitted will cause  you  trouble  --          read about this below.--       2. For  troubleshooting,  show  the generated transactions with hledger-          print  --forecast  tag:generated  or  hledger  register   --forecast-          tag:generated.--       3. Forecasted  transactions  will  begin  only after the last non-fore--          casted transaction's date.--       4. Forecasted transactions will end 6 months from  today,  by  default.-          See below for the exact start/end rules.--       5. period  expressions  can  be  tricky.  Their documentation needs im--          provement, but is worth studying.--       6. Some period expressions with a repeating interval must  begin  on  a-          natural  boundary  of  that  interval.  Eg in weekly from DATE, DATE-          must be a monday.  ~ weekly from 2019/10/1 (a tuesday) will give  an-          error.--       7. Other period expressions with an interval are automatically expanded-          to  cover a whole number of that interval.  (This is done to improve-          reports, but it also affects periodic transactions.  Yes, it's a bit-          inconsistent with the above.)  Eg:  ~ every 10th day of  month  from-          2023/01,  which  is  equivalent  to   ~ every 10th day of month from-          2023/01/01, will be adjusted to start on 2019/12/10.--   Periodic rule syntax-       A periodic transaction rule looks like a normal journal entry, with the-       date replaced by a tilde (~) followed by a period expression (mnemonic:-       ~ looks like a recurring sine wave.):--              # every first of month-              ~ monthly-                  expenses:rent          $2000-                  assets:bank:checking--              # every 15th of month in 2023's first quarter:-              ~ monthly from 2023-04-15 to 2023-06-16-                  expenses:utilities          $400-                  assets:bank:checking--       The period expression is the same syntax used for specifying  multi-pe--       riod  reports, just interpreted differently; there, it specifies report-       periods; here it specifies recurrence dates (the periods' start dates).--   Periodic rules and relative dates-       Partial or relative dates (like 12/31, 25, tomorrow,  last  week,  next-       quarter)  are  usually not recommended in periodic rules, since the re--       sults will change as time passes.  If used, they  will  be  interpreted-       relative to, in order of preference:--       1. the first day of the default year specified by a recent Y directive--       2. or the date specified with --today--       3. or the date on which you are running the report.--       They  will  not  be affected at all by report period or forecast period-       dates.--   Two spaces between period expression and description!-       If the period expression is  followed  by  a  transaction  description,-       these must be separated by two or more spaces.  This helps hledger know-       where the period expression ends, so that descriptions can not acciden--       tally alter their meaning, as in this example:--              ; 2 or more spaces needed here, so the period is not understood as "every 2 months in 2023"-              ;               ||-              ;               vv-              ~ every 2 months  in 2023, we will review-                  assets:bank:checking   $1500-                  income:acme inc--       So,--       o Do  write two spaces between your period expression and your transac--         tion description, if any.--       o Don't accidentally write two spaces in the middle of your period  ex--         pression.--   Auto postings-       The = directive declares an "auto posting rule", which adds extra post--       ings  to  existing  transactions.   (Remember, postings are the account-       name & amount lines below a transaction's date & description.)--       In the journal, an auto posting rule looks quite  like  a  transaction,-       but  instead of date and description it has = (mnemonic: "match") and a-       query, like this:--              = QUERY-                  ACCOUNT    AMOUNT-                  ...--       Queries are just like command line queries; an account  name  substring-       is  most  common.   Query terms containing spaces should be enclosed in-       single or double quotes.--       Each = rule works like this: when hledger is run with the --auto  flag,-       wherever  the  QUERY matches a posting in the journal, the rule's post--       ings are added to that transaction, immediately below the matched post--       ing.  Note these generated postings are temporary,  existing  only  for-       the  duration of the report, and only when --auto is used; they are not-       saved in the journal file by hledger.--       The postings can contain the special string %account which will be  ex--       panded to the account name of the matched account.--       Generated postings' amounts can depend on the matched posting's amount.-       So  auto  postings  can  be  useful for, eg, adding tax postings with a-       standard percentage.  AMOUNT can be:--       o a number with no commodity symbol, like  2.   The  matched  posting's-         commodity symbol will be added to this.--       o a  normal amount with a commodity symbol, like $2.  This will be used-         as-is.--       o an asterisk followed by a number, like *2.  This  will  multiply  the-         matched posting's amount (and total price, if any) by the number.--       o an  asterisk  followed  by an amount with commodity symbol, like *$2.-         This multiplies and also replaces the commodity symbol with this  new-         one.--       Some examples:--              ; every time I buy food, schedule a dollar donation-              = expenses:food-                  (liabilities:charity)   $-1--              ; when I buy a gift, also deduct that amount from a budget envelope subaccount-              = expenses:gifts-                  assets:checking:gifts  *-1-                  assets:checking         *1--              2017/12/1-                expenses:food    $10-                assets:checking--              2017/12/14-                expenses:gifts   $20-                assets:checking--              $ hledger print --auto-              2017-12-01-                  expenses:food              $10-                  assets:checking-                  (liabilities:charity)      $-1--              2017-12-14-                  expenses:gifts             $20-                  assets:checking-                  assets:checking:gifts     -$20-                  assets:checking            $20--       Note that depending fully on generated data such as this has some draw--       backs  -  it's less portable, less future-proof, less auditable by oth--       ers, and less robust (eg your balance assertions will depend on whether-       you use or don't use --auto).  An alternative is to use  auto  postings-       in "one time" fashion - use them to help build a complex journal entry,-       view  it  with hledger print --auto, and then copy that output into the-       journal file to make it permanent.--   Auto postings and multiple files-       An auto posting rule can affect any transaction in the current file, or-       in any parent file or child file.  Note, currently it will  not  affect-       sibling files (when multiple -f/--file are used - see #1212).--   Auto postings and dates-       A  posting  date (or secondary date) in the matched posting, or (taking-       precedence) a posting date in the auto posting rule itself,  will  also-       be used in the generated posting.--   Auto postings and transaction balancing / inferred amounts / balance asser--       tions-       Currently, auto postings are added:--       o after  missing amounts are inferred, and transactions are checked for-         balancedness,--       o but before balance assertions are checked.--       Note this means that journal entries must be balanced both  before  and-       after auto postings are added.  This changed in hledger 1.12+; see #893-       for background.--       This  also means that you cannot have more than one auto-posting with a-       missing amount applied to a given transaction, as it will be unable  to-       infer amounts.--   Auto posting tags-       Automated postings will have some extra tags:--       o generated-posting:= QUERY - shows this was generated by an auto post--         ing rule, and the query--       o _generated-posting:=  QUERY  - a hidden tag, which does not appear in-         hledger's output.  This can be used to match postings generated "just-         now", rather than generated in the past and saved to the journal.--       Also, any transaction that has been changed by auto posting rules  will-       have these tags added:--       o modified: - this transaction was modified--       o _modified: - a hidden tag not appearing in the comment; this transac--         tion was modified "just now".--   Auto postings on forecast transactions only-       Tip:  you can can make auto postings that will apply to forecast trans--       actions but not recorded transactions, by adding  tag:_generated-trans--       action  to their QUERY.  This can be useful when generating new journal-       entries to be saved in the journal.--   Other syntax-       hledger journal format supports quite a few other features,  mainly  to-       make  interoperating  with or converting from Ledger easier.  Note some-       of the features below are powerful and can be useful in special  cases,-       but  in general, features in this section are considered less important-       or even not recommended for most users.   Downsides  are  mentioned  to-       help you decide if you want to use them.--   Balance assignments-       Ledger-style  balance  assignments  are also supported.  These are like-       balance assertions, but with no posting amount on the left side of  the-       equals  sign;  instead  it is calculated automatically so as to satisfy-       the assertion.  This can be a convenience during data  entry,  eg  when-       setting opening balances:--              ; starting a new journal, set asset account balances-              2016/1/1 opening balances-                assets:checking            = $409.32-                assets:savings             = $735.24-                assets:cash                 = $42-                equity:opening balances--       or when adjusting a balance to reality:--              ; no cash left; update balance, record any untracked spending as a generic expense-              2016/1/15-                assets:cash    = $0-                expenses:misc--       The calculated amount depends on the account's balance in the commodity-       at  that  point  (which depends on the previously-dated postings of the-       commodity to that account since the last balance assertion  or  assign--       ment).--       Downsides:  using balance assignments makes your journal less explicit;-       to know the exact amount posted, you have to run hledger or do the cal--       culations yourself, instead of just reading it.  Also  balance  assign--       ments' forcing of balances can hide errors.  These things make your fi--       nancial  data less portable, less future-proof, and less trustworthy in-       an audit.--   Balance assignments and costs-       A cost in a balance assignment will cause the calculated amount to have-       that cost attached:--              2019/1/1-                (a)             = $1 @ 2--              $ hledger print --explicit-              2019-01-01-                  (a)         $1 @ 2 = $1 @ 2--   Balance assignments and multiple files-       Balance assignments handle  multiple  files  like  balance  assertions.-       They  see balance from other files previously included from the current-       file, but not from previous sibling or parent files.--   Bracketed posting dates-       For setting posting dates and secondary posting dates, Ledger's  brack--       eted date syntax is also supported: [DATE], [DATE=DATE2] or [=DATE2] in-       posting  comments.   hledger will attempt to parse any square-bracketed-       sequence of the 0123456789/-.= characters in this way.  With this  syn--       tax,  DATE  infers  its  year from the transaction and DATE2 infers its-       year from DATE.--       Downsides:  another  syntax  to   learn,   redundant   with   hledger's-       date:/date2: tags, and confusingly similar to Ledger's lot date syntax.--   D directive-       D AMOUNT--       This  directive sets a default commodity, to be used for any subsequent-       commodityless amounts (ie, plain numbers) seen while parsing the  jour--       nal.   This  effect lasts until the next D directive, or the end of the-       current file.--       For compatibility/historical reasons, D also acts like a commodity  di--       rective  (setting  the commodity's decimal mark for parsing and display-       style for output).  So its argument is not just a commodity symbol, but-       a full amount demonstrating the style.  The amount must include a deci--       mal mark (either period or comma).  Eg:--              ; commodity-less amounts should be treated as dollars-              ; (and displayed with the dollar sign on the left, thousands separators and two decimal places)-              D $1,000.00--              1/1-                a     5  ; <- commodity-less amount, parsed as $5 and displayed as $5.00-                b--       Interactions with other directives:--       For setting a commodity's display  style,  a  commodity  directive  has-       highest priority, then a D directive.--       For  detecting  a commodity's decimal mark during parsing, decimal-mark-       has highest priority, then commodity, then D.--       For checking commodity symbols with the check command, a commodity  di--       rective is required (hledger check commodities ignores D directives).--       Downsides:  omitting  commodity  symbols makes your financial data less-       explicit, less portable, and less trustworthy in an audit.  It is  usu--       ally  an unsustainable shortcut; sooner or later you will want to track-       multiple commodities.  D is overloaded with  functions  redundant  with-       commodity and decimal-mark.  And it works differently from Ledger's D.--   apply account directive-       This  directive  sets a default parent account, which will be prepended-       to all accounts in following entries, until an end apply account direc--       tive or end of current file.  Eg:--              apply account home--              2010/1/1-                  food    $10-                  cash--              end apply account--       is equivalent to:--              2010/01/01-                  home:food           $10-                  home:cash          $-10--       account directives are also affected, and so is any included content.--       Account names entered via hledger add or hledger-web are not affected.--       Account aliases, if any,  are  applied  after  the  parent  account  is-       prepended.--       Downsides:  this  can  make  your  financial  data  less explicit, less-       portable, and less trustworthy in an audit.--   Y directive-       Y YEAR--       or (deprecated backward-compatible forms):--       year YEAR apply year YEAR--       The space is optional.  This sets a default year to be used for  subse--       quent dates which don't specify a year.  Eg:--              Y2009  ; set default year to 2009--              12/15  ; equivalent to 2009/12/15-                expenses  1-                assets--              year 2010  ; change default year to 2010--              2009/1/30  ; specifies the year, not affected-                expenses  1-                assets--              1/31   ; equivalent to 2010/1/31-                expenses  1-                assets--       Downsides: omitting the year (from primary transaction dates, at least)-       makes your financial data less explicit, less portable, and less trust--       worthy  in  an  audit.   Such dates can get separated from their corre--       sponding Y directive, eg when evaluating a region  of  the  journal  in-       your  editor.  A missing Y directive makes reports dependent on today's-       date.--   Secondary dates-       A secondary date is written after the primary date, following an equals-       sign: DATE1=DATE2.  If the year is omitted, the primary date's year  is-       assumed.  When running reports, the primary (left side) date is used by-       default, but with the --date2 flag (--aux-date or--effective also work,-       for  Ledger  users),  the  secondary (right side) date will be used in--       stead.--       The meaning of secondary dates is up to you.  Eg it could  be  "primary-       is  the bank's clearing date, secondary is the date the transaction was-       initiated, if different".--       In practice, this feature usually adds confusion:--       o You have to remember the primary and secondary  dates'  meaning,  and-         follow that consistently.--       o It  splits  your bookkeeping into two modes, and you have to remember-         which mode is appropriate for a given report.--       o Usually your balance assertions will work  with  only  one  of  these-         modes.--       o It  makes  your  financial  data more complicated, less portable, and-         less clear in an audit.--       o It interacts with every feature, creating an ongoing cost for  imple--         mentors.--       o It distracts new users and supporters.--       o Posting dates are simpler and work better.--       So secondary dates are officially deprecated in hledger, remaining only-       as  a  Ledger  compatibility  aid; we recommend using posting dates in--       stead.--   Star comments-       Lines beginning with * (star/asterisk) are also  comment  lines.   This-       feature allows Emacs users to insert org headings in their journal, al--       lowing them to fold/unfold/navigate it like an outline when viewed with-       org mode.--       Downsides:  another, unconventional comment syntax to learn.  Decreases-       your journal's portability.  And switching to Emacs org mode  just  for-       folding/unfolding  meant  losing  the benefits of ledger mode; nowadays-       you can add outshine mode to ledger mode to get folding without  losing-       ledger mode's features.--   Valuation expressions-       Ledger  allows  a  valuation  function or value to be written in double-       parentheses after an amount.  hledger ignores these.--   Virtual postings-       A posting with parentheses around the account name, like (some:account)-       10, is called an unbalanced virtual posting.   These  postings  do  not-       participate  in  transaction balancing.  (And if you write them without-       an amount, a zero amount is always inferred.)  These  can  occasionally-       be  convenient for special circumstances, but they violate double entry-       bookkeeping and make your data less portable  across  applications,  so-       many people avoid using them at all.--       A  posting  with  brackets  around the account name ([some:account]) is-       called a balanced virtual posting.  The balanced virtual postings in  a-       transaction must add up to zero, just like ordinary postings, but sepa--       rately  from  them.  These are not part of double entry bookkeeping ei--       ther, but they are at least balanced.  An example:--              2022-01-01 buy food with cash, update budget envelope subaccounts, & something else-                assets:cash                    $-10  ; <- these balance each other-                expenses:food                    $7  ; <--                expenses:food                    $3  ; <--                [assets:checking:budget:food]  $-10  ;   <- and these balance each other-                [assets:checking:available]     $10  ;   <--                (something:else)                 $5  ;     <- this is not required to balance--       Ordinary postings, whose account names are  neither  parenthesised  nor-       bracketed,  are called real postings.  You can exclude virtual postings-       from reports with the -R/--real flag or a real:1 query.--   Other Ledger directives-       These other Ledger directives are currently accepted but ignored.  This-       allows hledger to read more Ledger files, but be aware  that  hledger's-       reports may differ from Ledger's if you use these.--              apply fixed COMM AMT-              apply tag   TAG-              assert      EXPR-              bucket / A  ACCT-              capture     ACCT REGEX-              check       EXPR-              define      VAR=EXPR-              end apply fixed-              end apply tag-              end apply year-              end tag-              eval / expr EXPR-              python-                PYTHONCODE-              tag         NAME-              value       EXPR-              --command-line-flags--       See  also https://hledger.org/ledger.html for a detailed hledger/Ledger-       syntax comparison.--   Other cost/lot notations-       A slight digression for Ledger and Beancount users.--       Ledger has a number of cost/lot-related notations:--       o @ UNITCOST and @@ TOTALCOST--         o expresses a conversion rate, as in hledger--         o when buying, also creates a lot that can  be  selected  at  selling-           time--       o (@) UNITCOST and (@@) TOTALCOST (virtual cost)--         o like  the  above,  but also means "this cost was exceptional, don't-           use it when inferring market prices".--       o {=UNITCOST} and {{=TOTALCOST}} (fixed price)--         o when buying, means "this cost is also the fixed value, don't let it-           fluctuate in value reports"--       o {UNITCOST} and {{TOTALCOST}} (lot price)--         o can be used identically to @ UNITCOST and @@ TOTALCOST,  also  cre--           ates a lot--         o when  selling,  combined with @ ..., selects an existing lot by its-           cost basis.  Does not check if that lot is present.--       o [YYYY/MM/DD] (lot date)--         o when buying, attaches this acquisition date to the lot--         o when selling, selects a lot by its acquisition date--       o (SOME TEXT) (lot note)--         o when buying, attaches this note to the lot--         o when selling, selects a lot by its note--       Currently, hledger--       o accepts any or all of the above in any order after the posting amount--       o supports @ and @@--       o treats (@) and (@@) as synonyms for @ and @@--       o and ignores the rest.  (This can break transaction balancing.)--       Beancount has simpler notation and different behaviour:--       o @ UNITCOST and @@ TOTALCOST--         o expresses a cost without creating a lot, as in hledger--         o when buying (acquiring) or selling (disposing of) a lot,  and  com--           bined  with  {...}: is not used except to document the cost/selling-           price--       o {UNITCOST} and {{TOTALCOST}}--         o when buying, expresses the cost for transaction balancing, and also-           creates a lot with this cost basis attached--         o when selling,--           o selects a lot by its cost basis--           o raises an error if that lot is not present or can not be selected-             unambiguously (depending on booking method configured)--           o expresses the selling price for transaction balancing--       o {},  {YYYY-MM-DD},   {"LABEL"},   {UNITCOST,   "LABEL"},   {UNITCOST,-         YYYY-MM-DD, "LABEL"}--         o when  selling,  other  combinations  of  date/cost/label,  like the-           above, are accepted for selecting the lot.--       Currently, hledger--       o supports @ and @@--       o accepts the {UNITCOST}/{{TOTALCOST}} notation, but ignores it--       o and rejects the rest.--CSV-       hledger can read transactions from CSV (comma-separated values)  files.-       More  precisely,  it  can read DSV (delimiter-separated values), from a-       file  or  standard  input.   Comma-separated,  semicolon-separated  and-       tab-separated  are the most common variants, and hledger will recognise-       these three automatically based on a .csv, .ssv or .tsv file  name  ex--       tension or a csv:, ssv: or tsv: file path prefix.--       (To learn about producing CSV or TSV output, see Output format.)--       Each  CSV  file  must be described by a corresponding rules file.  This-       contains rules describing the CSV data  (header  line,  fields  layout,-       date  format  etc.), how to construct hledger transactions from it, and-       how to categorise transactions based on description  or  other  attrib--       utes.--       By  default,  hledger  expects this rules file to be named like the CSV-       file, with an extra .rules extension added, in the same directory.   Eg-       when  asked to read foo/FILE.csv, hledger looks for foo/FILE.csv.rules.-       You can specify a different rules file with the --rules option.--       At minimum, the rules file must identify the date  and  amount  fields,-       and  often  it also specifies the date format and how many header lines-       there are.  Here's a simple CSV file and a rules file for it:--              Date, Description, Id, Amount-              12/11/2019, Foo, 123, 10.23--              # basic.csv.rules-              skip         1-              fields       date, description, , amount-              date-format  %d/%m/%Y--              $ hledger print -f basic.csv-              2019-11-12 Foo-                  expenses:unknown           10.23-                  income:unknown            -10.23--       There's an introductory Tutorial: Import CSV data on  hledger.org,  and-       more   CSV   rules   examples   below,   and  a  larger  collection  at-       https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/tree/master/examples/csv.--   CSV rules cheatsheet-       The following kinds of rule can appear in the rules file, in any order.-       (Blank lines and lines beginning with # or ; or * are ignored.)--       source                     optionally declare which  file  to  read  data-                                  from-       archive                    optionally enable an archive of imported files-       encoding                   optionally  declare  which  text  encoding the-                                  data has-       separator                  declare the field separator, instead of  rely--                                  ing on file extension-       decimal-mark               declare  the decimal mark used in CSV amounts,-                                  when ambiguous-       date-format                declare how to parse CSV dates/date-times-       timezone                   declare  the  time  zone  of   ambiguous   CSV-                                  date-times-       newest-first               improve  txn  order  when:  there are multiple-                                  records, newest first, all with the same date-       intra-day-reversed         improve txn order when: same-day txns  are  in-                                  opposite order to the overall file-       skip                       (at top level) skip header line(s) at start of-                                  file-       fields list                name  CSV  fields  for easy reference, and op--                                  tionally assign their values to hledger fields-       Field assignment           assign a CSV value or interpolated text  value-                                  to a hledger field-       if block                   conditionally assign values to hledger fields,-                                  or skip a record or end (skip rest of file)-       if table                   conditionally assign values to hledger fields,-                                  using compact syntax-       skip                       (inside an if rule) skip current record(s)-       end                        (inside an if rule) skip all remaining records-       balance-type               select  which  type  of balance assertions/as--                                  signments to generate-       include                    inline another CSV rules file--       Working with CSV tips can be found below, including How CSV  rules  are-       evaluated.--   source-       If  you  tell  hledger to read a csv file with -f foo.csv, it will look-       for rules in foo.csv.rules.  Or, you can tell  it  to  read  the  rules-       file,  with  -f  foo.csv.rules,  and  it  will look for data in foo.csv-       (since 1.30).  These are mostly equivalent, but the second method  pro--       vides  some  extra  features.   For  one, the data file can be missing,-       without causing an error; it is just considered empty.--       For more flexibility, add a source rule, which lets you specify a  dif--       ferent data file:--              source ./Checking1.csv--       If  the file does not exist, it is just considered empty, without rais--       ing an error.--       If you specify just a file name with no path, hledger will look for  it-       in the ~/Downloads folder:--              source Checking1.csv--       You can use a glob pattern, to avoid specifying the file name exactly:--              source Checking1*.csv--       This  has  another  benefit:  if  the  pattern  matches multiple files,-       hledger will read the newest (most recently modified) one.  This avoids-       problems if you have downloaded a file multiple times without  cleaning-       up.--       All  this enables a convenient workflow where can you just download CSV-       files, then run hledger import rules/*.--       See also "Working with CSV > Reading files specified by rule".--   Data cleaning / data generating commands-       After source's file pattern, you can write | (pipe) and a data cleaning-       command (or command pipeline).  If hledger's CSV rules  aren't  enough,-       you  can  pre-process  the downloaded data here with a shell command or-       script, to make it more suitable for conversion.  The command  will  be-       executed  by  your  default  shell, in the directory of the rules file,-       will receive the data file's content as standard input, and should out--       put zero or more lines of character-separated-values, suitable for con--       version by the CSV rules.--       Examples:--              source ./paypal.json | paypalcsv-              source data/simplefin.json | simplefincsv - 'chase.*card'-              source OfxDownload*.csv | grep -vE '^(([^,]*,){6}[^,]*|)$' | sort -t, -n +2-              source History_for_Account_Z20144832*.csv   # | grep -E '^([^,]*,){12}[^,]*$' | sed -E -e 's/^ //' -e 's/\.([0-9]),/.\10,/g' -e 's/,([0-9]+),/,\1.00,/g'--       Or, after source you can write | and a data generating command (with no-       file pattern before the |).  This command receives no input, and should-       output zero or more lines of character-separated values,  suitable  for-       conversion by the CSV rules.--       Examples:--              source | paypaljson | paypalcsv-              source | paypalcsv data/paypal.json-              source | simplefinjson >data/simplefin.json && simplefincsv data/simplefin.json 'chase.*card'-              source | simplefincsv data/simplefin.json 'unify.*checking'--       (paypal* and simplefin* scripts are in bin/)--       Whenever  hledger  runs one of these commands, it will echo the command-       on stderr.  If the command produces error output,  but  exits  success--       fully, hledger will show the error output as a warning.  If the command-       fails,  hledger  will  fail and show the error output in the error mes--       sage.--       Added in 1.50; experimental.--   archive-       With archive added to a rules file, the  import  command  will  archive-       each  successfully  processed  data  file  or  data command output in a-       nearby data/ directory.  The archive file name will  be  based  on  the-       rules  file and the data file's modification date and extension (or for-       a data-generating command, the current date and the ".csv"  extension).-       The original data file, if any, will be removed.--       Also,  in  this  mode import will prefer the oldest file matched by the-       source rule's glob pattern, not the newest.  (So if there are  multiple-       downloads, they will be imported and archived oldest first.)--       Archiving  is  optional,  but it can be useful for troubleshooting your-       CSV rules, regenerating entries with improved rules, checking for vari--       ations in your bank's CSV, etc.--       Added in 1.50; experimental.--   encoding-              encoding ENCODING--       hledger normally expects non-ascii text to be using the system locale's-       text encoding.  If you need to read CSV files which have some other en--       coding, you can do it by adding encoding ENCODING to  your  CSV  rules.-       Eg: encoding iso-8859-1.--       The following encodings are supported:--       ascii,  utf-8,  utf-16,  utf-32,  iso-8859-1,  iso-8859-2,  iso-8859-3,-       iso-8859-4, iso-8859-5, iso-8859-6, iso-8859-7, iso-8859-8, iso-8859-9,-       iso-8859-10,  iso-8859-11,   iso-8859-13,   iso-8859-14,   iso-8859-15,-       iso-8859-16,  cp1250,  cp1251,  cp1252, cp1253, cp1254, cp1255, cp1256,-       cp1257,  cp1258,  koi8-r,  koi8-u,  gb18030,   macintosh,   jis-x-0201,-       jis-x-0208,  iso-2022-jp, shift-jis, cp437, cp737, cp775, cp850, cp852,-       cp855, cp857, cp860, cp861, cp862, cp863, cp864, cp865,  cp866,  cp869,-       cp874, cp932.--       Added in 1.42.--   separator-       You  can  use the separator rule to read other kinds of character-sepa--       rated data.  The argument is any single  separator  character,  or  the-       words  tab or space (case insensitive).  Eg, for comma-separated values-       (CSV):--              separator ,--       or for semicolon-separated values (SSV):--              separator ;--       or for tab-separated values (TSV):--              separator TAB--       If the input file has a .csv, .ssv or .tsv file extension (or  a  csv:,-       ssv:, tsv: prefix), the appropriate separator will be inferred automat--       ically, and you won't need this rule.--   skip-              skip N--       The  word  skip  followed  by  a number (or no number, meaning 1) tells-       hledger to ignore this many non-empty lines at the start of  the  input-       data.   You'll  need this whenever your CSV data contains header lines.-       Note, empty and blank lines are skipped  automatically,  so  you  don't-       need to count those.--       skip  has  a second meaning: it can be used inside if blocks (described-       below), to skip one or more records whenever  the  condition  is  true.-       Records skipped in this way are ignored, except they are still required-       to be valid CSV.--   date-format-              date-format DATEFMT--       This  is  a  helper for the date (and date2) fields.  If your CSV dates-       are not formatted like YYYY-MM-DD,  YYYY/MM/DD  or  YYYY.MM.DD,  you'll-       need  to  add  a date-format rule describing them with a strptime-style-       date   parsing   pattern   -   see    https://hackage.haskell.org/pack--       age/time/docs/Data-Time-Format.html#v:formatTime.    The  pattern  must-       parse the CSV date value completely.  Some examples:--              # MM/DD/YY-              date-format %m/%d/%y--              # D/M/YYYY-              # The - makes leading zeros optional.-              date-format %-d/%-m/%Y--              # YYYY-Mmm-DD-              date-format %Y-%h-%d--              # M/D/YYYY HH:MM AM some other junk-              # Note the time and junk must be fully parsed, though only the date is used.-              date-format %-m/%-d/%Y %l:%M %p some other junk--       Note currently there is no locale awareness for  things  like  %b,  and-       setting LC_TIME won't help.--   timezone-              timezone TIMEZONE--       When  CSV  contains  date-times  that  are implicitly in some time zone-       other than yours, but containing no explicit time zone information, you-       can use this rule to declare the CSV's native time  zone,  which  helps-       prevent off-by-one dates.--       When  the  CSV  date-times  do contain time zone information, you don't-       need this rule; instead, use %Z in date-format (or %z,  %EZ,  %Ez;  see-       the formatTime link above).--       In either of these cases, hledger will do a time-zone-aware conversion,-       localising the CSV date-times to your current system time zone.  If you-       prefer to localise to some other time zone, eg for reproducibility, you-       can  (on unix at least) set the output timezone with the TZ environment-       variable, eg:--              $ TZ=-1000 hledger print -f foo.csv  # or TZ=-1000 hledger import foo.csv--       timezone currently does not understand timezone  names,  except  "UTC",-       "GMT",  "EST", "EDT", "CST", "CDT", "MST", "MDT", "PST", or "PDT".  For-       others, use numeric format: +HHMM or -HHMM.--   newest-first-       hledger tries to ensure that the generated transactions will be ordered-       chronologically,  including  same-day  transactions.   Usually  it  can-       auto-detect  how the CSV records are ordered.  But if it encounters CSV-       where all records are on the same date, it assumes that the records are-       oldest first.  If in fact the CSV's records are normally newest  first,-       like:--              2022-10-01, txn 3...-              2022-10-01, txn 2...-              2022-10-01, txn 1...--       you can add the newest-first rule to help hledger generate the transac--       tions in correct order.--              # same-day CSV records are newest first-              newest-first--   intra-day-reversed-       If  CSV records within a single day are ordered opposite to the overall-       record order, you can add the intra-day-reversed rule  to  improve  the-       order  of journal entries.  Eg, here the overall record order is newest-       first, but same-day records are oldest first:--              2022-10-02, txn 3...-              2022-10-02, txn 4...-              2022-10-01, txn 1...-              2022-10-01, txn 2...--              # transactions within each day are reversed with respect to the overall date order-              intra-day-reversed--   decimal-mark-              decimal-mark .--       or:--              decimal-mark ,--       hledger automatically accepts either period or comma as a decimal  mark-       when  parsing  numbers (cf Amounts).  However if any numbers in the CSV-       contain digit group marks,  such  as  thousand-separating  commas,  you-       should  declare  the  decimal  mark explicitly with this rule, to avoid-       misparsed numbers.--   CSV fields and hledger fields-       This can be confusing, so let's start with an overview:--       o CSV fields are provided by your data file.  They are named  by  their-         position  in the CSV record, starting with 1.  You can also give them-         a readable name.--       o hledger fields are predefined; date, description, account1,  amount1,-         account2  are  some  of them.  They correspond to parts of a transac--         tion's journal entry, mostly.--       o The CSV fields and hledger fields are the only fields you'll be work--         ing with; you can't define new fields, or variables as in a  program--         ming  language.   (But  you could add extra CSV fields to the data in-         preprocessing, before running the rules.)--       o For each CSV record, you'll assign values  to  one  or  more  of  the-         hledger fields to build up a transaction (journal entry).  Values can-         be static text, CSV field values from the current record, or a combi--         nation of these.--       o For  simple  cases,  you can give a CSV field the same name as one of-         the hledger fields, then its value will be automatically assigned  to-         that hledger field.--       o CSV fields can only be read, not written to.  They'll be on the right-         hand side, with a % prefix.  Eg--         o testing a CSV field's value: if %CSVFIELD ...--         o interpolating its value: HLEDGERFIELD %CSVFIELD--       o hledger  fields  can only be written to, not read.  They'll be on the-         left hand side (or in a fields list), with no prefix.  Eg--         o setting the transaction's description to a value: description VALUE--         o setting the transaction's description to  the  second  CSV  field's-           value:-         fields date, description, amount--   fields list-              fields FIELDNAME1, FIELDNAME2, ...--       A fields list (the word fields followed by comma-separated field names)-       is optional, but convenient.  It does two things:--       1. It  names  the  CSV field in each column.  This can be convenient if-          you are referencing them in other rules, so you can  say  %SomeField-          instead of remembering %13.--       2. Whenever  you  use one of the special hledger field names (described-          below), it assigns the CSV value in this position  to  that  hledger-          field.   This  is  the quickest way to populate hledger's fields and-          build a transaction.--       Here's an example that says "use the 1st, 2nd and  4th  fields  as  the-       transaction's  date,  description  and amount; name the last two fields-       for later reference; and ignore the others":--              fields date, description, , amount, , , somefield, anotherfield--       In a fields list, the separator is always comma; it is unrelated to the-       CSV file's separator.  Also:--       o There must be least two items in the list (at least one comma).--       o Field names may not contain spaces.  Spaces before/after field  names-         are optional.--       o Field names may contain _ (underscore) or - (hyphen).--       o Fields  you  don't  care  about can be given a dummy name or an empty-         name.--       If the CSV contains column headings, it's convenient to use  these  for-       your  field  names,  suitably  modified (eg lower-cased with spaces re--       placed by underscores).--       Sometimes you may want to alter a CSV field name to avoid assigning  to-       a  hledger field with the same name.  Eg you could call the CSV's "bal--       ance" field balance_ to avoid directly setting hledger's balance  field-       (and generating a balance assertion).--   Field assignment-              HLEDGERFIELD FIELDVALUE--       Field  assignments  are  the  more flexible way to assign CSV values to-       hledger fields.  They can be used instead of or in addition to a fields-       list (see above).--       To assign a value to a hledger field, write the field name (any of  the-       standard  hledger  field/pseudo-field  names,  defined below), a space,-       followed by a text value on the same line.  This text value may  inter--       polate  CSV  fields, referenced either by their 1-based position in the-       CSV record (%N) or by the name they  were  given  in  the  fields  list-       (%CSVFIELD), and regular expression match groups (\N).--       Some examples:--              # set the amount to the 4th CSV field, with " USD" appended-              amount %4 USD--              # combine three fields to make a comment, containing note: and date: tags-              comment note: %somefield - %anotherfield, date: %1--       Tips:--       o Interpolation  strips outer whitespace (so a CSV value like " 1 " be--         comes 1 when interpolated) (#1051).--       o Interpolations always refer to a CSV field - you can't interpolate  a-         hledger field.  (See Referencing other fields below).--   Field names-       Note  the  two  kinds  of  field names mentioned here, and used only in-       hledger CSV rules files:--       1. CSV field names (CSVFIELD in these docs): you  can  optionally  name-          the  CSV columns for easy reference (since hledger doesn't yet auto--          matically recognise column headings in a CSV file), by writing arbi--          trary names in a fields list, eg:--                  fields When, What, Some_Id, Net, Total, Foo, Bar--       2. Special hledger field names (HLEDGERFIELD in these docs):  you  must-          set  at least some of these to generate the hledger transaction from-          a CSV record, by writing them as the left hand side of a  field  as--          signment, eg:--                  date        %When-                  code        %Some_Id-                  description %What-                  comment     %Foo %Bar-                  amount1     $ %Total--           or directly in a fields list:--                  fields date, description, code, , amount1, Foo, Bar-                  currency $-                  comment  %Foo %Bar--       Here  are  all the special hledger field names available, and what hap--       pens when you assign values to them:--   date field-       Assigning to date sets the transaction date.--   date2 field-       date2 sets the transaction's secondary date, if any.--   status field-       status sets the transaction's status, if any.--   code field-       code sets the transaction's code, if any.--   description field-       description sets the transaction's description, if any.--   comment field-       comment sets the transaction's comment, if any.--       commentN, where N is a number, sets the Nth posting's comment.--       You can assign multi-line comments by writing literal \n in  the  code.-       A comment starting with \n will begin on a new line.--       Comments can contain tags, as usual.--       Posting comments can also contain a posting date.  A secondary date, or-       a year-less date, will be ignored.--   account field-       Assigning to accountN, where N is 1 to 99, sets the account name of the-       Nth posting, and causes that posting to be generated.--       Most  often  there are two postings, so you'll want to set account1 and-       account2.  Typically account1 is associated with the CSV file,  and  is-       set  once  with  a top-level assignment, while account2 is set based on-       each transaction's description, in conditional rules.--       If a posting's account name is left unset but its amount  is  set  (see-       below),  a default account name will be chosen (like "expenses:unknown"-       or "income:unknown").--   amount field-       There are several ways to set posting amounts from CSV, useful in  dif--       ferent situations.--       1. amount  is  the  oldest  and  simplest.   Assigning to this sets the-          amount of the first and second postings.  In the second posting, the-          amount will be negated; also, if it has a cost attached, it will  be-          converted to cost.--       2. amount-in  and amount-out work exactly like the above, but should be-          used when the CSV  has  two  amount  fields  (such  as  "Debit"  and-          "Credit",  or  "Inflow"  and  "Outflow").   Whichever  field  has  a-          non-zero value will be used as the amount of the  first  and  second-          postings.  Here are some tips to avoid confusion:--           o It's  not "amount-in for posting 1 and amount-out for posting 2",-             it is "extract a single amount from the amount-in  or  amount-out-             field, and use that for posting 1 and (negated) for posting 2".--           o Don't  use both amount and amount-in/amount-out in the same rules-             file; choose based on whether the amount is in a single CSV field-             or spread across two fields.--           o In each record, at most one of the two CSV fields should  contain-             a  non-zero  amount; the other field must contain a zero or noth--             ing.--           o hledger assumes both CSV fields contain unsigned numbers, and  it-             automatically negates the amount-out values.--           o If  the data doesn't fit these requirements, you'll probably need-             an if rule (see below).--       3. amountN (where N is a number from 1 to 99) sets the amount of only a-          single posting: the Nth posting in the transaction.  You'll  usually-          need  at  least two such assignments to make a balanced transaction.-          You can also generate more than two postings, to represent more com--          plex transactions.  The posting numbers don't have  to  be  consecu--          tive;  with if rules, higher posting numbers can be useful to ensure-          a certain order of postings.--       4. amountN-in and amountN-out work exactly like the above,  but  should-          be  used  when  the CSV has two amount fields.  This is analogous to-          amount-in and amount-out, and those tips also apply here.--       5. Remember that a fields list can also do assignments.  So in a fields-          list if you name a CSV field "amount", that counts as  assigning  to-          amount.   (If  you  don't  want  that, call it something else in the-          fields list, like "amount_".)--       6. The above don't handle every situation; if you need  more  flexibil--          ity, use an if rule to set amounts conditionally.  See "Working with-          CSV  > Setting amounts" below for more on this and on amount-setting-          generally.--   currency field-       currency sets a currency symbol,  to  be  prepended  to  all  postings'-       amounts.   You  can  use this if the CSV amounts do not have a currency-       symbol, eg if it is in a separate column.--       currencyN prepends a currency symbol to just the Nth posting's amount.--   balance field-       balanceN sets a balance assertion amount (or if the posting  amount  is-       left empty, a balance assignment) on posting N.--       balance is a compatibility spelling for hledger <1.17; it is equivalent-       to balance1.--       You  can  adjust the type of assertion/assignment with the balance-type-       rule (see below).--       See the Working with CSV tips below for more about setting amounts  and-       currency.--   if block-       Rules  can  be  applied conditionally, depending on patterns in the CSV-       data.  This allows flexibility; in particular, it is how you can  cate--       gorise  transactions,  selecting  an  appropriate account name based on-       their description (for example).  There are two ways  to  write  condi--       tional  rules:  "if blocks", described here, and "if tables", described-       below.--       An if block is the word if and one or more "matcher"  expressions  (can-       be a word or phrase), one per line, starting either on the same or next-       line; followed by one or more indented rules.  Eg,--              if MATCHER-               RULE--       or--              if-              MATCHER-              MATCHER-              MATCHER-               RULE-               RULE--       If  any of the matchers succeeds, all of the indented rules will be ap--       plied.  They are usually field assignments, but the  following  special-       rules may also be used within an if block:--       o skip  -  skips the matched CSV record (generating no transaction from-         it)--       o end - skips the rest of the current CSV file.--       Some examples:--              # if the record contains "groceries", set account2 to "expenses:groceries"-              if groceries-               account2 expenses:groceries--              # if the record contains any of these phrases, set account2 and a transaction comment as shown-              if-              monthly service fee-              atm transaction fee-              banking thru software-               account2 expenses:business:banking-               comment  XXX deductible ? check it--              # if an empty record is seen (assuming five fields), ignore the rest of the CSV file-              if ,,,,-               end--   Matchers-       There are two kinds of matcher:--       1. A whole record matcher is simplest: it is just a  word,  single-line-          text  fragment,  or other regular expression, which hledger will try-          to match case-insensitively anywhere within the CSV record.-       Eg: whole foods.--       2. A field matcher has a percent-prefixed CSV field number or name  be--          fore the pattern.-       Eg: %3 whole foods or %description whole foods.-       hledger will try to match the pattern just within the named CSV field.--       When using these, there's two things to be aware of:--       1. Whole  record matchers don't see the exact original record; they see-          a reconstruction of it, in which  values  are  comma-separated,  and-          quotes  enclosing values and whitespace outside those quotes are re--          moved.-       Eg when reading an SSV record like: 2023-01-01 ; "Acme, Inc. " ;  1,000-       the whole record matcher sees instead: 2023-01-01,Acme, Inc. ,1,000--       2. Field matchers expect either a CSV field number, or a CSV field name-          declared with fields.  (Don't use a hledger field name here,  unless-          it  is  also a CSV field name.)  A non-CSV field name will cause the-          matcher to match against "" (the empty string), and does  not  raise-          an  error,  allowing easier reuse of common rules with different CSV-          files.--       You can also prefix a matcher with ! (and optional space) to negate it.-       Eg ! whole foods, ! %3 whole  foods,  !%description  whole  foods  will-       match if "whole foods" is NOT present.  Added in 1.32.--       The  pattern  is, as usual in hledger, a POSIX extended regular expres--       sion that also supports GNU word boundaries (\b, \B, \<, \>) and  noth--       ing  else.   For  more details and tips, see Regular expressions in CSV-       rules below.--   Multiple matchers-       When an if block has multiple matchers, each on its own line,--       o By default they are OR'd (any of them can match).--       o Matcher lines beginning with & (or &&, since 1.42)  are  AND'ed  with-         the matcher above (all in the AND'ed group must match).--       o Matcher  lines  beginning  with & ! (since 1.41, or && !, since 1.42)-         are first negated and then AND'ed with the matcher above.--       You can also combine multiple matchers one the same line  separated  by-       && (AND) or && ! (AND NOT).  Eg %description amazon && %date 2025-01-01-       will  match  only  when the description field contains "amazon" and the-       date field contains "2025-01-01".  Added in 1.42.--   Match groups-       Added in 1.32--       Matchers can define match groups: parenthesised portions of the regular-       expression which are available  for  reference  in  field  assignments.-       Groups are enclosed in regular parentheses (( and )) and can be nested.-       Each  group is available in field assignments using the token \N, where-       N is an index into the match groups for this  conditional  block  (e.g.-       \1, \2, etc.).--       Example:  Warp  credit  card  payment  postings to the beginning of the-       billing period (Month start), to match how they are presented in state--       ments, using posting dates:--              if %date (....-..)-..-                comment2 date:\1-01--       Another example: Read the expense account from the CSV field, but throw-       away a prefix:--              if %account1 liabilities:family:(expenses:.*)-                  account1 \1--   if table-       "if tables" are an alternative to if  blocks;  they  can  express  many-       matchers  and  field assignments in a more compact tabular format, like-       this:--              if,HLEDGERFIELD1,HLEDGERFIELD2,...-              MATCHERA,VALUE1,VALUE2,...-              MATCHERB && MATCHERC,VALUE1,VALUE2,...  (*since 1.42*)-              ; Comment line that explains MATCHERD-              MATCHERD,VALUE1,VALUE2,...-              <empty line>--       The first character after if is taken to be this if table's field sepa--       rator.  It is unrelated to the separator used  in  the  CSV  file.   It-       should be a non-alphanumeric character like , or | that does not appear-       anywhere  else  in  the  table (it should not be used in field names or-       matchers or values, and it cannot be escaped with a backslash).--       Each line must contain the same number of separators; empty values  are-       allowed.   Whitespace  can be used in the matcher lines for readability-       (but not in the if line, currently).  You can use the comment lines  in-       the  table body.  The table must be terminated by an empty line (or end-       of file).--       An if table like the above is interpreted as follows: try  all  of  the-       lines with matchers; whenever a line with matchers succeeds, assign all-       of the values on that line to the corresponding hledger fields; If mul--       tiple  lines  match,  later  lines will override fields assigned by the-       earlier ones - just like the sequence of if blocks would behave.--       If table presented above is equivalent to this sequence of if blocks:--              if MATCHERA-                HLEDGERFIELD1 VALUE1-                HLEDGERFIELD2 VALUE2-                ...--              if MATCHERB && MATCHERC-                HLEDGERFIELD1 VALUE1-                HLEDGERFIELD2 VALUE2-                ...--              ; Comment line which explains MATCHERD-              if MATCHERD-                HLEDGERFIELD1 VALUE1-                HLEDGERFIELD2 VALUE2-                ...--       Example:--              if,account2,comment-              atm transaction fee,expenses:business:banking,deductible? check it-              %description groceries,expenses:groceries,-              ;; Comment line that desribes why this particular date is special-              2023/01/12.*Plumbing LLC,expenses:house:upkeep,emergency plumbing call-out--   balance-type-       Balance assertions generated by assigning to balanceN are of the simple-       = type by default, which is  a  single-commodity,  subaccount-excluding-       assertion.  You may find the subaccount-including variants more useful,-       eg  if  you  have  created some virtual subaccounts of checking to help-       with budgeting.  You can select a different type of assertion with  the-       balance-type rule:--              # balance assertions will consider all commodities and all subaccounts-              balance-type ==*--       Here are the balance assertion types for quick reference:--              =    single commodity, exclude subaccounts-              =*   single commodity, include subaccounts-              ==   multi commodity,  exclude subaccounts-              ==*  multi commodity,  include subaccounts--   include-              include RULESFILE--       This  includes  the  contents  of another CSV rules file at this point.-       RULESFILE is an absolute file path or a path relative  to  the  current-       file's  directory.  This can be useful for sharing common rules between-       several rules files, eg:--              # someaccount.csv.rules--              ## someaccount-specific rules-              fields   date,description,amount-              account1 assets:someaccount-              account2 expenses:misc--              ## common rules-              include categorisation.rules--   Working with CSV-       Some tips:--   Rapid feedback-       It's a good idea to get rapid feedback  while  creating/troubleshooting-       CSV rules.  Here's a good way, using entr from eradman.com/entrproject:--              $ ls foo.csv* | entr bash -c 'echo ----; hledger -f foo.csv print desc:SOMEDESC'--       A  desc:  query (eg) is used to select just one, or a few, transactions-       of interest.  "bash -c" is used to run multiple  commands,  so  we  can-       echo  a  separator  each  time the command re-runs, making it easier to-       read the output.--   Valid CSV-       Note that hledger will only accept valid CSV conforming  to  RFC  4180,-       and equivalent SSV and TSV formats (like RFC 4180 but with semicolon or-       tab as separators).  This means, eg:--       o Values may be enclosed in double quotes, or not.  Enclosing in single-         quotes is not allowed.  (Eg 'A','B' is rejected.)--       o When  values are enclosed in double quotes, spaces outside the quotes-         are not allowed.  (Eg "A", "B" is rejected.)--       o When values are not enclosed in quotes, they may not  contain  double-         quotes.  (Eg A"A, B is rejected.)--       If  your  CSV/SSV/TSV is not valid in this sense, you'll need to trans--       form it before reading with hledger.  Try using sed, or a more  permis--       sive CSV parser like python's csv lib.--   File Extension-       To  help  hledger  choose  the CSV file reader and show the right error-       messages (and choose the right field separator character  by  default),-       it's  best  if  CSV/SSV/TSV  files  are named with a .csv, .ssv or .tsv-       filename extension.  (More about this at Data formats.)--       When reading files with the "wrong" extension, you can ensure  the  CSV-       reader  (and  the  default  field separator) by prefixing the file path-       with csv:, ssv: or tsv:: Eg:--              $ hledger -f ssv:foo.dat print--       You can also override the default field separator with a separator rule-       if needed.--   Reading CSV from standard input-       You'll need the file format prefix when reading CSV  from  stdin  also,-       since hledger assumes journal format by default.  Eg:--              $ cat foo.dat | hledger -f ssv:- print--   Reading multiple CSV files-       If  you  use  multiple  -f  options to read multiple CSV files at once,-       hledger will look for a correspondingly-named rules file for  each  CSV-       file.   But  if  you specify a rules file with --rules, that rules file-       will be used for all the CSV files.--   Reading files specified by rule-       Instead of specifying a CSV file in the command line, you can specify a-       rules file, as in hledger -f foo.csv.rules CMD.  By default  this  will-       read  data from foo.csv in the same directory, but you can add a source-       rule to specify a different data file,  perhaps  located  in  your  web-       browser's download directory.--       This feature was added in hledger 1.30, so you won't see it in most CSV-       rules  examples.   But it helps remove some of the busywork of managing-       CSV downloads.  Most of your financial institutions's default CSV file--       names are different and can be recognised by a glob  pattern.   So  you-       can  put  a  rule like source Checking1*.csv in foo-checking.csv.rules,-       and then periodically follow a workflow like:--       1. Download CSV from Foo's website, using your browser's defaults--       2. Run hledger import foo-checking.csv.rules to import any new transac--          tions--       After import, you can: discard the CSV, or leave it where it is  for  a-       while,  or  move it into your archives, as you prefer.  If you do noth--       ing, next time your browser will save something  like  Checking1-2.csv,-       and  hledger will use that because of the * wild card and because it is-       the most recent.--   Valid transactions-       After reading a CSV file, hledger post-processes and validates the gen--       erated journal entries as it would for a journal file - balancing them,-       applying balance assignments, and canonicalising  amount  styles.   Any-       errors  at this stage will be reported in the usual way, displaying the-       problem entry.--       There is one exception: balance assertions, if you have generated them,-       will not be checked, since normally these will work only when  the  CSV-       data  is part of the main journal.  If you do need to check balance as--       sertions generated from CSV right away, pipe into another hledger:--              $ hledger -f file.csv print | hledger -f- print--   Deduplicating, importing-       When you download a CSV file periodically, eg to get your  latest  bank-       transactions,  the  new  file  may overlap with the old one, containing-       some of the same records.--       The import command will (a) detect the new transactions, and (b) append-       just those transactions to your main journal.  It is idempotent, so you-       don't have to remember how many times you ran it or with which  version-       of  the CSV.  (It keeps state in a hidden .latest.FILE.csv file.)  This-       is the easiest way to import CSV data.  Eg:--              # download the latest CSV files, then run this command.-              # Note, no -f flags needed here.-              $ hledger import *.csv [--dry]--       This method works for most CSV files.  (Where  records  have  a  stable-       chronological order, and new records appear only at the new end.)--       A  number of other tools and workflows, hledger-specific and otherwise,-       exist for converting, deduplicating, classifying and managing CSV data.-       See:--       o https://hledger.org/cookbook.html#setups-and-workflows--       o https://plaintextaccounting.org -> data import/conversion--   Regular expressions in CSV rules-       Regular expressions in if conditions (AKA matchers) are POSIX  extended-       regular expressions, that also support GNU word boundaries (\b, \B, \<,-       \>), and nothing else.  (For more detail, see Regular expressions.)--       Here are some examples that might be useful in CSV rules:--       o Is field "foo" truly empty ?  if %foo ^$--       o Is it empty or containing only whitespace ?  if %foo ^ *$--       o Is it non-empty ?  if %foo .--       o Does it contain non-whitespace ?  if %foo [^ ]--       Testing  the value of numeric fields is a little harder.  You can't use-       hledger queries like amt:0 or amt:>10 in CSV rules.  But you can  often-       achieve the same thing with a regular expression.--       Note  the  content  and  layout of number fields in CSV varies, and can-       change over time (eg if you switch data providers).  So numeric regexps-       are always somewhat specific to your particular CSV data;  and  it's  a-       good idea to make them defensive and robust if you can.--       Here are some examples:--       o Does foo contain a non-zero number ?  if %foo [1-9]--       o Is it negative ?  if %foo ---       o Is it non-negative ?  if ! %foo ---       o Is  it  >= 10 ?  if %foo [1-9][0-9]+\. (assuming a decimal period and-         no leading zeros)--       o Is it >= 10 and < 20 ?  if %foo \b1[0-9]\.--   Setting amounts-       Continuing from amount field above, here are more tips for  amount-set--       ting:--       1. If the amount is in a single CSV field:-           a. If its sign indicates direction of flow:-           Assign  it  to amountN, to set the Nth posting's amount.  N is usu--           ally 1 or 2 but can go up to 99.--           b. If another field indicates direction of flow:-           Use one or more conditional rules to  set  the  appropriate  amount-           sign.  Eg:--                  # assume a withdrawal unless Type contains "deposit":-                  amount1  -%Amount-                  if %Type deposit-                    amount1  %Amount--       2. If  the amount is in two CSV fields (such as Debit and Credit, or In-          and Out):-           a. If both fields are unsigned:-           Assign one field  to  amountN-in  and  the  other  to  amountN-out.-           hledger  will  automatically  negate  the "out" field, and will use-           whichever field value is non-zero as posting N's amount.--           b. If either field is signed:-           You will probably need to override hledger's sign for  one  or  the-           other field, as in the following example:--                  # Negate the -out value, but only if it is not empty:-                  fields date, description, amount1-in, amount1-out-                  if %amount1-out [1-9]-                   amount1-out -%amount1-out--           c. If  both  fields  can  contain  a non-zero value (or both can be-              empty):-           The  -in/-out  rules   normally   choose   the   value   which   is-           non-zero/non-empty.   Some  value pairs can be ambiguous, such as 1-           and none.  For such cases, use conditional rules to help select the-           amount.  Eg, to handle the above you could select  the  value  con--           taining non-zero digits:--                  fields date, description, in, out-                  if %in [1-9]-                   amount1 %in-                  if %out [1-9]-                   amount1 %out--       3. If you want posting 2's amount converted to cost:-       Use the unnumbered amount (or amount-in and amount-out) syntax.--       4. If the CSV has only balance amounts, not transaction amounts:-       Assign  to  balanceN,  to  set a balance assignment on the Nth posting,-       causing the posting's amount to be calculated  automatically.   balance-       with no number is equivalent to balance1.  In this situation hledger is-       more likely to guess the wrong default account name, so you may need to-       set that explicitly.--   Amount signs-       There is some special handling making it easier to parse and to reverse-       amount signs.  (This only works for whole amounts, not for cost amounts-       such as COST in amount1  AMT @ COST):--       o If an amount value begins with a plus sign:-       that will be removed: +AMT becomes AMT--       o If an amount value is parenthesised:-       it will be de-parenthesised and sign-flipped: (AMT) becomes -AMT--       o If  an  amount value has two minus signs (or two sets of parentheses,-         or a minus sign and parentheses):-       they cancel out and will be removed: --AMT or -(AMT) becomes AMT--       o If an amount value contains just a sign (or just a set  of  parenthe--         ses):-       that  is removed, making it an empty value.  "+" or "-" or "()" becomes-       "".--       It's not possible (without preprocessing the CSV) to set an  amount  to-       its absolute value, ie discard its sign.--   Setting currency/commodity-       If  the  currency/commodity  symbol  is  included  in  the CSV's amount-       field(s):--              2023-01-01,foo,$123.00--       you don't have to do anything special for the commodity symbol, it will-       be assigned as part of the amount.  Eg:--              fields date,description,amount--              2023-01-01 foo-                  expenses:unknown         $123.00-                  income:unknown          $-123.00--       If the currency is provided as a separate CSV field:--              2023-01-01,foo,USD,123.00--       You can assign that to the currency pseudo-field, which has the special-       effect of prepending itself to every amount in the transaction (on  the-       left, with no separating space):--              fields date,description,currency,amount--              2023-01-01 foo-                  expenses:unknown       USD123.00-                  income:unknown        USD-123.00--       Or,  you  can  use a field assignment to construct the amount yourself,-       with more control.  Eg to put the symbol on the right, and separated by-       a space:--              fields date,description,cur,amt-              amount %amt %cur--              2023-01-01 foo-                  expenses:unknown        123.00 USD-                  income:unknown         -123.00 USD--       Note we used a temporary field name (cur) that is not currency  -  that-       would trigger the prepending effect, which we don't want here.--   Amount decimal places-       When  you  are  reading  CSV  data,  eg  with a command like hledger -f-       foo.csv print, hledger will infer each  commodity's  decimal  precision-       (and  other  commodity  display styles) from the amounts - much as when-       reading a journal file without commodity directives (see the link).--       Note, the commodity styles are not inferred from  the  numbers  in  the-       original CSV data; rather, they are inferred from the amounts generated-       by the CSV rules.--       When you are importing CSV data with the import command, eg hledger im--       port  foo.csv,  there's  another step: import tries to make the new en--       tries conform to the journal's existing styles.  So for each  commodity-       - let's say it's EUR - import will choose:--       1. the style declared for EUR by a commodity directive in the journal--       2. otherwise, the style inferred from EUR amounts in the journal--       3. otherwise,  the style inferred from EUR amounts generated by the CSV-          rules.--       TLDR: if import is not generating the precisions or  styles  you  want,-       add a commodity directive to specify them.--   Referencing other fields-       In  field assignments, you can interpolate only CSV fields, not hledger-       fields.  In the example below, there's both a CSV field and  a  hledger-       field  named  amount1, but %amount1 always means the CSV field, not the-       hledger field:--              # Name the third CSV field "amount1"-              fields date,description,amount1--              # Set hledger's amount1 to the CSV amount1 field followed by USD-              amount1 %amount1 USD--              # Set comment to the CSV amount1 (not the amount1 assigned above)-              comment %amount1--       Here, since there's no CSV amount1 field, %amount1 will produce a  lit--       eral "amount1":--              fields date,description,csvamount-              amount1 %csvamount USD-              # Can't interpolate amount1 here-              comment %amount1--       When  there  are  multiple field assignments to the same hledger field,-       only the last one takes effect.  Here, comment's value will be be B, or-       C if "something" is matched, but never A:--              comment A-              comment B-              if something-               comment C--   How CSV rules are evaluated-       Here's how to think of CSV rules being evaluated.  If you get a confus--       ing error while reading a CSV file, it may help to  try  to  understand-       which of these steps is failing:--       1. Any  included  rules  files  are  inlined, from top to bottom, depth-          first (scanning each included  file  for  further  includes,  recur--          sively, before proceeding).--       2. Top  level  rules  (date-format, fields, newest-first, skip etc) are-          read, top to bottom.  "Top level rules" means non-conditional rules.-          If a rule occurs more than once,  the  last  one  wins;  except  for-          skip/end rules, where the first one wins.--       3. The  CSV file is read as text.  Any non-ascii characters will be de--          coded using the text encoding specified by the encoding rule, other--          wise the system locale's text encoding.--       4. Any top-level skip or end rule is  applied.   skip  [N]  immediately-          skips  the  current or next N CSV records; end immediately skips all-          remaining CSV records (not normally used at top level).--       5. Now any remaining CSV records are processed.  For each  CSV  record,-          in file order:--           o Is there a conditional skip/end rule that applies for this record-             ?  Search the if blocks, from top to bottom, for a succeeding one-             containing a skip or end rule.  If found, skip the specified num--             ber of CSV records, then continue at 5.-           Otherwise...--           o Do  some  basic  validation on this CSV record (eg, check that it-             has at least two fields).--           o For each hledger field (date, description, account1, etc.):--             1. Get the field's assigned value, first searching top level  as--                signments,  made  directly or by the fields rule, then assign--                ments made inside succeeding if blocks.   If  there  are  more-                than one, the last one wins.--             2. Compute  the  field's actual value (as text), by interpolating-                any %CSVFIELD references within  the  assigned  value;  or  by-                choosing a default value if there was no assignment.--           o Generate  a  hledger  transaction  from the hledger field values,-             parsing them if needed (eg from text to an amount).--       This is all done by the CSV reader, one of several readers hledger  can-       use to read transactions from an input file.  When all input files have-       been  read  successfully,  their  transactions  are passed to whichever-       hledger command the user specified.--   Well factored rules-       Some things than can help reduce duplication and  complexity  in  rules-       files:--       o Extracting  common  rules  usable with multiple CSV files into a com--         mon.rules, and adding include common.rules to each CSV's rules file.--       o Splitting if blocks into smaller if blocks, extracting the frequently-         used parts.--   CSV rules examples-   Bank of Ireland-       Here's a CSV with two amount fields (Debit and Credit), and  a  balance-       field,  which we can use to add balance assertions, which is not neces--       sary but provides extra error checking:--              Date,Details,Debit,Credit,Balance-              07/12/2012,LODGMENT       529898,,10.0,131.21-              07/12/2012,PAYMENT,5,,126--              # bankofireland-checking.csv.rules--              # skip the header line-              skip--              # name the csv fields, and assign some of them as journal entry fields-              fields  date, description, amount-out, amount-in, balance--              # We generate balance assertions by assigning to "balance"-              # above, but you may sometimes need to remove these because:-              #-              # - the CSV balance differs from the true balance,-              #   by up to 0.0000000000005 in my experience-              #-              # - it is sometimes calculated based on non-chronological ordering,-              #   eg when multiple transactions clear on the same day--              # date is in UK/Ireland format-              date-format  %d/%m/%Y--              # set the currency-              currency  EUR--              # set the base account for all txns-              account1  assets:bank:boi:checking--              $ hledger -f bankofireland-checking.csv print-              2012-12-07 LODGMENT       529898-                  assets:bank:boi:checking         EUR10.0 = EUR131.2-                  income:unknown                  EUR-10.0--              2012-12-07 PAYMENT-                  assets:bank:boi:checking         EUR-5.0 = EUR126.0-                  expenses:unknown                  EUR5.0--       The balance assertions don't raise an error above, because we're  read--       ing  directly  from  CSV, but they will be checked if these entries are-       imported into a journal file.--   Coinbase-       A simple example with some  CSV  from  Coinbase.   The  spot  price  is-       recorded  using  cost  notation.   The  legacy amount field name conve--       niently sets amount 2 (posting 2's amount) to the total cost.--              # Timestamp,Transaction Type,Asset,Quantity Transacted,Spot Price Currency,Spot Price at Transaction,Subtotal,Total (inclusive of fees and/or spread),Fees and/or Spread,Notes-              # 2021-12-30T06:57:59Z,Receive,USDC,100,GBP,0.740000,"","","","Received 100.00 USDC from an external account"--              # coinbase.csv.rules-              skip         1-              fields       Timestamp,Transaction_Type,Asset,Quantity_Transacted,Spot_Price_Currency,Spot_Price_at_Transaction,Subtotal,Total,Fees_Spread,Notes-              date         %Timestamp-              date-format  %Y-%m-%dT%T%Z-              description  %Notes-              account1     assets:coinbase:cc-              amount       %Quantity_Transacted %Asset @ %Spot_Price_at_Transaction %Spot_Price_Currency--              $ hledger print -f coinbase.csv-              2021-12-30 Received 100.00 USDC from an external account-                  assets:coinbase:cc    100 USDC @ 0.740000 GBP-                  income:unknown                 -74.000000 GBP--   Amazon-       Here we convert amazon.com order history, and use an if block to gener--       ate a third posting if there's a fee.  (In practice you'd probably  get-       this data from your bank instead, but it's an example.)--              "Date","Type","To/From","Name","Status","Amount","Fees","Transaction ID"-              "Jul 29, 2012","Payment","To","Foo.","Completed","$20.00","$0.00","16000000000000DGLNJPI1P9B8DKPVHL"-              "Jul 30, 2012","Payment","To","Adapteva, Inc.","Completed","$25.00","$1.00","17LA58JSKRD4HDGLNJPI1P9B8DKPVHL"--              # amazon-orders.csv.rules--              # skip one header line-              skip 1--              # name the csv fields, and assign the transaction's date, amount and code.-              # Avoided the "status" and "amount" hledger field names to prevent confusion.-              fields date, _, toorfrom, name, amzstatus, amzamount, fees, code--              # how to parse the date-              date-format %b %-d, %Y--              # combine two fields to make the description-              description %toorfrom %name--              # save the status as a tag-              comment     status:%amzstatus--              # set the base account for all transactions-              account1    assets:amazon-              # leave amount1 blank so it can balance the other(s).-              # I'm assuming amzamount excludes the fees, don't remember--              # set a generic account2-              account2    expenses:misc-              amount2     %amzamount-              # and maybe refine it further:-              #include categorisation.rules--              # add a third posting for fees, but only if they are non-zero.-              if %fees [1-9]-               account3    expenses:fees-               amount3     %fees--              $ hledger -f amazon-orders.csv print-              2012-07-29 (16000000000000DGLNJPI1P9B8DKPVHL) To Foo.  ; status:Completed-                  assets:amazon-                  expenses:misc          $20.00--              2012-07-30 (17LA58JSKRD4HDGLNJPI1P9B8DKPVHL) To Adapteva, Inc.  ; status:Completed-                  assets:amazon-                  expenses:misc          $25.00-                  expenses:fees           $1.00--   Paypal-       Here's  a  real-world rules file for (customised) Paypal CSV, with some-       Paypal-specific rules, and a second rules file included:--              "Date","Time","TimeZone","Name","Type","Status","Currency","Gross","Fee","Net","From Email Address","To Email Address","Transaction ID","Item Title","Item ID","Reference Txn ID","Receipt ID","Balance","Note"-              "10/01/2019","03:46:20","PDT","Calm Radio","Subscription Payment","Completed","USD","-6.99","0.00","-6.99","simon@joyful.com","memberships@calmradio.com","60P57143A8206782E","MONTHLY - $1 for the first 2 Months: Me - Order 99309. Item total: $1.00 USD first 2 months, then $6.99 / Month","","I-R8YLY094FJYR","","-6.99",""-              "10/01/2019","03:46:20","PDT","","Bank Deposit to PP Account ","Pending","USD","6.99","0.00","6.99","","simon@joyful.com","0TU1544T080463733","","","60P57143A8206782E","","0.00",""-              "10/01/2019","08:57:01","PDT","Patreon","PreApproved Payment Bill User Payment","Completed","USD","-7.00","0.00","-7.00","simon@joyful.com","support@patreon.com","2722394R5F586712G","Patreon* Membership","","B-0PG93074E7M86381M","","-7.00",""-              "10/01/2019","08:57:01","PDT","","Bank Deposit to PP Account ","Pending","USD","7.00","0.00","7.00","","simon@joyful.com","71854087RG994194F","Patreon* Membership","","2722394R5F586712G","","0.00",""-              "10/19/2019","03:02:12","PDT","Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.","Subscription Payment","Completed","USD","-2.00","0.00","-2.00","simon@joyful.com","tle@wikimedia.org","K9U43044RY432050M","Monthly donation to the Wikimedia Foundation","","I-R5C3YUS3285L","","-2.00",""-              "10/19/2019","03:02:12","PDT","","Bank Deposit to PP Account ","Pending","USD","2.00","0.00","2.00","","simon@joyful.com","3XJ107139A851061F","","","K9U43044RY432050M","","0.00",""-              "10/22/2019","05:07:06","PDT","Noble Benefactor","Subscription Payment","Completed","USD","10.00","-0.59","9.41","noble@bene.fac.tor","simon@joyful.com","6L8L1662YP1334033","Joyful Systems","","I-KC9VBGY2GWDB","","9.41",""--              # paypal-custom.csv.rules--              # Tips:-              # Export from Activity -> Statements -> Custom -> Activity download-              # Suggested transaction type: "Balance affecting"-              # Paypal's default fields in 2018 were:-              # "Date","Time","TimeZone","Name","Type","Status","Currency","Gross","Fee","Net","From Email Address","To Email Address","Transaction ID","Shipping Address","Address Status","Item Title","Item ID","Shipping and Handling Amount","Insurance Amount","Sales Tax","Option 1 Name","Option 1 Value","Option 2 Name","Option 2 Value","Reference Txn ID","Invoice Number","Custom Number","Quantity","Receipt ID","Balance","Address Line 1","Address Line 2/District/Neighborhood","Town/City","State/Province/Region/County/Territory/Prefecture/Republic","Zip/Postal Code","Country","Contact Phone Number","Subject","Note","Country Code","Balance Impact"-              # This rules file assumes the following more detailed fields, configured in "Customize report fields":-              # "Date","Time","TimeZone","Name","Type","Status","Currency","Gross","Fee","Net","From Email Address","To Email Address","Transaction ID","Item Title","Item ID","Reference Txn ID","Receipt ID","Balance","Note"--              fields date, time, timezone, description_, type, status_, currency, grossamount, feeamount, netamount, fromemail, toemail, code, itemtitle, itemid, referencetxnid, receiptid, balance, note--              skip  1--              date-format  %-m/%-d/%Y--              # ignore some paypal events-              if-              In Progress-              Temporary Hold-              Update to-               skip--              # add more fields to the description-              description %description_ %itemtitle--              # save some other fields as tags-              comment  itemid:%itemid, fromemail:%fromemail, toemail:%toemail, time:%time, type:%type, status:%status_--              # convert to short currency symbols-              if %currency USD-               currency $-              if %currency EUR-               currency E-              if %currency GBP-               currency P--              # generate postings--              # the first posting will be the money leaving/entering my paypal account-              # (negative means leaving my account, in all amount fields)-              account1 assets:online:paypal-              amount1  %netamount--              # the second posting will be money sent to/received from other party-              # (account2 is set below)-              amount2  -%grossamount--              # if there's a fee, add a third posting for the money taken by paypal.-              if %feeamount [1-9]-               account3 expenses:banking:paypal-               amount3  -%feeamount-               comment3 business:--              # choose an account for the second posting--              # override the default account names:-              # if the amount is positive, it's income (a debit)-              if %grossamount ^[^-]-               account2 income:unknown-              # if negative, it's an expense (a credit)-              if %grossamount ^--               account2 expenses:unknown--              # apply common rules for setting account2 & other tweaks-              include common.rules--              # apply some overrides specific to this csv--              # Transfers from/to bank. These are usually marked Pending,-              # which can be disregarded in this case.-              if-              Bank Account-              Bank Deposit to PP Account-               description %type for %referencetxnid %itemtitle-               account2 assets:bank:wf:pchecking-               account1 assets:online:paypal--              # Currency conversions-              if Currency Conversion-               account2 equity:currency conversion--              # common.rules--              if-              darcs-              noble benefactor-               account2 revenues:foss donations:darcshub-               comment2 business:--              if-              Calm Radio-               account2 expenses:online:apps--              if-              electronic frontier foundation-              Patreon-              wikimedia-              Advent of Code-               account2 expenses:dues--              if Google-               account2 expenses:online:apps-               description google | music--              $ hledger -f paypal-custom.csv  print-              2019-10-01 (60P57143A8206782E) Calm Radio MONTHLY - $1 for the first 2 Months: Me - Order 99309. Item total: $1.00 USD first 2 months, then $6.99 / Month  ; itemid:, fromemail:simon@joyful.com, toemail:memberships@calmradio.com, time:03:46:20, type:Subscription Payment, status:Completed-                  assets:online:paypal          $-6.99 = $-6.99-                  expenses:online:apps           $6.99--              2019-10-01 (0TU1544T080463733) Bank Deposit to PP Account for 60P57143A8206782E  ; itemid:, fromemail:, toemail:simon@joyful.com, time:03:46:20, type:Bank Deposit to PP Account, status:Pending-                  assets:online:paypal               $6.99 = $0.00-                  assets:bank:wf:pchecking          $-6.99--              2019-10-01 (2722394R5F586712G) Patreon Patreon* Membership  ; itemid:, fromemail:simon@joyful.com, toemail:support@patreon.com, time:08:57:01, type:PreApproved Payment Bill User Payment, status:Completed-                  assets:online:paypal          $-7.00 = $-7.00-                  expenses:dues                  $7.00--              2019-10-01 (71854087RG994194F) Bank Deposit to PP Account for 2722394R5F586712G Patreon* Membership  ; itemid:, fromemail:, toemail:simon@joyful.com, time:08:57:01, type:Bank Deposit to PP Account, status:Pending-                  assets:online:paypal               $7.00 = $0.00-                  assets:bank:wf:pchecking          $-7.00--              2019-10-19 (K9U43044RY432050M) Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Monthly donation to the Wikimedia Foundation  ; itemid:, fromemail:simon@joyful.com, toemail:tle@wikimedia.org, time:03:02:12, type:Subscription Payment, status:Completed-                  assets:online:paypal             $-2.00 = $-2.00-                  expenses:dues                     $2.00-                  expenses:banking:paypal      ; business:--              2019-10-19 (3XJ107139A851061F) Bank Deposit to PP Account for K9U43044RY432050M  ; itemid:, fromemail:, toemail:simon@joyful.com, time:03:02:12, type:Bank Deposit to PP Account, status:Pending-                  assets:online:paypal               $2.00 = $0.00-                  assets:bank:wf:pchecking          $-2.00--              2019-10-22 (6L8L1662YP1334033) Noble Benefactor Joyful Systems  ; itemid:, fromemail:noble@bene.fac.tor, toemail:simon@joyful.com, time:05:07:06, type:Subscription Payment, status:Completed-                  assets:online:paypal                       $9.41 = $9.41-                  revenues:foss donations:darcshub         $-10.00  ; business:-                  expenses:banking:paypal                    $0.59  ; business:--Timeclock-       hledger can read time logs in the  timeclock  time  logging  format  of-       timeclock.el.   As  with  Ledger,  hledger's timeclock format is a sub--       set/variant of timeclock.el's.--       hledger's timeclock format was updated in hledger 1.43  and  1.50.   If-       your  old  time  logs  are  rejected,  you  should adapt them to modern-       hledger; for now, you can  restore  the  pre-1.43  behaviour  with  the-       --old-timeclock flag.--       Here the timeclock format in hledger 1.50+:--              # Comment lines like these, and blank lines, are ignored:-              # comment line-              ; comment line-              * comment line--              # Lines beginning with b, h, or capital O are also ignored, for compatibility:-              b SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+-ZZZZ][ TEXT]-              h SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+-ZZZZ][ TEXT]-              O SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+-ZZZZ][ TEXT]--              # Lines beginning with i or o are are clock-in / clock-out entries:-              i SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+-ZZZZ] ACCOUNT[  DESCRIPTION][;COMMENT]]-              o SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+-ZZZZ][ ACCOUNT][;COMMENT]--       The  date  is  a hledger simple date (YYYY-MM-DD or similar).  The time-       parts must use two digits.   The  seconds  are  optional.   A  +  or  --       four-digit  time  zone is accepted for compatibility, but currently ig--       nored; times are always interpreted as a local time.--       In clock-in entries (i), the account name is required.   A  transaction-       description, separated from the account name by 2+ spaces, is optional.-       A  transaction  comment, beginning with ;, is also optional.  (Indented-       following comment lines are also allowed, as in journal format.)--       In clock-out entries (o) have no description, but can have a comment if-       you wish.  A clock-in and clock-out pair form a  "transaction"  posting-       some number of hours to an account - also known as a session.  Eg:--              i 2015/03/30 09:00:00 session1-              o 2015/03/30 10:00:00--              $ hledger -f a.timeclock print-              2015-03-30 * 09:00-10:00-                  (session1)           1.00h--       Clock-ins and clock-outs are matched by their account/session name.  If-       a  clock-out does not specify a name, the most recent unclosed clock-in-       is closed.  You can have multiple sessions active simultaneously.   En--       tries  are  processed  in the order they are parsed.  Sessions spanning-       more than one day are automatically split at day boundaries.--       Eg, the following time log:--              i 2015/03/30 09:00:00 some account  optional description after 2 spaces ; optional comment, tags:-              o 2015/03/30 09:20:00-              i 2015/03/31 22:21:45 another:account-              o 2015/04/01 02:00:34-              i 2015/04/02 12:00:00 another:account  ; this demonstrates multple sessions being clocked in-              i 2015/04/02 13:00:00 some account-              o 2015/04/02 14:00:00-              o 2015/04/02 15:00:00 another:account--       generates these transactions:--              $ hledger -f t.timeclock print-              2015-03-30 * optional description after 2 spaces   ; optional comment, tags:-                  (some account)           0.33h--              2015-03-31 * 22:21-23:59-                  (another:account)           1.64h--              2015-04-01 * 00:00-02:00-                  (another:account)           2.01h--              2015-04-02 * 12:00-15:00  ; this demonstrates multiple sessions being clocked in-                  (another:account)           3.00h--              2015-04-02 * 13:00-14:00-                  (some account)           1.00h--       Here is a sample.timeclock to download and some queries to try:--              $ hledger -f sample.timeclock balance                               # current time balances-              $ hledger -f sample.timeclock register -p 2009/3                    # sessions in march 2009-              $ hledger -f sample.timeclock register -p weekly --depth 1 --empty  # time summary by week--       To generate time logs, ie to clock in and clock out, you could:--       o use these shell aliases at the command line:--                alias ti='echo i `date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"` $* >>$TIMELOG'-                alias to='echo o `date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"` >>$TIMELOG'--       o or Emacs's built-in timeclock.el, or the extended timeclock-x.el, and-         perhaps the extras in ledgerutils.el--       o or use the old ti and to scripts in the ledger 2.x repository.  These-         rely on a "timeclock" executable which I think is just the  ledger  2-         executable renamed.--Timedot-       timedot  format  is hledger's human-friendly time logging format.  Com--       pared to timeclock format, it is more convenient  for  quick,  approxi--       mate,  and  retroactive  time logging, and more human-readable (you can-       see at a glance where time was spent).  A quick example:--              2023-05-01-              hom:errands          .... ....  ; two hours; the space is ignored-              fos:hledger:timedot  ..         ; half an hour-              per:admin:finance               ; no time spent yet--       hledger reads this as a transaction on this day with three (unbalanced)-       postings, where each dot represents "0.25".  No commodity symbol is as--       sumed, but we typically interpret it as hours.--              $ hledger -f a.timedot print   # .timedot file extension (or timedot: prefix) is required-              2023-05-01 *-                  (hom:errands)                    2.00  ; two hours-                  (fos:hledger:timedot)            0.50  ; half an hour-                  (per:admin:finance)                 0--       A timedot file contains a series of transactions (usually one per day).-       Each begins with a simple date (Y-M-D, Y/M/D, or Y.M.D), optionally  be-       followed on the same line by a transaction description, and/or a trans--       action comment following a semicolon.--       After the date line are zero or more time postings, consisting of:--       o An  account  name  -  any  hledger-style account name, optionally in--         dented.--       o Two or more spaces - required if there is an amount  (as  in  journal-         format).--       o A timedot amount, which can be--         o empty (representing zero)--         o a  number,  optionally  followed by a unit s, m, h, d, w, mo, or y,-           representing a precise number  of  seconds,  minutes,  hours,  days-           weeks, months or years (hours is assumed by default), which will be-           converted  to hours according to 60s = 1m, 60m = 1h, 24h = 1d, 7d =-           1w, 30d = 1mo, 365d = 1y.--         o one or more  dots  (period  characters),  each  representing  0.25.-           These  are  the  dots  in "timedot".  Spaces are ignored and can be-           used for grouping/alignment.--         o Added in 1.32 one or more letters.  These are like  dots  but  they-           also  generate  a  tag t: (short for "type") with the letter as its-           value, and a separate posting for each of the  values.   This  pro--           vides  a  second  dimension  of categorisation, viewable in reports-           with --pivot t.--       o An optional comment following a semicolon  (a  hledger-style  posting-         comment).--       There  is some flexibility to help with keeping time log data and notes-       in the same file:--       o Blank lines and lines beginning with # or ; are ignored.--       o After the first date line, lines which do not contain a double  space-         are parsed as postings with zero amount.  (hledger's register reports-         will show these if you add -E).--       o Before  the first date line, lines beginning with * (eg org headings)-         are ignored.  And from the first date line  onward,  Emacs  org  mode-         heading prefixes at the start of lines (one or more *'s followed by a-         space)  will  be  ignored.  This means the time log can also be a org-         outline.--       Timedot files don't support directives like journal files.  So a common-       pattern is to have a main journal file (eg time.journal) that  contains-       any  needed  directives,  and  then  includes the timedot file (include-       time.timedot).--   Timedot examples-       Numbers:--              2016/2/3-              inc:client1   4-              fos:hledger   3h-              biz:research  60m--       Dots:--              # on this day, 6h was spent on client work, 1.5h on haskell FOSS work, etc.-              2016/2/1-              inc:client1   .... .... .... .... .... ....-              fos:haskell   .... ..-              biz:research  .--              2016/2/2-              inc:client1   .... ....-              biz:research  .--              $ hledger -f a.timedot print date:2016/2/2-              2016-02-02 *-                  (inc:client1)          2.00--              2016-02-02 *-                  (biz:research)          0.25--              $ hledger -f a.timedot bal --daily --tree-              Balance changes in 2016-02-01-2016-02-03:--                          ||  2016-02-01d  2016-02-02d  2016-02-03d-              ============++========================================-               biz        ||         0.25         0.25         1.00-                 research ||         0.25         0.25         1.00-               fos        ||         1.50            0         3.00-                 haskell  ||         1.50            0            0-                 hledger  ||            0            0         3.00-               inc        ||         6.00         2.00         4.00-                 client1  ||         6.00         2.00         4.00-              ------------++-----------------------------------------                          ||         7.75         2.25         8.00--       Letters:--              # Activity types:-              #  c cleanup/catchup/repair-              #  e enhancement-              #  s support-              #  l learning/research--              2023-11-01-              work:adm  ccecces--              $ hledger -f a.timedot print-              2023-11-01-                  (work:adm)  1     ; t:c-                  (work:adm)  0.5   ; t:e-                  (work:adm)  0.25  ; t:s--              $ hledger -f a.timedot bal-                              1.75  work:adm-              ---------------------                              1.75--              $ hledger -f a.timedot bal --pivot t-                              1.00  c-                              0.50  e-                              0.25  s-              ---------------------                              1.75--       Org:--              * 2023 Work Diary-              ** Q1-              *** 2023-02-29-              **** DONE-              0700 yoga-              **** UNPLANNED-              **** BEGUN-              hom:chores-               cleaning  ...-               water plants-                outdoor - one full watering can-                indoor - light watering-              **** TODO-              adm:planning: trip-              *** LATER--       Using . as account name separator:--              2016/2/4-              fos.hledger.timedot  4h-              fos.ledger           ..--              $ hledger -f a.timedot --alias '/\./=:' bal -t-                              4.50  fos-                              4.00    hledger:timedot-                              0.50    ledger-              ---------------------                              4.50--PART 3: REPORTING CONCEPTS-Time periods-   Report start & end date-       Most hledger reports will by default show the full time  period  repre--       sented  by  the  journal.   The  report start date will be the earliest-       transaction or posting date, and the report end date will be the latest-       transaction, posting, or market price date.--       Often you will want to see a shorter period, such as the current month.-       You can specify a start and/or end date with the -b/--begin,  -e/--end,-       or  -p/--period  options,  or  a date: query argument, described below.-       All of these accept the smart date syntax, also described below.--       End dates are exclusive; specify the day after the last day you want to-       see in the report.--       When dates are specified by multiple options, the last (right-most) op--       tion wins.  And when date: queries and date options are  combined,  the-       report period will be their intersection.--       Examples:--       -b 2016/3/17-              beginning on St.  Patrick's day 2016--       -e 12/1-              ending at the start of December 1st in the current year--       -p 'this month'-              during the current month--       -p thismonth-              same as above, spaces are optional--       -b 2023-              beginning on the first day of 2023--       date:2023.. or date:2023--              same as above--       -b 2024 -e 2025 -p '2000 to 2030' date:2020-01 date:2020 :-       during January 2020 (the smallest common period, with the -p overriding-       -b and -e)--   Smart dates-       In  hledger's user interfaces (though not in the journal file), you can-       optionally use "smart date" syntax.  Smart dates can  be  written  with-       english  words,  can  be relative, and can have parts omitted.  Missing-       parts are inferred as 1, when needed.  Smart dates can  be  interpreted-       as dates or periods depending on the context.--       Examples:--       2004-01-01, 2004/10/1, 2004.9.1, 20240504, 2024Q1 :-       Exact  dates.   The year must have at least four digits, the month must-       be 1-12, the day must be 1-31, the separator can be -  or  /  or  .  or-       nothing.   The q can be upper or lower case and the quarter number must-       be 1-4.--       2004-10-              start of month--       2004q3 start of third quarter of 2004--       q3     start of third quarter of current year--       2004   start of year--       10/1 or oct or october-              October 1st in current year--       21     21st day in current month--       yesterday, today, tomorrow-              -1, 0, 1 days from today--       last/this/next day/week/month/quarter/year-              -1, 0, 1 periods from the current period--       in n days/weeks/months/quarters/years-              n periods from the current period--       n days/weeks/months/quarters/years ahead-              n periods from the current period--       n days/weeks/months/quarters/years ago-              -n periods from the current period--       20181201-              8 digit YYYYMMDD with valid year month and day--       201812 6 digit YYYYMM with valid year and month--       Dates with no separators are allowed but might give surprising  results-       if mistyped:--       o 20181301 (YYYYMMDD with an invalid month) is parsed as an eight-digit-         year--       o 20181232 (YYYYMMDD with an invalid day) gives a parse error--       o 201801012  (a  valid  YYYYMMDD followed by additional digits) gives a-         parse error--       The meaning of relative dates depends on today's date.  If you need  to-       test  or reproduce old reports, you can use the --today option to over--       ride that.  (Except for periodic transaction rules, which are  not  af--       fected by --today.)--   Report intervals-       A  report interval can be specified so that reports like register, bal--       ance or activity become multi-period, showing each subperiod as a sepa--       rate row or column.--       The following standard  intervals  can  be  enabled  with  command-line-       flags:--       o -D/--daily--       o -W/--weekly--       o -M/--monthly--       o -Q/--quarterly--       o -Y/--yearly--       More  complex  intervals  can be specified using -p/--period, described-       below.--   Date adjustments-   Start date adjustment-       If you let hledger infer a report's start date, it will adjust the date-       to the previous natural boundary of the report interval, for convenient-       periodic reports.  (If you don't want that, specify a start date.)--       For example, if the journal's first transaction is on january 10th,--       o hledger register (no report interval) will start the report on  janu--         ary 10th.--       o hledger  register  --monthly  will  start  the report on the previous-         month boundary, january 1st.--       o hledger register --monthly --begin 1/5 will start the report on janu--         ary 5th [1].--       Also if you are generating transactions or budget goals  with  periodic-       transaction  rules,  their  start date may be adjusted in a similar way-       (in certain situations).--   End date adjustment-       A report's end date is always adjusted to include a whole number of in--       tervals, so that the last subperiod has the same length as the others.--       For example, if the journal's last transaction is on february 20th,--       o hledger register will end the report on february 20th.--       o hledger register --monthly will end the report at the end  of  febru--         ary.--       o hledger register --monthly --end 2/14 also will end the report at the-         end of february (overriding the requested end date).--       o hledger register --monthly --begin 1/5 --end 2/14 will end the report-         on march 4th [1].--       [1] Since hledger 1.29.--   Period headings-       With  non-standard  subperiods,  hledger will show "STARTDATE..ENDDATE"-       headings.  With standard subperiods (ie, starting on a natural interval-       boundary), you'll see more compact headings, which are usually  prefer--       able.  (Though month names will be in english, currently.)--       So  if  you  are specifying a start date and you want compact headings:-       choose a start of year for yearly reports, a start of quarter for quar--       terly reports, a start of month for monthly reports,  etc.   (Remember,-       you  can  write eg -b 2024 or 1/1 as a shortcut for a start of year, or-       2024-04 or 202404 or Apr for a start of month or quarter.)--       For weekly reports, choose a date that's a Monday.  (You can  try  dif--       ferent  dates until you see the short headings, or write eg -b '3 weeks-       ago'.)--   Period expressions-       The -p/--period option specifies a period expression, which is  a  com--       pact way of expressing a start date, end date, and/or report interval.--       Here's  a  period  expression with a start and end date (specifying the-       first quarter of 2009):--       -p "from 2009/1/1 to 2009/4/1"--       Several keywords like "from" and "to" are  supported  for  readability;-       these  are  optional.   "to"  can  also be written as ".." or "-".  The-       spaces are also optional, as long as you don't run two dates  together.-       So the following are equivalent to the above:--       -p "2009/1/1 2009/4/1"-       -p2009/1/1to2009/4/1-       -p2009/1/1..2009/4/1--       Dates  are  smart dates, so if the current year is 2009, these are also-       equivalent to the above:--       -p "1/1 4/1"-       -p "jan-apr"-       -p "this year to 4/1"--       If you specify only one date, the missing start or end date will be the-       earliest or latest transaction date in the journal:--       -p "from 2009/1/1"   everything  after  january-                            1, 2009-       -p "since 2009/1"    the  same, since is a syn--                            onym-       -p "from 2009"       the same-       -p "to 2009"         everything before  january-                            1, 2009--       You can also specify a period by writing a single partial or full date:--       -p "2009"        the year 2009; equivalent to "2009/1/1 to 2010/1/1"-       -p "2009/1"      the  month  of january 2009; equivalent to "2009/1/1 to-                        2009/2/1"-       -p "2009/1/1"    the first day  of  2009;  equivalent  to  "2009/1/1  to-                        2009/1/2"--       or by using the "Q" quarter-year syntax (case insensitive):--       -p "2009Q1"       first  quarter  of  2009,  equivalent  to  "2009/1/1 to-                         2009/4/1"-       -p "q4"           fourth quarter of the current year--   Period expressions with a report interval-       A period expression can also begin with a  report  interval,  separated-       from the start/end dates (if any) by a space or the word in:--       -p "weekly from 2009/1/1 to 2009/4/1"-       -p "monthly in 2008"-       -p "quarterly"--   More complex report intervals-       Some more complex intervals can be specified within period expressions,-       such as:--       o biweekly (every two weeks)--       o fortnightly--       o bimonthly (every two months)--       o every day|week|month|quarter|year--       o every N days|weeks|months|quarters|years--       Weekly on a custom day:--       o every  Nth  day of week (th, nd, rd, or st are all accepted after the-         number)--       o every WEEKDAYNAME (full or three-letter english  weekday  name,  case-         insensitive)--       Monthly on a custom day:--       o every  Nth  day [of month] (31st day will be adjusted to each month's-         last day)--       o every Nth WEEKDAYNAME [of month]--       Yearly on a custom month and day:--       o every MM/DD [of year] (month number and day of month number)--       o every MONTHNAME DDth [of year] (full or  three-letter  english  month-         name, case insensitive, and day of month number)--       o every DDth MONTHNAME [of year] (equivalent to the above)--       Examples:--       -p "bimonthly from 2008"-       -p "every 2 weeks"-       -p  "every  5  months  from-       2009/03"-       -p "every 2nd day of week"    periods will go from Tue to Tue-       -p "every Tue"                same-       -p "every 15th day"           period boundaries will be on 15th  of  each-                                     month-       -p "every 2nd Monday"         period  boundaries will be on second Monday-                                     of each month-       -p "every 11/05"              yearly periods with boundaries  on  5th  of-                                     November-       -p "every 5th November"       same-       -p "every Nov 5th"            same--       Show  historical balances at end of the 15th day of each month (N is an-       end date, exclusive as always):--              $ hledger balance -H -p "every 16th day"--       Group postings from the start of wednesday  to  end  of  the  following-       tuesday (N is both (inclusive) start date and (exclusive) end date):--              $ hledger register checking -p "every 3rd day of week"--   Multiple weekday intervals-       This special form is also supported:--       o every WEEKDAYNAME,WEEKDAYNAME,... (full or three-letter english week--         day names, case insensitive)--       Also,  weekday and weekendday are shorthand for mon,tue,wed,thu,fri and-       sat,sun.--       This is mainly intended for use with --forecast, to  generate  periodic-       transactions on arbitrary days of the week.  It may be less useful with-       -p, since it divides each week into subperiods of unequal length, which-       is unusual.  (Related: #1632)--       Examples:--       -p          "every   dates  will  be  Mon,  Wed,  Fri;  periods  will  be-       mon,wed,fri"         Mon-Tue, Wed-Thu, Fri-Sun-       -p "every weekday"   dates  will be Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri; periods will-                            be Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri-Sun-       -p "every weekend-   dates will be Sat, Sun; periods will be Sat, Sun-Fri-       day"--Depth-       With the --depth NUM option (short form, usually preferred: -NUM),  re--       ports  will  show  accounts  only to the specified depth, hiding deeper-       subaccounts.  Use this when you want a summary with less detail.   This-       flag  has  the same effect as a depth: query argument.  So all of these-       are equivalent: depth:2, --depth=2, -2.--       You can also provide custom depths for specific accounts, by  providing-       a  REGEX=NUM  argument  instead of just NUM (since 1.41).  For example,-       --depth assets=2 (or depth:assets=2) will  collapse  accounts  matching-       the  regular  expression  "assets"  to depth 2.  So assets:bank:savings-       would be collapsed to  assets:bank,  but  liabilities:bank:credit  card-       would not be affected.--       If  REGEX  contains  spaces  or other special characters, enclose it in-       quotes in the usual way.  Eg: --depth 'credit card=2'--   Combining depth options-       If a command line contains multiple general depth options, the last one-       wins.  (Useful for overriding a depth specified by scripts.)--       Or a command may contain a combination of general and custom depth  op--       tions.   In  this case, the most specifically (deepest) matching option-       wins.  Some examples:--       o --depth assets=3 --depth expenses=2 --depth 1 would collapse accounts-         containing "assets" to depth 3,  accounts  containing  "expenses"  to-         depth 2, and all other accounts to depth 1.--       o --depth assets=1 --depth savings=2 would collapse assets:bank:savings-         to  depth  2 (not depth 1; because "savings" matches a deeper part of-         the account name than "assets").--       Note currently, to override a custom  depth  option  --depth  REGEX=NUM-       with a later option, the later option must use the same REGEX.--Queries-       Many  hledger  commands  accept  query  arguments, which restrict their-       scope and let you report on a precise subset of your  data.   Here's  a-       quick overview of hledger's queries:--       o By  default,  a  query argument is treated as a case-insensitive sub--         string pattern for matching account names.  Eg:--         dining groceries-         car:fuel-       o Patterns containing spaces or other special characters  must  be  en--         closed in single or double quotes:--         'personal care'-       o Patterns  are  actually  regular  expressions,  so you can add regexp-         metacharacters for more precision (or you may need  to  backslash-es--         cape certain characters; see "Regular expressions" above):--         '^expenses\b'-         'food$'-         'fuel|repair'-         'accounts (payable|receivable)'-       o To  match  something other than the account name, you can add a query-         type prefix, such as:--         date:202312--         status:-         desc:amazon-         cur:USD-         cur:\\$-         amt:'>0'-         acct:groceries (but acct: is the default, so we usually don't  bother-         writing it)-       o To negate a query, add a not: prefix:--         not:status:'*'-         not:desc:'opening|closing'-         not:cur:USD-       o Multiple  query terms can be combined, as space-separated queries Eg:-         hledger print  date:2022  desc:amazon  desc:amzn  (show  transactions-         dated in 2022 whose description contains "amazon" or "amzn").-       o Or   more   flexibly   as   boolean   queries.    Eg:  hledger  print-         expr:'date:2022 and (desc:amazon or desc:amzn) and not date:202210'-       All hledger commands use the same query language,  but  different  com--       mands  may interpret the query in different ways.  We haven't described-       the commands yet (that's coming in PART 4: COMMANDS below)  but  here's-       the gist of it:--       o Transaction-oriented  commands  (print, aregister, close, import, de--         scriptions..)  try to match transactions (including the transaction's-         postings).--       o Posting-oriented commands (register, balance, balancesheet,  incomes--         tatement, accounts..)  try to match postings.  Postings inherit their-         transaction's attributes for querying purposes, so transaction fields-         like date or description can still be referenced in a posting query.--       o A few commands match in more specific ways.  (Eg aregister, which has-         a special first argument.)--   Query types-       Here are the query types available:--   acct: query-       acct:REGEX, or just REGEX-       Match  account  names  containing this case insensitive regular expres--       sion.-       This is the default query type, so we usually don't bother writing  the-       "acct:" prefix.--   amt: query-       amt:N, amt:'<N', amt:'<=N', amt:'>N', amt:'>=N'-       Match  postings  with a single-commodity amount equal to, less than, or-       greater than N. (Postings with multi-commodity amounts are  not  tested-       and   will   always  match.)   amt:  needs  quotes  to  hide  the  less-       than/greater than sign from the command line shell.--       The comparison has two modes: if N is preceded by a + or - sign (or  is-       0),  the two signed numbers are compared.  Otherwise, the absolute mag--       nitudes are compared, ignoring sign.--       Keep in mind that amt: matches posting amounts, not account balances.--   code: query-       code:REGEX-       Match by transaction code (eg check number).--   cur: query-       cur:REGEX-       Match  postings  or  transactions  including  any  amounts  whose  cur--       rency/commodity  symbol  is  fully  matched  by  REGEX.   (Contrary  to-       hledger's  usual  infix  matching.   To  do   infix   matching,   write-       .*REGEX.*.)  Note, to match special characters which are regex-signifi--       cant,  you  need  to  escape them with \.  And for characters which are-       significant to your shell you will usually need one more level  of  es--       caping.  Eg to match the dollar sign: cur:\\$ or cur:'\$'--   desc: query-       desc:REGEX-       Match transaction descriptions.--   date: query-       date:PERIODEXPR-       Match  dates  (or  with  the  --date2 flag, secondary dates) within the-       specified period.  PERIODEXPR is a period expression with no report in--       terval.  Examples:-       date:2016, date:thismonth, date:2/1-2/15, date:2021-07-27..nextquarter.--   date2: query-       date2:PERIODEXPR-       If you use secondary dates: this matches  secondary  dates  within  the-       specified period.  It is not affected by the --date2 flag.--   depth: query-       depth:[REGEXP=]N-       Match  (or  display,  depending  on  command) accounts at or above this-       depth, optionally only for accounts matching a provided regular expres--       sion.  See Depth for detailed rules.--   note: query-       note:REGEX-       Match transaction notes (the part of the description right of |, or the-       whole description if there's no |).--   payee: query-       payee:REGEX-       Match transaction payee/payer names (the part of the  description  left-       of |, or the whole description if there's no |).--   real: query-       real:, real:0-       Match real or virtual postings respectively.--   status: query-       status:, status:!, status:*-       Match unmarked, pending, or cleared transactions respectively.--   type: query-       type:TYPECODES-       Match  by account type (see Declaring accounts > Account types).  TYPE--       CODES is one or more of the single-letter account type  codes  ALERXCV,-       case insensitive.  Note type:A and type:E will also match their respec--       tive  subtypes  C  (Cash) and V (Conversion).  Certain kinds of account-       alias can disrupt account types, see Rewriting accounts >  Aliases  and-       account types.--   tag: query-       tag:NAMEREGEX[=VALREGEX]-       Match by tag name, and optionally also by tag value.  Note:--       o Both  regular  expressions do infix matching.  If you need a complete-         match, use ^ and $.-       Eg: tag:'^fullname$', tag:'^fullname$=^fullvalue$--       o To match values, ignoring names, do tag:.=VALREGEX--       o Accounts also inherit the tags of their parent accounts.--       o Postings also inherit the tags of their account and their transaction-         .--       o Transactions also acquire the tags of their postings.--   Negative queries-   not: query-       not:QUERY-       You can prepend not: to a query to negate the match.-       Eg: not:equity, not:desc:apple-       (Also, a trick: not:not:... can sometimes solve query  problems  conve--       niently.)--   Space-separated queries-       When  given  multiple space-separated query terms, most commands select-       things which match:--       o any of the description terms AND--       o any of the account terms AND--       o any of the status terms AND--       o all the other terms.--       The print command is a little different, showing transactions which:--       o match any of the description terms AND--       o have any postings matching any of the positive account terms AND--       o have no postings matching any of the negative account terms AND--       o match all the other terms.--   Boolean queries-       You can write more complicated "boolean" query expressions, enclosed in-       quotes and prefixed with expr:.  These can combine subqueries with NOT,-       AND, OR operators (case insensitive),  and  parentheses  for  grouping.-       Eg, to show transactions involving both cash and expense accounts:--              hledger print expr:'cash AND expenses'--       The  prefix  and  enclosing quotes are required, so don't write hledger-       print cash AND expenses.  That would be a space-separated query showing-       transactions involving accounts with any of "cash",  "and",  "expenses"-       in their names.--       You  can write space-separated queries inside a boolean query, and they-       will combine as described above, but it might  be  confusing  and  best-       avoided.   Eg these are equivalent, showing transactions involving cash-       or expenses accounts:--              hledger print expr:'cash expenses'-              hledger print cash expenses--       There is a restriction with date: queries: they may not be used  inside-       OR expressions.--       Actually,  there  are  three  types of boolean query: expr: for general-       use, and any: and all: variants which can be useful with print.--   expr: query-       expr:'QUERYEXPR'-       For example, expr:'date:lastmonth AND NOT (food OR rent)' means  "match-       things  which  are dated in the last month and do not have food or rent-       in the account name".--       When using expr: with transaction-oriented commands like  print,  post--       ing-oriented  query  terms  like acct: and amt: are considered to match-       the transaction if they match any of its postings.-       So, hledger print expr:'cash and amt:>0' means "show transactions  with-       (at least one posting involving a cash account) and (at least one post--       ing with a positive amount)".--   any: query-       any:'QUERYEXPR'-       Like  expr:,  but  when  used  with  transaction-oriented commands like-       print, it matches the transaction only if a posting can be  matched  by-       all of QUERYEXPR.-       So,  hledger print any:'cash and amt:>0' means "show transactions where-       at least one posting posts a positive amount to a cash account".--   all: query-       all:'QUERYEXPR'-       Like expr:, but  when  used  with  transaction-oriented  commands  like-       print,  it  matches the transaction only if all postings are matched by-       all of QUERYEXPR (and there is at least one posting).-       So, hledger print all:'cash and amt:0' means "show  transactions  where-       all postings involve a cash account and have a zero amount".-       Or, hledger print all:'cash or checking' means "show transactions which-       touch only cash and/or checking accounts".--   Queries and command options-       Some  queries can also be expressed as command-line options: depth:2 is-       equivalent to --depth 2, date:2023 is equivalent to -p 2023, etc.  When-       you mix command options and query arguments,  generally  the  resulting-       query is their intersection.--   Queries and account aliases-       When  account  names  are  rewritten  with --alias or alias, acct: will-       match either the old or the new account name.--   Queries and valuation-       When amounts are converted to other commodities in cost  or  value  re--       ports,  cur: and amt: match the old commodity symbol and the old amount-       quantity, not the new ones.  (Except in hledger 1.22, #1625.)--Pivoting-       Normally, hledger groups amounts and displays their totals  by  account-       (name).   With  --pivot  PIVOTEXPR,  some  other  field's  (or multiple-       fields') value is used as a synthetic account name,  causing  different-       grouping and display.  PIVOTEXPR can be--       o any  of  these standard transaction or posting fields (their value is-         substituted): status, code, desc, payee, note, acct,  comm/cur,  amt,-         cost--       o or a tag name--       o or any combination of these, colon-separated.--       Some special cases:--       o Colons appearing in PIVOTEXPR or in a pivoted tag value will generate-         account hierarchy.--       o When pivoting a posting that has multiple values for a tag, the tag's-         first value will be used as the pivoted value.--       o When  a  posting  has  multiple  commodities,  the  pivoted  value of-         "comm"/"cur" will be "".  Also when an unrecognised tag name or field-         is provided, its pivoted value will be "".  (If this causes confusing-         output, consider excluding those postings from the report.)--       Examples:--              2016/02/16 Yearly Dues Payment-                  assets:bank account                 2 EUR-                  income:dues                        -2 EUR  ; member: John Doe, kind: Lifetime--       Normal balance report showing account names:--              $ hledger balance-                             2 EUR  assets:bank account-                            -2 EUR  income:dues-              ---------------------                                 0--       Pivoted balance report, using member: tag values instead:--              $ hledger balance --pivot member-                             2 EUR-                            -2 EUR  John Doe-              ---------------------                                 0--       One way to show only amounts with a member: value (using a query):--              $ hledger balance --pivot member tag:member=.-                            -2 EUR  John Doe-              ---------------------                            -2 EUR--       Another way (the acct:  query  matches  against  the  pivoted  "account-       name"):--              $ hledger balance --pivot member acct:.-                            -2 EUR  John Doe-              ---------------------                            -2 EUR--       Hierarchical reports can be generated with multiple pivot values:--              $ hledger balance Income:Dues --pivot kind:member-                            -2 EUR  Lifetime:John Doe-              ---------------------                            -2 EUR--Generating data-       hledger  can enrich the data provided to it, or generate new data, in a-       number of ways.  Mostly, this is done only if you request it:--       o Missing amounts or missing costs in transactions are  inferred  auto--         matically when possible.--       o The  --infer-equity  flag  infers  missing conversion equity postings-         from @/@@ costs.--       o The --infer-costs flag infers missing costs  from  conversion  equity-         postings.--       o The --infer-market-prices flag infers P price directives from costs.--       o The  --auto  flag adds extra postings to transactions matched by auto-         posting rules.--       o The --forecast option generates transactions from  periodic  transac--         tion rules.--       o The  balance --budget report infers budget goals from periodic trans--         action rules.--       o Commands like close, rewrite, and hledger-interest generate  transac--         tions or postings.--       o CSV  data  is  converted  to  transactions by applying CSV conversion-         rules..  etc.--       Such generated data is temporary, existing only at  report  time.   You-       can  convert it to permanent recorded data by, eg, capturing the output-       of hledger print and saving it in your journal file.   This  can  some--       times be useful as a data entry aid.--       If  you  are  curious what data is being generated and why, run hledger-       print -x --verbose-tags.   -x/--explicit  shows  inferred  amounts  and-       --verbose-tags  adds  tags  like  generated-transaction  (from periodic-       rules) and generated-posting, modified (from auto posting rules).  Sim--       ilar hidden tags (with an underscore prefix) are always present,  also,-       so  you  can  always match such data with queries like tag:generated or-       tag:modified.--Forecasting-       Forecasting, or speculative future reporting, can be useful  for  esti--       mating future balances, or for exploring different future scenarios.--       The simplest and most flexible way to do it with hledger is to manually-       record a bunch of future-dated transactions.  You could keep these in a-       separate  future.journal and include that with -f only when you want to-       see them.--   --forecast-       There is another way: with the --forecast option, hledger can  generate-       temporary  "forecast transactions" for reporting purposes, according to-       periodic transaction rules defined in the journal.  Each rule can  gen--       erate  multiple recurring transactions, so by changing one rule you can-       change many forecasted transactions.--       Forecast transactions usually start after  ordinary  transactions  end.-       By default, they begin after your latest-dated ordinary transaction, or-       today,  whichever  is  later, and they end six months from today.  (The-       exact rules are a little more complicated, and are given below.)--       This is the "forecast period", which need not be the same as the report-       period.  You can override it - eg to forecast farther into the  future,-       or to force forecast transactions to overlap your ordinary transactions-       -  by  giving  the --forecast option a period expression argument, like-       --forecast=..2099 or --forecast=2023-02-15...  Note that the =  is  re--       quired.--   Inspecting forecast transactions-       print  is  the best command for inspecting and troubleshooting forecast-       transactions.  Eg:--              ~ monthly from 2022-12-20    rent-                  assets:bank:checking-                  expenses:rent           $1000--              $ hledger print --forecast --today=2023/4/21-              2023-05-20 rent-                  ; generated-transaction: ~ monthly from 2022-12-20-                  assets:bank:checking-                  expenses:rent                  $1000--              2023-06-20 rent-                  ; generated-transaction: ~ monthly from 2022-12-20-                  assets:bank:checking-                  expenses:rent                  $1000--              2023-07-20 rent-                  ; generated-transaction: ~ monthly from 2022-12-20-                  assets:bank:checking-                  expenses:rent                  $1000--              2023-08-20 rent-                  ; generated-transaction: ~ monthly from 2022-12-20-                  assets:bank:checking-                  expenses:rent                  $1000--              2023-09-20 rent-                  ; generated-transaction: ~ monthly from 2022-12-20-                  assets:bank:checking-                  expenses:rent                  $1000--       Here there are no ordinary transactions, so the forecasted transactions-       begin on the first occurrence after today's date.  (You won't  normally-       use --today; it's just to make these examples reproducible.)--   Forecast reports-       Forecast transactions affect all reports, as you would expect.  Eg:--              $ hledger areg rent --forecast --today=2023/4/21-              Transactions in expenses:rent and subaccounts:-              2023-05-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $1000-              2023-06-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $2000-              2023-07-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $3000-              2023-08-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $4000-              2023-09-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $5000--              $ hledger bal -M expenses --forecast --today=2023/4/21-              Balance changes in 2023-05-01..2023-09-30:--                             ||   May    Jun    Jul    Aug    Sep-              ===============++===================================-               expenses:rent || $1000  $1000  $1000  $1000  $1000-              ---------------++------------------------------------                             || $1000  $1000  $1000  $1000  $1000--   Forecast tags-       Forecast  transactions generated by --forecast have a hidden tag, _gen--       erated-transaction.  So if you ever need  to  match  forecast  transac--       tions, you could use tag:_generated-transaction (or just tag:generated)-       in a query.--       For  troubleshooting, you can add the --verbose-tags flag.  Then, visi--       ble generated-transaction tags will be added also, so you can view them-       with the print command.  Their value indicates which periodic rule  was-       responsible.--   Forecast period, in detail-       Forecast start/end dates are chosen so as to do something useful by de--       fault  in  almost  all situations, while also being flexible.  Here are-       (with luck) the exact rules, to help with troubleshooting:--       The forecast period starts on:--       o the later of--         o the start date in the periodic transaction rule--         o the start date in --forecast's argument--       o otherwise (if those are not available): the later of--         o the report start date specified with -b/-p/date:--         o the day after the latest ordinary transaction in the journal--       o otherwise (if none of these are available): today.--       The forecast period ends on:--       o the earlier of--         o the end date in the periodic transaction rule--         o the end date in --forecast's argument--       o otherwise: the report end date specified with -e/-p/date:--       o otherwise: 180 days (~6 months) from today.--   Forecast troubleshooting-       When --forecast is not doing what you expect, one of these tips  should-       help:--       o Remember to use the --forecast option.--       o Remember to have at least one periodic transaction rule in your jour--         nal.--       o Test with print --forecast.--       o Check  for  typos or too-restrictive start/end dates in your periodic-         transaction rule.--       o Leave at least 2 spaces between the rule's period expression and  de--         scription fields.--       o Check  for  future-dated ordinary transactions suppressing forecasted-         transactions.--       o Try setting explicit report start and/or end dates with -b, -e, -p or-         date:--       o Try adding the -E flag to encourage  display  of  empty  periods/zero-         transactions.--       o Try  setting  explicit  forecast  start and/or end dates with --fore--         cast=START..END--       o Consult Forecast period, in detail, above.--       o Check inside the engine: add --debug=2 (eg).--Budgeting-       With the balance command's --budget report, each  periodic  transaction-       rule  generates recurring budget goals in specified accounts, and goals-       and actual performance can be compared.  See the balance command's  doc-       below.--       You  can  generate  budget  goals and forecast transactions at the same-       time, from the same or different periodic  transaction  rules:  hledger-       bal -M --budget --forecast ...--       See also: Budgeting and Forecasting.--Amount formatting-   Commodity display style-       For the amounts in each commodity, hledger chooses a consistent display-       style  (symbol placement, decimal mark and digit group marks, number of-       decimal digits) to use in most reports.  This is inferred as follows:--       First, if there's a D directive declaring  a  default  commodity,  that-       commodity  symbol and amount format is applied to all no-symbol amounts-       in the journal.--       Then each commodity's display style is determined  from  its  commodity-       directive.   We  recommend  always declaring commodities with commodity-       directives, since they help ensure consistent display styles and preci--       sions, and bring other benefits such as error  checking  for  commodity-       symbols.  Here's an example:--              # Set display styles (and decimal marks, for parsing, if there is no decimal-mark directive)-              # for the $, EUR, INR and no-symbol commodities:-              commodity $1,000.00-              commodity EUR 1.000,00-              commodity INR 9,99,99,999.00-              commodity 1 000 000.9455--       But  for  convenience, if a commodity directive is not present, hledger-       infers a commodity's display styles from its amounts as they are  writ--       ten  in  the  journal  (excluding  cost amounts and amounts in periodic-       transaction rules or auto posting rules).  It uses--       o the symbol placement and decimal mark of the first amount seen--       o the digit group marks of the first amount with digit group marks--       o and the maximum number of decimal digits seen across all amounts.--       And as fallback if no applicable amounts are found, it would use a  de--       fault style, like $1000.00 (symbol on the left with no space, period as-       decimal mark, and two decimal digits).--       Finally, commodity styles can be overridden by the -c/--commodity-style-       command line option.--   Rounding-       Amounts are stored internally as decimal numbers with up to 255 decimal-       places.   They  are displayed with their original journal precisions by-       print and print-like reports, and rounded to  their  display  precision-       (the number of decimal digits specified by the commodity display style)-       by  other  reports.   When rounding, hledger uses banker's rounding (it-       rounds to the nearest even digit).  So eg 0.5 displayed with zero deci--       mal digits appears as "0".--   Trailing decimal marks-       If you're wondering why your print report sometimes shows trailing dec--       imal marks, with no decimal digits; it does this when  showing  amounts-       that have digit group marks but no decimal digits, to disambiguate them-       and allow them to be re-parsed reliably (see Decimal marks).  Eg:--              commodity $1,000.00--              2023-01-02-                  (a)      $1000--              $ hledger print-              2023-01-02-                  (a)        $1,000.--       If this is a problem (eg when exporting to Ledger), you can avoid it by-       disabling  digit group marks, eg with -c/--commodity (for each affected-       commodity):--              $ hledger print -c '$1000.00'-              2023-01-02-                  (a)          $1000--       or by forcing print to always show decimal digits, with --round:--              $ hledger print -c '$1,000.00' --round=soft-              2023-01-02-                  (a)      $1,000.00--   Amount parseability-       More generally, hledger output falls into three rough categories, which-       format amounts a little bit differently to suit different consumers:--       1.  "hledger-readable output" - should be readable by hledger  (and  by-       humans)--       o This  is  produced  by reports that show full journal entries: print,-         import, close, rewrite etc.--       o It shows amounts with their original journal  precisions,  which  may-         not be consistent from one amount to the next.--       o It  adds a trailing decimal mark when needed to avoid showing ambigu--         ous amounts.--       o It can be parsed reliably (by hledger and ledger2beancount at  least,-         but perhaps not by Ledger..)--       2.  "human-readable output" - usually for humans--       o This is produced by all other reports.--       o It shows amounts with standard display precisions, which will be con--         sistent within each commodity.--       o It shows ambiguous amounts unmodified.--       o It  can be parsed reliably in the context of a known report (when you-         know decimals are consistently not being shown, you can assume a sin--         gle mark is a digit group mark).--       3.  "machine-readable output" - usually for other software--       o This is produced by all reports when an output format like csv,  tsv,-         json, or sql is selected.--       o It shows amounts as 1 or 2 do, but without digit group marks.--       o It can be parsed reliably (if needed, the decimal mark can be changed-         with -c/--commodity-style).--Cost reporting-       In some transactions - for example a currency conversion, or a purchase-       or  sale  of  stock - one commodity is exchanged for another.  In these-       transactions there is a conversion rate, also  called  the  cost  (when-       buying)  or selling price (when selling).  (In hledger docs we just say-       "cost" generically for convenience.)  With the -B/--cost flag,  hledger-       can show amounts "at cost", converted to the cost's commodity.--   Recording costs-       We'll  explore  several ways of recording transactions involving costs.-       These are also summarised at hledger Cookbook > Cost notation.--       Costs can be recorded explicitly in the journal, using the  @  UNITCOST-       or @@ TOTALCOST notation described in Journal > Costs:--       Variant 1--              2022-01-01-                assets:dollars    $-135-                assets:euros       100 @ $1.35   ; $1.35 per euro (unit cost)--       Variant 2--              2022-01-01-                assets:dollars    $-135-                assets:euros       100 @@ $135   ; $135 total cost--       Typically,  writing  the unit cost (variant 1) is preferable; it can be-       more effort, requiring more attention to decimal digits; but it reveals-       the per-unit cost basis, and makes stock sales easier.--       Costs can also be left implicit, and hledger will infer the  cost  that-       is consistent with a balanced transaction:--       Variant 3--              2022-01-01-                assets:dollars    $-135-                assets:euros       100--       Here,  hledger  will  attach a @@ 100 cost to the first amount (you can-       see it with hledger print -x).  This form looks convenient,  but  there-       are downsides:--       o It  sacrifices some error checking.  For example, if you accidentally-         wrote 10 instead of 100, hledger would not be able to detect the mis--         take.--       o It is sensitive to the order of postings - if they were  reversed,  a-         different entry would be inferred and reports would be different.--       o The per-unit cost basis is not easy to read.--       So  generally this kind of entry is not recommended.  You can make sure-       you have none of these by using -s (strict mode), or by running hledger-       check balanced.--   Reporting at cost-       Now when you add the -B/--cost flag to reports ("B"  is  from  Ledger's-       -B/--basis/--cost  flag),  any  amounts  which have been annotated with-       costs will be converted to their cost's commodity (in the  report  out--       put).  Ie they will be displayed "at cost" or "at sale price".--       Some things to note:--       o Costs  are  attached to specific posting amounts in specific transac--         tions, and once recorded they do not  change.   This  contrasts  with-         market prices, which are ambient and fluctuating.--       o Conversion  to  cost  is  performed before conversion to market value-         (described below).--   Equity conversion postings-       There is a problem with the entries above - they are  not  conventional-       Double  Entry  Bookkeeping (DEB) notation, and because of the "magical"-       transformation of one commodity into another, they cause  an  imbalance-       in the Accounting Equation.  This shows up as a non-zero grand total in-       balance reports like hledger bse.--       For  most hledger users, this doesn't matter in practice and can safely-       be ignored !  But if you'd like to learn more, keep reading.--       Conventional DEB uses an extra pair of equity postings to  balance  the-       transaction.  Of course you can do this in hledger as well:--       Variant 4--              2022-01-01-                  assets:dollars      $-135-                  assets:euros         100-                  equity:conversion    $135-                  equity:conversion   -100--       Now  the  transaction  is perfectly balanced according to standard DEB,-       and hledger bse's total will not be disrupted.--       And, hledger can still infer the cost for cost reporting, but it's  not-       done by default - you must add the --infer-costs flag like so:--              $ hledger print --infer-costs-              2022-01-01 one hundred euros purchased at $1.35 each-                  assets:dollars       $-135 @@ 100-                  assets:euros                  100-                  equity:conversion             $135-                  equity:conversion            -100--              $ hledger bal --infer-costs -B-                             -100  assets:dollars-                              100  assets:euros-              ---------------------                                 0--       Here are some downsides of this kind of entry:--       o The per-unit cost basis is not easy to read.--       o Instead of -B you must remember to type -B --infer-costs.--       o --infer-costs  works  only  where  hledger  can  identify the two eq--         uity:conversion postings and match them up with  the  two  non-equity-         postings.   So  writing  the journal entry in a particular format be--         comes more important.  More on this below.--   Inferring equity conversion postings-       Can we go in the other direction ?  Yes, if you have transactions writ--       ten with the @/@@ cost notation, hledger can infer the  missing  equity-       postings, if you add the --infer-equity flag.  Eg:--              2022-01-01-                assets:dollars  -$135-                assets:euros     100 @ $1.35--              $ hledger print --infer-equity-              2022-01-01-                  assets:dollars                    $-135-                  assets:euros               100 @ $1.35-                  equity:conversion:$-:           -100-                  equity:conversion:$-:$         $135.00--       The  equity  account  names  will be "equity:conversion:A-B:A" and "eq--       uity:conversion:A-B:B" where A is the  alphabetically  first  commodity-       symbol.  You can customise the "equity:conversion" part by declaring an-       account with the V/Conversion account type.--       Note  you will need to add account declarations for these to your jour--       nal, if you use check accounts or check --strict.--   Combining costs and equity conversion postings-       Finally, you can use both the @/@@ cost notation and equity postings at-       the same time.  This in theory gives the best of all worlds -  preserv--       ing  the  accounting  equation,  revealing the per-unit cost basis, and-       providing more flexibility in how you write the entry:--       Variant 5--              2022-01-01 one hundred euros purchased at $1.35 each-                  assets:dollars      $-135-                  equity:conversion    $135-                  equity:conversion   -100-                  assets:euros         100 @ $1.35--       All the other variants above can (usually) be rewritten to  this  final-       form with:--              $ hledger print -x --infer-costs --infer-equity--       Downsides:--       o The  precise  format of the journal entry becomes more important.  If-         hledger can't detect and match up the cost and  equity  postings,  it-         will give a transaction balancing error.--       o The add command does not yet accept this kind of entry (#2056).--       o This is the most verbose form.--   Requirements for detecting equity conversion postings-       --infer-costs  has  certain  requirements (unlike --infer-equity, which-       always works).  It will infer costs only in transactions with:--       o Two non-equity postings, in different commodities.   Their  order  is-         significant: the cost will be added to the first of them.--       o Two  postings  to  equity  conversion  accounts, next to one another,-         which balance the two non-equity postings.  This balancing is checked-         to the same precision (number of decimal places) used in the  conver--         sion posting's amount.  Equity conversion accounts are:--         o any accounts declared with account type V/Conversion, or their sub--           accounts--         o otherwise,  accounts  named equity:conversion, equity:trade, or eq--           uity:trading, or their subaccounts.--       And multiple such four-posting  groups  can  coexist  within  a  single-       transaction.   When  --infer-costs  fails,  it does not infer a cost in-       that transaction, and does not raise an  error  (ie,  it  infers  costs-       where it can).--       Reading  variant  5 journal entries, combining cost notation and equity-       postings, has all the same requirements.  When reading  such  an  entry-       fails, hledger raises an "unbalanced transaction" error.--   Infer cost and equity by default ?-       Should  --infer-costs  and  --infer-equity be enabled by default ?  Try-       using them always, eg with a shell alias:--              alias h="hledger --infer-equity --infer-costs"--       and let us know what problems you find.--Value reporting-       hledger can also show amounts "at  market  value",  converted  to  some-       other  commodity using the market price or conversion rate on a certain-       date.--       This is controlled by the  --value=TYPE[,COMMODITY]  option.   We  also-       provide  simpler  -V and -X COMMODITY aliases for this, which are often-       sufficient.  The market prices are declared with a special P directive,-       and/or they can be inferred from the costs recorded in transactions, by-       using the --infer-market-prices flag.--   -X: Value in specified commodity-       The -X COMM (or --exchange=COMM) option converts amounts to their  mar--       ket value in the specified commodity, using the market prices in effect-       on the valuation date(s), if any.  (More on these in a minute.)--       Use this when you want to (eg) show everything in your base currency as-       far  as  possible.   (Commodities  for  which no conversion rate can be-       found, will not be converted.)--       COMM should be the full commodity symbol or name.   Remember  to  quote-       special shell characters, if needed.  Some examples:--       o -X--       o -X$ (nothing after $, no quoting needed)--       o -X CNY (the space after -X is optional)--       o -X 'red apples'--       o -X 'r&r'--   -V: Value in default commodity(s)-       The -V/--market flag is a variant of -X where you don't have to specify-       COMM.  Instead it tries to guess a default valuation commodity for each-       original  commodity, based on the market prices in effect on the valua--       tion date(s).--       -V can often be a convenient shortcut for -X MYCURRENCY,  but  not  al--       ways; depending on your data it could guess multiple valuation commodi--       ties.   Usually you want to convert to a single commodity, so it's bet--       ter to use -X, unless you're sure -V is doing what you want.--   Valuation date-       Market prices can change from day to day.  hledger will use the  prices-       on  a particular valuation date (or on more than one date).  By default-       hledger uses "end" dates for valuation.  More specifically:--       o For single period reports (including normal print  and  register  re--         ports):--         o If an explicit report end date is specified, that is used.--         o Otherwise  the  latest  transaction  date or non-future P directive-           date is used.--       o For multiperiod reports, each period is valued on its last day.--       This can be customised with the --value option described  below,  which-       can select either "then", "end", "now", or "custom" dates.--   Finding market price-       To  convert  a  commodity A to its market value in another commodity B,-       hledger looks for a suitable market price (exchange rate)  as  follows,-       in this order of preference:--       1. A  declared market price or inferred market price: A's latest market-          price in B on or before the valuation date as declared by a P direc--          tive, or (with the --infer-market-prices flag) inferred from costs.--       2. A reverse market price: the inverse of a declared or inferred market-          price from B to A.--       3. A forward chain of market prices: a synthetic price formed  by  com--          bining the shortest chain of "forward" (only 1 above) market prices,-          leading from A to B.--       4. Any  chain of market prices: a chain of any market prices, including-          both forward and reverse prices (1 and 2 above), leading from  A  to-          B.--       There  is  a  limit  to  the  length  of these price chains; if hledger-       reaches that length without finding a complete chain or exhausting  all-       possibilities,  it  will  give  up (with a "gave up" message visible in-       --debug=2 output).  That limit is currently 1000.--       Amounts for which no suitable market price can be found, are  not  con--       verted.--   --infer-market-prices: market prices from transactions-       Normally, market value in hledger is fully controlled by, and requires,-       P directives in your journal.  Since adding and updating those can be a-       chore,  and  since  transactions  usually take place at close to market-       value, why not use the recorded costs as additional market  prices  (as-       Ledger  does)  ?   Adding  the  --infer-market-prices flag to -V, -X or-       --value enables this.--       So for example, hledger bs -V  --infer-market-prices  will  get  market-       prices  both from P directives and from transactions.  If both occur on-       the same day, the P directive takes precedence.--       There is a downside: value reports can sometimes be affected in confus--       ing/undesired ways by your journal entries.  If this  happens  to  you,-       read  all  of  this  Value  reporting section carefully, and try adding-       --debug or --debug=2 to troubleshoot.--       --infer-market-prices can infer market prices from:--       o multicommodity transactions with explicit prices (@/@@)--       o multicommodity transactions with implicit prices (no @, two  commodi--         ties,  unbalanced).   (With  these,  the  order  of postings matters.-         hledger print -x can be useful for troubleshooting.)--       o multicommodity transactions with equity postings, if cost is inferred-         with --infer-costs.--       There is a limitation (bug) currently: when a  valuation  commodity  is-       not  specified,  prices inferred with --infer-market-prices do not help-       select a default valuation commodity, as P prices would.  So conversion-       might not happen because no valuation commodity was detected (--debug=2-       will show this).  To be safe, specify the valuation commmodity, eg:--       o -X EUR --infer-market-prices, not -V --infer-market-prices--       o --value=then,EUR --infer-market-prices, not --value=then --infer-mar--         ket-prices--       Signed costs and market prices can be confusing.  For  reference,  here-       is  the current behaviour, since hledger 1.25.  (If you think it should-       work differently, see #1870.)--              2022-01-01 Positive Unit prices-                  a        A 1-                  b        B -1 @ A 1--              2022-01-01 Positive Total prices-                  a        A 1-                  b        B -1 @@ A 1---              2022-01-02 Negative unit prices-                  a        A 1-                  b        B 1 @ A -1--              2022-01-02 Negative total prices-                  a        A 1-                  b        B 1 @@ A -1---              2022-01-03 Double Negative unit prices-                  a        A -1-                  b        B -1 @ A -1--              2022-01-03 Double Negative total prices-                  a        A -1-                  b        B -1 @@ A -1--       All of the transactions above are considered balanced (and on each day,-       the two transactions are considered equivalent).  Here are  the  market-       prices inferred for B:--              $ hledger -f- --infer-market-prices prices-              P 2022-01-01 B A 1-              P 2022-01-01 B A 1.0-              P 2022-01-02 B A -1-              P 2022-01-02 B A -1.0-              P 2022-01-03 B A -1-              P 2022-01-03 B A -1.0--   Valuation commodity-       When you specify a valuation commodity (-X COMM or --value TYPE,COMM):-       hledger  will convert all amounts to COMM, wherever it can find a suit--       able market price (including by reversing or chaining prices).--       When you leave the  valuation  commodity  unspecified  (-V  or  --value-       TYPE):-       For  each  commodity  A, hledger picks a default valuation commodity as-       follows, in this order of preference:--       1. The price commodity from the latest P-declared market price for A on-          or before valuation date.--       2. The price commodity from the latest P-declared market price for A on-          any date.  (Allows conversion to proceed  when  there  are  inferred-          prices before the valuation date.)--       3. If  there are no P directives at all (any commodity or date) and the-          --infer-market-prices flag is used: the  price  commodity  from  the-          latest transaction-inferred price for A on or before valuation date.--       This means:--       o If  you  have  P directives, they determine which commodities -V will-         convert, and to what.--       o If you have no P directives, and use the --infer-market-prices  flag,-         costs determine it.--       Amounts  for  which  no  valuation  commodity can be found are not con--       verted.--   --value: Flexible valuation-       -V and -X are special cases of the more general --value option:--               --value=TYPE[,COMM]  TYPE is then, end, now or YYYY-MM-DD.-                                    COMM is an optional commodity symbol.-                                    Shows amounts converted to:-                                    - default valuation commodity (or COMM) using market prices at posting dates-                                    - default valuation commodity (or COMM) using market prices at period end(s)-                                    - default valuation commodity (or COMM) using current market prices-                                    - default valuation commodity (or COMM) using market prices at some date--       The TYPE part selects cost or value and valuation date:--       --value=then-              Convert amounts to their value in the default valuation  commod--              ity, using market prices on each posting's date.--       --value=end-              Convert  amounts to their value in the default valuation commod--              ity, using market prices on the last day of  the  report  period-              (or  if  unspecified, the journal's end date); or in multiperiod-              reports, market prices on the last day of each subperiod.--       --value=now-              Convert amounts to their value in the default valuation  commod--              ity  using  current  market  prices (as of when report is gener--              ated).--       --value=YYYY-MM-DD-              Convert amounts to their value in the default valuation  commod--              ity using market prices on this date.--       To select a different valuation commodity, add the optional ,COMM part:-       a  comma,  then  the  target  commodity's symbol.  Eg: --value=now,EUR.-       hledger will do its best to convert amounts to this commodity, deducing-       market prices as described above.--   Valuation examples-       Here are some quick examples of -V:--              ; one euro is worth this many dollars from nov 1-              P 2016/11/01  $1.10--              ; purchase some euros on nov 3-              2016/11/3-                  assets:euros        100-                  assets:checking--              ; the euro is worth fewer dollars by dec 21-              P 2016/12/21  $1.03--       How many euros do I have ?--              $ hledger -f t.j bal -N euros-                              100  assets:euros--       What are they worth at end of nov 3 ?--              $ hledger -f t.j bal -N euros -V -e 2016/11/4-                           $110.00  assets:euros--       What are they worth after 2016/12/21 ?  (no report end date  specified,-       defaults to today)--              $ hledger -f t.j bal -N euros -V-                           $103.00  assets:euros--       Here  are  some  examples  showing  the effect of --value, as seen with-       print:--              P 2000-01-01 A  1 B-              P 2000-02-01 A  2 B-              P 2000-03-01 A  3 B-              P 2000-04-01 A  4 B--              2000-01-01-                (a)      1 A @ 5 B--              2000-02-01-                (a)      1 A @ 6 B--              2000-03-01-                (a)      1 A @ 7 B--       Show the cost of each posting:--              $ hledger -f- print --cost-              2000-01-01-                  (a)             5 B--              2000-02-01-                  (a)             6 B--              2000-03-01-                  (a)             7 B--       Show the value as of the last day of the report period (2000-02-29):--              $ hledger -f- print --value=end date:2000/01-2000/03-              2000-01-01-                  (a)             2 B--              2000-02-01-                  (a)             2 B--       With no report period specified, the latest transaction date  or  price-       date is used as valuation date (2000-04-01):--              $ hledger -f- print --value=end-              2000-01-01-                  (a)             3 B--              2000-02-01-                  (a)             3 B--              2000-03-01-                  (a)             3 B--       The value today is the same (the 2000-04-01 price is still in effect):--              $ hledger -f- print --value=now-              2000-01-01-                  (a)             4 B--              2000-02-01-                  (a)             4 B--              2000-03-01-                  (a)             4 B--       Show the value on 2000/01/15:--              $ hledger -f- print --value=2000-01-15-              2000-01-01-                  (a)             1 B--              2000-02-01-                  (a)             1 B--              2000-03-01-                  (a)             1 B--   Interaction of valuation and queries-       When  matching  postings based on queries in the presence of valuation,-       the following happens:--       1. The query is separated into two parts:--           1. the currency (cur:) or amount (amt:).--           2. all other parts.--       2. The postings are matched to the currency and amount queries based on-          pre-valued amounts.--       3. Valuation is applied to the postings.--       4. The postings are matched to the other parts of the  query  based  on-          post-valued amounts.--       Related: #1625--   Effect of valuation on reports-       Here  is  a reference for how valuation is supposed to affect each part-       of hledger's reports.  It may be useful when troubleshooting.   If  you-       find problems, please report them, ideally with a reproducible example.-       Related: #329, #1083.--       First, a quick glossary:--       cost   calculated using price(s) recorded in the transaction(s).--       value  market  value  using available market price declarations, or the-              unchanged amount if no conversion rate can be found.--       report start-              the first day of the report period specified with -b  or  -p  or-              date:, otherwise today.--       report or journal start-              the  first  day  of the report period specified with -b or -p or-              date:, otherwise the earliest transaction date in  the  journal,-              otherwise today.--       report end-              the  last  day  of  the report period specified with -e or -p or-              date:, otherwise today.--       report or journal end-              the last day of the report period specified with  -e  or  -p  or-              date:,  otherwise  the  latest  transaction date in the journal,-              otherwise today.--       report interval-              a flag (-D/-W/-M/-Q/-Y) or period expression that activates  the-              report's multi-period mode (whether showing one or many subperi--              ods).--       Report      -B, --cost     -V, -X         --value=then         --value=end    --value=DATE,-       type                                                                          --value=now-       ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------       print-       posting     cost           value at re-   value at  posting    value at re-   value      at-       amounts                    port  end or   date                 port      or   DATE/today-                                  today                               journal end-       balance     unchanged      unchanged      unchanged            unchanged      unchanged-       asser--       tions/as--       signments--       register-       starting    cost           value at re-   valued   at   day    value at re-   value      at-       balance                    port      or   each   historical    port      or   DATE/today-       (-H)                       journal end    posting was made     journal end-       starting    cost           value at day   valued   at   day    value at day   value      at-       balance                    before   re-   each   historical    before   re-   DATE/today-       (-H) with                  port      or   posting was made     port      or-       report                     journal                             journal-       interval                   start                               start-       posting     cost           value at re-   value at  posting    value at re-   value      at-       amounts                    port      or   date                 port      or   DATE/today-                                  journal end                         journal end-       summary     summarised     value at pe-   sum  of  postings    value at pe-   value      at-       posting     cost           riod ends      in interval, val-    riod ends      DATE/today-       amounts                                   ued  at  interval-       with  re-                                 start-       port  in--       terval-       running     sum/average    sum/average    sum/average    of    sum/average    sum/average-       total/av-   of displayed   of displayed   displayed values     of displayed   of  displayed-       erage       values         values                              values         values--       balance-       (bs, bse,-       cf, is)-       balance     sums      of   value at re-   value at  posting    value at re-   value      at-       changes     costs          port  end or   date                 port      or   DATE/today of-                                  today     of                        journal  end   sums of post--                                  sums      of                        of  sums  of   ings-                                  postings                            postings-       budget      like balance   like balance   like      balance    like    bal-   like  balance-       amounts     changes        changes        changes              ances          changes-       (--bud--       get)-       grand to-   sum of  dis-   sum of  dis-   sum of  displayed    sum  of dis-   sum  of  dis--       tal         played  val-   played  val-   valued               played  val-   played values-                   ues            ues                                 ues--       balance-       (bs, bse,-       cf,   is)-       with  re--       port  in--       terval-       starting    sums      of   value at re-   sums of values of    value at re-   sums of post--       balances    costs     of   port   start   postings   before    port   start   ings   before-       (-H)        postings be-   of  sums  of   report  start  at    of  sums  of   report start-                   fore  report   all postings   respective  post-    all postings-                   start          before   re-   ing dates            before   re--                                  port start                          port start-       balance     sums      of   same      as   sums of values of    balance        value      at-       changes     costs     of   --value=end    postings  in  pe-    change    in   DATE/today of-       (bal, is,   postings  in                  riod  at  respec-    each period,   sums of post--       bs          period                        tive      posting    valued    at   ings-       --change,                                 dates                period ends-       cf-       --change)-       end  bal-   sums      of   same      as   sums of values of    period   end   value      at-       ances       costs     of   --value=end    postings from be-    balances,      DATE/today of-       (bal  -H,   postings                      fore period start    valued    at   sums of post--       is   --H,   from  before                  to period end  at    period ends    ings-       bs, cf)     report start                  respective  post--                   to    period                  ing dates-                   end-       budget      like balance   like balance   like      balance    like    bal-   like  balance-       amounts     changes/end    changes/end    changes/end  bal-    ances          changes/end-       (--bud-     balances       balances       ances                               balances-       get)-       row   to-   sums,  aver-   sums,  aver-   sums, averages of    sums,  aver-   sums,   aver--       tals, row   ages of dis-   ages of dis-   displayed values     ages of dis-   ages  of dis--       averages    played  val-   played  val-                        played  val-   played values-       (-T, -A)    ues            ues                                 ues-       column      sums of dis-   sums of dis-   sums of displayed    sums of dis-   sums  of dis--       totals      played  val-   played  val-   values               played  val-   played values-                   ues            ues                                 ues-       grand to-   sum, average   sum, average   sum,  average  of    sum, average   sum,  average-       tal,        of    column   of    column   column totals        of    column   of column to--       grand av-   totals         totals                              totals         tals-       erage---       --cumulative is omitted to save space, it works like -H but with a zero-       starting balance.--PART 4: COMMANDS-       Here are hledger's standard subcommands.  You can list these by running-       hledger.  If you have installed more add-on commands, they also will be-       listed.--       In  the  following  command  docs,  each command's specific options are-       shown.  Most commands also support the general options described above,-       though some of them might have no effect.  (Usually if there's a sensi--       ble way for a general option to affect a command, it  will.)   You  can-       list all of a command's options by running hledger CMD -h.--       Help commands--       o commands - show the hledger commands list (default)--       o demo - show small hledger demos in the terminal--       o help - show the hledger manual with info, man, or pager--       User interface commands--       o repl - run commands from an interactive prompt--       o run - run commands from a script--       o ui - (if installed) run hledger's terminal UI--       o web - (if installed) run hledger's web UI--       Data entry commands--       o add - add transactions using terminal prompts--       o import - add new transactions from other files, eg CSV files--       Basic report commands--       o accounts - show account names--       o codes - show transaction codes--       o commodities - show commodity/currency symbols--       o descriptions - show transaction descriptions--       o files - show input file paths--       o notes - show note parts of transaction descriptions--       o payees - show payee parts of transaction descriptions--       o prices - show market prices--       o stats - show journal statistics--       o tags - show tag names--       Standard report commands--       o print - show transactions or export journal data--       o aregister (areg) - show transactions in a particular account--       o register  (reg) - show postings in one or more accounts & running to--         tal--       o balancesheet (bs) - show assets, liabilities and net worth--       o balancesheetequity (bse) - show assets, liabilities and equity--       o cashflow (cf) - show changes in liquid assets--       o incomestatement (is) - show revenues and expenses--       Advanced report commands--       o balance (bal) - show balance changes, end balances, budgets, gains..--       o roi - show return on investments--       Chart commands--       o activity - show bar charts of posting counts per period--       Data generation commands--       o close - generate balance-zeroing/restoring transactions--       o rewrite - generate auto postings, like print --auto--       Maintenance commands--       o check - check for various kinds of error in the data--       o diff - compare account transactions in two journal files--       o setup - check and show the status of the hledger installation--       o test - run self tests--       Next, these commands are described in detail.--Help commands-   commands-       Show the hledger commands list.--              Flags:-                   --builtin             show only builtin commands, not addons--   demo-       Play demos of hledger usage in the terminal, if asciinema is installed.--              Flags:-                -s --speed=SPEED         playback speed (1 is original speed, .5 is half, 2-                                         is double, etc (default: 2))--       Run this command with no argument to list the demos.  To play  a  demo,-       write its number or a prefix or substring of its title.  Tips:--       Make your terminal window large enough to see the demo clearly.--       Use  the  -s/--speed SPEED option to set your preferred playback speed,-       eg -s4 to play at 4x original speed or -s.5 to play at half speed.  The-       default speed is 2x.--       During playback, several keys are available: SPACE to pause/unpause,  .-       to step forward (while paused), CTRL-c quit.--       Examples:--              $ hledger demo               # list available demos-              $ hledger demo 1             # play the first demo at default speed (2x)-              $ hledger demo install -s4   # play the "install" demo at 4x speed--       This command is experimental: there aren't many useful demos yet.--   help-       Show  the hledger user manual with info, man, or a pager.  With a (case-       insensitive) TOPIC argument, try to open it at that section heading.--              Flags:-                -i                       show the manual with info-                -m                       show the manual with man-                -p                       show the manual with $PAGER or less-                                         (less is always used if TOPIC is specified)--       This command shows the hledger manual built in  to  your  hledger  exe--       cutable.   It can be useful when offline, or when you prefer the termi--       nal to a web browser, or when the appropriate hledger manual or viewers-       are not installed properly on your system.--       By default it chooses the best viewer found in $PATH,  trying  in  this-       order:  info,  man,  $PAGER, less, more, stdout.  (If a TOPIC is speci--       fied, $PAGER and more are not tried.)  You can force the use  of  info,-       man,  or  a  pager  with  the -i, -m, or -p flags.  If no viewer can be-       found, or if running non-interactively, it just prints  the  manual  to-       stdout.--       When  using  info, TOPIC can match either the full heading or a prefix.-       If your info --version is < 6, you'll need to upgrade it, eg with 'brew-       install texinfo' on mac.--       When using man or less, TOPIC must match the full heading.  For a  pre--       fix match, you can write 'TOPIC.*'.--       Examples--              $ hledger help -h                 # show the help command's usage-              $ hledger help                    # show the manual with info, man or $PAGER-              $ hledger help 'time periods'     # show the manual's "Time periods" topic-              $ hledger help 'time periods' -m  # use man, even if info is installed--User interface commands-   repl-       Start  an  interactive  prompt, where you can run any of hledger's com--       mands.  Data files are parsed just once, so the commands run faster.--              Flags:-              no command-specific flags--       This command is experimental and could change in the future.--       hledger repl starts a read-eval-print loop (REPL) where you  can  enter-       commands  interactively.   As with the run command, each input file (or-       each input file/input options combination) is parsed just once, so com--       mands will run more quickly than if you ran them  individually  at  the-       command line.--       Also like run, the input file(s) specified for the repl command will be-       the  default input for all interactive commands.  You can override this-       temporarily by specifying an -f option  in  particular  commands.   But-       note  that commands will not see any changes made to input files (eg by-       add) until you exit and restart the REPL.--       The command syntax is the same as with run:--       o enter one hledger command at a time, without the usual hledger  first-         word--       o empty lines and comment text from # to end of line are ignored--       o use single or double quotes to quote arguments when needed--       o type exit or quit or control-D to exit the REPL.--       While  it  is running, the REPL remembers your command history, and you-       can navigate in the usual ways:--       o Keypad or Emacs navigation keys to edit the current command line--       o UP/DOWN or control-P/control-N to step back/forward through history--       o control-R to search for a past command--       o TAB to complete file paths.--       Generally repl command lines should feel much like the  normal  hledger-       CLI,  but  you  may find differences.  repl is a little stricter; eg it-       requires full command names or official abbreviations (as seen  in  the-       commands list).--       The commands and help commands, and the command help flags (CMD --tldr,-       CMD -h/--help, CMD --info, CMD --man), can be useful.--       You can type control-C to cancel a long-running command (but only once;-       typing it a second time will exit the REPL).--       And  in  most  shells you can type control-Z to temporarily exit to the-       shell (and then fg to return to the REPL).--   Examples-       Start the REPL and enter some commands:--              $ hledger repl-              Enter hledger commands. To exit, enter 'quit' or 'exit', or send EOF.-              % stats-              Main file           : .../2025.journal-              ...-              % stats -f 2024/2024.journal-              Main file           : .../2024.journal-              ...-              % stats-              Main file           : .../2025.journal-              ...--       or:--              $ hledger repl -f some.journal-              Enter hledger commands. To exit, enter 'quit' or 'exit', or send EOF.-              % bs-              ...-              % print -b 'last week'-              ...-              % bs -f other.journal-              ...--   run-       Run a sequence of hledger commands, provided as files or  command  line-       arguments.   Data  files  are  parsed  just  once,  so the commands run-       faster.--              Flags:-              no command-specific flags--       This command is experimental and could change in the future.--       You can use run in three ways:--       o hledger run -- CMD1 -- CMD2 -- CMD3 - read commands from the  command-         line, separated by ----       o hledger  run SCRIPTFILE1 SCRIPTFILE2 - read commands from one or more-         files--       o cat SCRIPTFILE1 | hledger run - read commands from standard input.--       run first loads the input file(s) specified by LEDGER_FILE or by -f op--       tions, in the usual way.  Then it runs each command in turn, each using-       the same input data.  But if you want a particular command to use  dif--       ferent  input,  you can specify an -f option within that command.  This-       will override (not add to) the default input, just for that command.--       Each input file (more precisely, each combination of input file and in--       put options) is parsed only once.  This means that  commands  will  not-       see  any changes made to these files, until the next run.  But the com--       mands will run more quickly than if run individually  (typically  about-       twice as fast).--       Command scripts, whether in a file or written on the command line, have-       a simple syntax:--       o each  line  may  contain  a single hledger command and its arguments,-         without the usual hledger first word--       o empty lines are ignored--       o text from # to end of line is a comment, and ignored--       o you can use single or double quotes to quote arguments  when  needed,-         as on the command line--       o these  extra  commands are available: echo TEXT prints some text, and-         exit or quit ends the run.--       On unix systems you can use #!/usr/bin/env hledger  run  in  the  first-       line  of a command file to make it a runnable script.  If that gives an-       error, use #!/usr/bin/env -S hledger run.--       It's ok to use the run command recursively within a command script.--       You may find some differences in behaviour between  run  command  lines-       and  normal hledger command lines.  run is a little stricter; eg it re--       quires full command names or official abbreviations  (as  seen  in  the-       commands  list),  and command options must be written after the command-       name.--   Examples-       Run commands from the command line:--              hledger -f some.journal run -- balance assets --depth 2 -- balance liabilities -f /some/other.journal --depth 3 --transpose -- stats--       This would load some.journal, run balance assets --depth 2 on it,  then-       run  balance  liabilities --depth 3 --transpose on /some/other.journal,-       and finally run stats on some.journal--       Run commands from standard input:--              (echo "files"; echo "stats") | hledger -f some.journal run--       Run commands as a script:--              $ cat report-              #!/usr/bin/env -S hledger run -f some.journal--              echo "List of accounts in some.journal"-              accounts--              echo "Assets of some.journal"-              balance assets --depth 2--              echo "Liabilities from /some/other.journal"-              balance liabilities -f /some/other.journal --depth 3 --transpose--              echo "Commands from another.script, applied to another.journal"-              run -f another.journal another.script--              $ chmod +x report-              $ ./report-              List of accounts in some.journal-              ...--   ui-       Runs hledger-ui (if installed).--   web-       Runs hledger-web (if installed).--Data entry commands-   add-       Add new transactions to a journal file, with interactive prompting.--              Flags:-                   --no-new-accounts      don't allow creating new accounts--       Many hledger users edit their journals directly with a text editor,  or-       generate  them from CSV.  For more interactive data entry, there is the-       add command, which prompts interactively on the console for new  trans--       actions,  and appends them to the main journal file (which should be in-       journal format).  Existing transactions are not changed.  This  is  one-       of  the  few hledger commands that writes to the journal file (see also-       import).--       To use it, just run hledger add and follow the prompts.  You can add as-       many transactions as you like; when you are finished, enter . or  press-       control-d or control-c to exit.--       Features:--       o add  tries to provide useful defaults, using the most similar (by de--         scription) recent transaction (filtered by the query, if  any)  as  a-         template.--       o You can also set the initial defaults with command line arguments.--       o Readline-style edit keys can be used during data entry.--       o The  tab  key  will  auto-complete whenever possible - accounts, pay--         ees/descriptions, dates (yesterday, today, tomorrow).  If  the  input-         area is empty, it will insert the default value.--       o A parenthesised transaction code may be entered following a date.--       o Comments and tags may be entered following a description or amount.--       o If you make a mistake, enter < at any prompt to go one step backward.--       o Input  prompts  are displayed in a different colour when the terminal-         supports it.--       Notes:--       o If you enter a number with no commodity symbol, and you have declared-         a default commodity with a D directive, you might expect add  to  add-         this  symbol for you.  It does not do this; we assume that if you are-         using a D directive you prefer not to see the  commodity  symbol  re--         peated on amounts in the journal.--       o add  creates  entries in journal format; it won't work with timeclock-         or timedot files.--       Examples:--       o Record new transactions, saving to the default journal file:--         hledger add--       o Add transactions to 2024.journal, but also load 2023.journal for com--         pletions:--         hledger add --file 2024.journal --file 2023.journal--       o Provide answers for the first four prompts:--         hledger add today 'best buy' expenses:supplies '$20'--       There is a detailed tutorial at https://hledger.org/add.html.--   add and balance assertions-       Since hledger 1.43, you can add a balance assertion by writing AMOUNT =-       BALANCE when asked for an amount.  Eg 100 = 500.--       Also, each time you enter a new amount, hledger re-checks  all  balance-       assertions  in  the journal and rejects the new amount if it would make-       any of them fail.  You can run add with -I/--ignore-assertions to  dis--       able balance assertion checking.--   add and balance assignments-       Since  hledger 1.51, you can add a balance assignment by writing = BAL--       ANCE (or ==, =* etc) when asked for an amount.  The missing amount will-       be calculated automatically.--       add normally won't let you add a new posting  which  is  dated  earlier-       than  an existing balance assignment.  (Because when add runs, existing-       balance assignments have  already  been  calculated  and  converted  to-       amounts and balance assertions.)  You can allow it by disabling balance-       assertion checking with -I.--   import-       Import  new  transactions from one or more data files to the main jour--       nal.--              Flags:-                   --catchup              just mark all transactions as already imported-                   --dry-run              just show the transactions to be imported--       This command detects new transactions in one or more data files  speci--       fied as arguments, and appends them to the main journal.--       You  can  import  from  any  input  file  format  hledger supports, but-       CSV/SSV/TSV files, downloaded from financial institutions, are the most-       common import source.--       The import destination is the default journal file, or  another  speci--       fied  in the usual way with $LEDGER_FILE or -f/--file.  It should be in-       journal format.--       Examples:--              $ hledger import bank1-checking.csv bank1-savings.csv--              $ hledger import *.csv--   Import dry run-       It's useful to preview the import by running first with  --dry-run,  to-       sanity check the range of dates being imported, and to check the effect-       of your conversion rules if converting from CSV.  Eg:--              $ hledger import bank.csv --dry-run--       The dry run output is valid journal format, so hledger can re-parse it.-       If  the output is large, you could show just the uncategorised transac--       tions like so:--              $ hledger import --dry-run bank.csv | hledger -f- -I print unknown--       You could also run this repeatedly to see the effect of edits  to  your-       conversion rules:--              $ watchexec -- "hledger import --dry-run bank.csv | hledger -f- -I print unknown"--       Once  the conversion and dates look good enough to import to your jour--       nal, perhaps with some manual fixups to follow, you would do the actual-       import:--              $ hledger import bank.csv--   Overlap detection-       Reading CSV files is built in to hledger, and not specific  to  import;-       so   you   could  also  import  by  doing  hledger  -f  bank.csv  print-       >>$LEDGER_FILE.--       But import is easier and provides some advantages.   The  main  one  is-       that  it avoids re-importing transactions it has seen on previous runs.-       This means you don't have to worry about overlapping data in successive-       downloads of your bank CSV; just download and import as  often  as  you-       like, and only the new transactions will be imported each time.--       We  don't  call this "deduplication", as it's generally not possible to-       reliably detect duplicates in bank CSV.  Instead, import remembers  the-       latest  date processed previously in each CSV file (saving it in a hid--       den file), and skips any records prior to that date.  This  works  well-       for most real-world CSV, where:--       1. the data file name is stable (does not change) across imports--       2. the item dates are stable across imports--       3. the order of same-date items is stable across imports--       4. the newest items have the newest dates--       (Occasional  violations  of  2-4 are often harmless; you can reduce the-       chance of disruption by downloading and importing more often.)--       Overlap detection is automatic, and shouldn't  require  much  attention-       from  you,  except perhaps at first import (see below).  But here's how-       it works:--       o For each FILE being imported from:--         1. hledger reads a file named .latest.FILE file in  the  same  direc--            tory,  if  any.   This file contains the latest record date previ--            ously imported from  FILE,  in  YYYY-MM-DD  format.   If  multiple-            records  with  that  date were imported, the date is repeated on N-            lines.--         2. hledger reads records from FILE.  If a latest date  was  found  in-            step  1,  any records before that date, and the first N records on-            that date, are skipped.--       o After a successful import from all FILEs, without error  and  without-         --dry-run, hledger updates each FILE's .latest.FILE for next time.--       If this goes wrong, it's relatively easy to repair:--       o You'll   notice  it  before  import  when  you  preview  with  import-         --dry-run.--       o Or after import when you try to reconcile your hledger  account  bal--         ances with your bank.--       o hledger  print -f FILE.csv will show all recently downloaded transac--         tions.  Compare these with your journal.  Copy/paste if needed.--       o Update your conversion rules and print again, if needed.--       o You can manually update or remove the .latest  file,  or  use  import-         --catchup FILE.--       o Download  and  import more often, eg twice a week, at least while you-         are learning.  It's easier to review and troubleshoot when there  are-         fewer transactions.--   First import-       The  first  time  you import from a file, when no corresponding .latest-       file has been created yet, all of the records will be imported.--       But perhaps you have been entering the data manually, so you know  that-       all of these transactions are already recorded in the journal.  In this-       case  you  can  run  hledger import --catchup once.  This will create a-       .latest file containing the latest CSV record date,  so  that  none  of-       those records will be re-imported.--       Or,  if  you  know that some but not all of the transactions are in the-       journal, you can create the .latest file yourself.  Eg, let's  say  you-       previously  recorded foobank transactions up to 2024-10-31 in the jour--       nal.  Then in the directory where you'll  be  saving  foobank.csv,  you-       would create a .latest.foobank.csv file containing--              2024-10-31--       Or  if  you had three foobank transactions recorded with that date, you-       would repeat the date that many times:--              2024-10-31-              2024-10-31-              2024-10-31--       Then hledger import foobank.csv [--dry-run] will import only the  newer-       records.--   Importing balance assignments-       Journal  entries added by import will have all posting amounts made ex--       plicit (like print -x).--       This means that any balance assignments in the imported  entries  would-       need  to  be evaluated.  But this generally isn't possible, as the main-       file's account balances are not visible during import.  So try to avoid-       generating balance assignments with your CSV rules, or importing from a-       journal that contains balance assignments.   (Balance  assignments  are-       best avoided anyway.)--       But  if  you must use them, eg because your CSV includes only balances:-       you can import with print,  which  leaves  implicit  amounts  implicit.-       (print can also do overlap detection like import, with the --new flag):--              $ hledger print --new -f bank.csv >> $LEDGER_FILE--       (If  you  think  import  should preserve implicit balances, please test-       that and send a pull request.)--   Import and commodity styles-       Amounts in entries added by import will be formatted according  to  the-       journal's  canonical  commodity styles, as declared by commodity direc--       tives or inferred from the journal's amounts.--       Related: CSV > Amount decimal places.--   Import archiving-       When importing from a CSV rules file (hledger import  bank.rules),  you-       can  use  the  archive  rule  to enable automatic archiving of the data-       file.  After a successful import, the data file (specified  by  source)-       will  be  moved  to  an  archive folder (data/, next to the rules file,-       auto-created), and renamed similar to the  rules  file,  with  a  date.-       This  can  be  useful for troubleshooting, detecting variations in your-       banks' CSV data, regenerating entries with improved rules, etc.--       The archive rule also causes import to handle source glob patterns dif--       ferently: when there are multiple matched files, it will pick the  old--       est, not the newest.--   Import special cases-   Deduplication-       Here are two kinds of "deduplication" which import does not handle (and-       should not, because these can happen legitimately in financial data):--       o Two  or more of the new CSV records are identical, and generate iden--         tical new journal entries.--       o A new CSV record generates a journal entry identical  to  one(s)  al--         ready in the journal.--   Varying file name-       If you have a download whose file name varies, you could rename it to a-       fixed  name  after  each  download.  Or you could use a CSV source rule-       with a suitable glob pattern, and import from the .rules file.--   Multiple versions-       Say you download bank.csv, import it, but forget to delete it from your-       downloads folder.  The next time you download it, your web browser will-       save it as (eg) bank (2).csv.  The source rule's glob patterns are  for-       just  this  situation:  instead  of specifying source bank.csv, specify-       source bank*.csv.  Then hledger -f bank.rules  CMD  or  hledger  import-       bank.rules  will  automatically  pick  the  newest  matched  file (bank-       (2).csv).--       Alternately, what if you download, but forget to import or delete, then-       download again ?  Now each of bank.csv and bank (2).csv  might  contain-       data  that's  not in the other, and not in your journal.  In this case,-       it's best to import each of them  in  turn,  oldest  first  (otherwise,-       overlap detection could cause new records to be skipped).  Enabling im--       port  archiving  ensures this.  Then hledger import bank.rules; hledger-       import bank.rules will import and archive  first  bank.csv,  then  bank-       (2).csv.--Basic report commands-   accounts-       List the account names used or declared in the journal.--              Flags:-                -u --used                 list accounts used-                -d --declared             list accounts declared-                   --undeclared           list accounts used but not declared-                   --unused               list accounts declared but not used-                   --find                 list the first account matched by the first-                                          argument (a case-insensitive infix regexp)-                   --directives           show as account directives, for use in journals-                   --locations            also show where accounts were declared-                   --types                also show account types when known-                -l --flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list-                                          (default)-                -t --tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree-                   --drop=N               flat mode: omit N leading account name parts--       This  command lists account names - all of them by default, or just the-       ones which have been used in transactions (-u/--used), or declared with-       account directives (-d/--declared), or used but not  declared  (--unde--       clared),  or  declared  but  not used (--unused), or just the first one-       matched by a pattern (--find, returning a  non-zero  exit  code  if  it-       fails).--       You  can  add query arguments to select a subset of transactions or ac--       counts.--       With --directives, it shows valid account  directives  which  could  be-       pasted  into a journal file.  This is useful together with --undeclared-       when updating your account declarations to satisfy  hledger  check  ac--       counts.--       With  --locations,  it  also shows the file and line number of each ac--       count's declaration, if any, and the account's overall declaration  or--       der; these may be useful when troubleshooting account display order.--       With  --types,  it also shows each account's type, if it's known.  (See-       Declaring accounts > Account types.)--       It shows a flat list by default.  With --tree, it uses  indentation  to-       show  the account hierarchy.  In flat mode you can add --drop N to omit-       the  first  few  account  name  components.   Account  names   can   be-       depth-clipped with depth:N or --depth N or -N.--       Examples:--              $ hledger accounts-              assets:bank:checking-              assets:bank:saving-              assets:cash-              expenses:food-              expenses:supplies-              income:gifts-              income:salary-              liabilities:debts--              $ hledger accounts --undeclared --directives >> $LEDGER_FILE-              $ hledger check accounts--   codes-       List the codes seen in transactions, in the order parsed.--              Flags:-              no command-specific flags--       This  command prints the value of each transaction's code field, in the-       order transactions were parsed.  The transaction code  is  an  optional-       value  written  in  parentheses between the date and description, often-       used to store a cheque number, order number or similar.--       Transactions aren't required to have a code, and missing or empty codes-       will not be shown by default.  With the -E/--empty flag, they  will  be-       printed as blank lines.--       You can add a query to select a subset of transactions.--       Examples:--              2022/1/1 (123) Supermarket-               Food       $5.00-               Checking--              2022/1/2 (124) Post Office-               Postage    $8.32-               Checking--              2022/1/3 Supermarket-               Food      $11.23-               Checking--              2022/1/4 (126) Post Office-               Postage    $3.21-               Checking--              $ hledger codes-              123-              124-              126--              $ hledger codes -E-              123-              124--              126--   commodities-       List the commodity symbols used or declared in the journal.--              Flags:-                   --used                 list commodities used-                   --declared             list commodities declared-                   --undeclared           list commodities used but not declared-                   --unused               list commodities declared but not used-                   --find                 list the first commodity matched by the first-                                          argument (a case-insensitive infix regexp)--       This command lists commodity symbols/names - all of them by default, or-       just  the ones which have been used in transactions or P directives, or-       declared with commodity directives, or used but not  declared,  or  de--       clared  but  not used, or just the first one matched by a pattern (with-       --find, returning a non-zero exit code if it fails).--       You can add cur: query arguments to further limit the commodities.--   descriptions-       List the unique descriptions used in transactions.--              Flags:-              no command-specific flags--       This command lists the unique descriptions that appear in transactions,-       in alphabetic order.  You can add a query to select a subset of  trans--       actions.--       Example:--              $ hledger descriptions-              Store Name-              Gas Station | Petrol-              Person A--   files-       List  all  files  included in the journal.  With a REGEX argument, only-       file names matching the regular expression (case sensitive) are shown.--              Flags:-              no command-specific flags--   notes-       List the unique notes that appear in transactions.--              Flags:-              no command-specific flags--       This command lists the unique notes that appear in transactions, in al--       phabetic order.  You can add a query to select  a  subset  of  transac--       tions.   The  note is the part of the transaction description after a |-       character (or if there is no |, the whole description).--       Example:--              $ hledger notes-              Petrol-              Snacks--   payees-       List the payee/payer names used or declared in the journal.--              Flags:-                   --used                 list payees used-                   --declared             list payees declared-                   --undeclared           list payees used but not declared-                   --unused               list payees declared but not used-                   --find                 list the first payee matched by the first-                                          argument (a case-insensitive infix regexp)--       This command lists unique payee/payer names - all of them  by  default,-       or  just  the ones which have been used in transaction descriptions, or-       declared with payee directives, or used but not declared,  or  declared-       but  not used, or just the first one matched by a pattern (with --find,-       returning a non-zero exit code if it fails).--       The payee/payer name is the part of the transaction description  before-       a | character (or if there is no |, the whole description).--       You  can add query arguments to select a subset of transactions or pay--       ees.--       Example:--              $ hledger payees-              Store Name-              Gas Station-              Person A--   prices-       Print the market prices declared with P directives.  With  --infer-mar--       ket-prices,  also show any additional prices inferred from costs.  With-       --show-reverse, also show additional prices inferred by reversing known-       prices.--              Flags:-                   --show-reverse         also show the prices inferred by reversing known-                                          prices--       Price amounts are always displayed with their  full  precision,  except-       for reverse prices which are limited to 8 decimal digits.--       Prices can be filtered by a date:, cur: or amt: query.--       Generally if you run this command with --infer-market-prices --show-re--       verse,  it will show the same prices used internally to calculate value-       reports.  But if in doubt, you can inspect those  directly  by  running-       the value report with --debug=2.--   stats-       Show journal and performance statistics.--              Flags:-                -1                        show a single line of output-                -v --verbose              show more detailed output-                -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE.--       The stats command shows summary information for the whole journal, or a-       matched  part  of it.  With a reporting interval, it shows a report for-       each report period.--       It also shows some performance statistics:--       o how long the program ran for--       o the number of transactions processed per second--       o the peak live memory in use by the program to do its work--       o the peak allocated memory as seen by the program--       By default, the output is reasonably discreet; it reveals the main file-       name, your activity level, and the speed of your machine.--       With -v/--verbose, more details are shown: the full paths of all files,-       and the names of the commodities you work with.--       With -1, only one line  of  output  is  shown,  in  a  machine-friendly-       tab-separated  format: the program version, the main journal file name,-       and the performance stats,--       The run time of stats is similar to that of a balance report.--       Example:--              $ hledger stats -f examples/1ktxns-1kaccts.journal-              Main file           : .../1ktxns-1kaccts.journal-              Included files      : 0-              Txns span           : 2000-01-01 to 2002-09-27 (1000 days)-              Last txn            : 2002-09-26 (7827 days ago)-              Txns                : 1000 (1.0 per day)-              Txns last 30 days   : 0 (0.0 per day)-              Txns last 7 days    : 0 (0.0 per day)-              Payees/descriptions : 1000-              Accounts            : 1000 (depth 10)-              Commodities         : 26-              Market prices       : 1000-              Runtime stats       : 0.12 s elapsed, 8266 txns/s, 4 MB live, 16 MB alloc--              $ hledger stats -1 -f examples/10ktxns-1kaccts.journal-              1.50.99-g0835a2485-20251119, mac-aarch64    10ktxns-1kaccts.journal 0.66 s elapsed  15244 txns/s    28 MB live  86 MB alloc--       This command supports the -o/--output-file option  (but  not  -O/--out--       put-format).--   tags-       List the tag names used or declared in the journal, or their values.--              Flags:-                   --used                 list tags used-                   --declared             list tags declared-                   --undeclared           list tags used but not declared-                   --unused               list tags declared but not used-                   --find                 list the first tag whose name is matched by the-                                          first argument (a case-insensitive infix regexp)-                   --values               list tag values instead of tag names-                   --parsed               show them in the order they were parsed (mostly),-                                          including duplicates--       This command lists tag names - all of them by default, or just the ones-       which  have  been  used  on transactions/postings/accounts, or declared-       with tag directives, or used but not  declared,  or  declared  but  not-       used,  or just the first one matched by a pattern (with --find, return--       ing a non-zero exit code if it fails).--       Note this command's non-standard first argument: it is a  case-insensi--       tive  infix regular expression for matching tag names, which limits the-       tags shown.  Any additional arguments  are  standard  query  arguments,-       which limit the transactions, postings, or accounts providing tags.--       With --values, the tags' unique non-empty values are listed instead.--       With -E/--empty, blank/empty values are also shown.--       With  --parsed, tags or values are shown in the order they were parsed,-       with duplicates included.  (Except, tags from account declarations  are-       always shown first.)--       Remember  that  accounts also acquire tags from their parents; postings-       also acquire tags from their account and transaction; and  transactions-       also acquire tags from their postings.--Standard report commands-   print-       Show full journal entries, representing transactions.--              Flags:-                -x --explicit             show all amounts explicitly-                   --invert               display all amounts with reversed sign-                   --locations            add tags showing file paths and line numbers-                -m --match=DESC           fuzzy search for one recent transaction with-                                          description closest to DESC-                   --new                  show only newer-dated transactions added in each-                                          file since last run-                   --round=TYPE           how much rounding or padding should be done when-                                          displaying amounts ?-                                          none - show original decimal digits,-                                                 as in journal (default)-                                          soft - just add or remove decimal zeros-                                                 to match precision-                                          hard - round posting amounts to precision-                                                 (can unbalance transactions)-                                          all  - also round cost amounts to precision-                                                 (can unbalance transactions)-                   --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate links to hledger-web,-                                          with this prefix. (Usually the base url shown by-                                          hledger-web; can also be relative.)-                -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:-                                          txt, beancount, csv, tsv, html, fods, json, sql.-                -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching-                                          one of the above formats selects that format.--       The print command displays full journal entries (transactions) from the-       journal file, sorted by date (or with --date2, by secondary date).--       Directives  and  inter-transaction  comments  are not shown, currently.-       This means the print command is somewhat lossy, and if you are using it-       to reformat/regenerate your journal you should take care to  also  copy-       over the directives and inter-transaction comments.--       Eg:--              $ hledger print -f examples/sample.journal date:200806-              2008/06/01 gift-                  assets:bank:checking            $1-                  income:gifts                   $-1--              2008/06/02 save-                  assets:bank:saving              $1-                  assets:bank:checking           $-1--              2008/06/03 * eat & shop-                  expenses:food                $1-                  expenses:supplies            $1-                  assets:cash                 $-2--   print amount explicitness-       Normally,  whether  posting  amounts  are  implicit or explicit is pre--       served.  For example, when an amount is omitted in the journal, it will-       not appear in the output.  Similarly, if a conversion cost  is  implied-       but not written, it will not appear in the output.--       You  can  use  the  -x/--explicit flag to force explicit display of all-       amounts and costs.  This can be useful for troubleshooting or for  mak--       ing  your  journal  more readable and robust against data entry errors.-       -x is also implied by using any of -B,-V,-X,--value.--       The -x/--explicit flag will cause any postings with  a  multi-commodity-       amount  (which  can arise when a multi-commodity transaction has an im--       plicit amount) to be split  into  multiple  single-commodity  postings,-       keeping the output parseable.--   print alignment-       Amounts  are  shown  right-aligned  within  each  transaction  (but not-       aligned across all transactions; you can achieve that with  ledger-mode-       in Emacs).--   print amount style-       Amounts  will  be  displayed mostly in their commodity's display style,-       with standardised symbol  placement,  decimal  mark,  and  digit  group-       marks.   This  does  not  apply to their decimal digits; print normally-       shows the same decimal digits that are recorded in each journal entry.--       You can override the decimal precisions with  print's  special  --round-       option (since 1.32).  --round tries to show amounts with their commodi--       ties' standard decimal precisions, increasingly strongly:--       o --round=none show amounts with original precisions (default)--       o --round=soft add/remove decimal zeros in amounts (except costs)--       o --round=hard  round  amounts (except costs), possibly hiding signifi--         cant digits--       o --round=all round all amounts and costs--       soft is good for non-lossy cleanup, displaying more consistent decimals-       where possible, without making entries unbalanced.--       hard or all can be good for stronger cleanup, when decimal rounding  is-       wanted.   Note rounding can produce unbalanced journal entries, perhaps-       requiring manual fixup.--   print parseability-       Normally, print's output is a valid  hledger  journal,  which  you  can-       "pipe"  to  a  second  hledger command for further processing.  This is-       sometimes convenient for achieving certain kinds of query (though  less-       needed now that queries have become more powerful):--              # Show running total of food expenses paid from cash.-              # -f- reads from stdin. -I/--ignore-assertions is sometimes needed.-              $ hledger print assets:cash | hledger -f- -I reg expenses:food--       But  here  are some things which can cause print's output to become un--       parseable:--       o --round (see above) can disrupt transaction balancing.--       o Account aliases or pivoting can disrupt account names, balance asser--         tions, or balance assignments.--       o Value reporting also can disrupt balance assertions  or  balance  as--         signments.--       o Auto postings can generate too many amountless postings.--       o --infer-costs  or  --infer-equity  can generate too-complex redundant-         costs.--       o Because print always shows transactions in date order, balance asser--         tions involving non-date-ordered transactions (and same-day postings)-         could be disrupted.--   print, other features-       With -B/--cost, amounts with costs are shown converted to cost.--       With --invert, posting amounts are shown with their sign  flipped.   It-       could  be  useful  if  you have accidentally recorded some transactions-       with the wrong signs.--       With --new, print shows only transactions it has not seen on a previous-       run.  This uses the same deduplication system as  the  import  command.-       (See import's docs for details.)--       With -m DESC/--match=DESC, print shows one recent transaction whose de--       scription  is  most  similar to DESC.  DESC should contain at least two-       characters.  If there is no similar-enough match, no  transaction  will-       be shown and the program exit code will be non-zero.--       With  --locations,  print adds the source file and line number to every-       transaction, as a tag.--   print output format-       This command also supports the output destination and output format op--       tions The output formats supported are txt, beancount (Added in  1.32),-       csv, tsv (Added in 1.32), json and sql.--       The  beancount  format tries to produce Beancount-compatible output, as-       follows:--       o Transaction and  postings  with  unmarked  status  are  converted  to-         cleared (*) status.--       o Transactions'   payee   and   note  are  backslash-escaped  and  dou--         ble-quote-escaped and wrapped in double quotes.--       o Transaction tags are copied to Beancount #tag format.--       o Commodity symbols are converted to upper case, and a small number  of-         currency  symbols  like $ are converted to the corresponding currency-         names.--       o Account name parts are capitalised and unsupported characters are re--         placed with -.  If an account name part does not begin with a letter,-         or if the first part is not Assets, Liabilities, Equity,  Income,  or-         Expenses, an error is raised.  (Use --alias options to bring your ac--         counts into compliance.)--       o An open directive is generated for each account used, on the earliest-         transaction date.--       Some limitations:--       o Balance assertions are removed.--       o Balance assignments become missing amounts.--       o Virtual and balanced virtual postings become regular postings.--       o Directives are not converted.--       Here's an example of print's CSV output:--              $ hledger print -Ocsv-              "txnidx","date","date2","status","code","description","comment","account","amount","commodity","credit","debit","posting-status","posting-comment"-              "1","2008/01/01","","","","income","","assets:bank:checking","1","$","","1","",""-              "1","2008/01/01","","","","income","","income:salary","-1","$","1","","",""-              "2","2008/06/01","","","","gift","","assets:bank:checking","1","$","","1","",""-              "2","2008/06/01","","","","gift","","income:gifts","-1","$","1","","",""-              "3","2008/06/02","","","","save","","assets:bank:saving","1","$","","1","",""-              "3","2008/06/02","","","","save","","assets:bank:checking","-1","$","1","","",""-              "4","2008/06/03","","*","","eat & shop","","expenses:food","1","$","","1","",""-              "4","2008/06/03","","*","","eat & shop","","expenses:supplies","1","$","","1","",""-              "4","2008/06/03","","*","","eat & shop","","assets:cash","-2","$","2","","",""-              "5","2008/12/31","","*","","pay off","","liabilities:debts","1","$","","1","",""-              "5","2008/12/31","","*","","pay off","","assets:bank:checking","-1","$","1","","",""--       o There  is  one  CSV record per posting, with the parent transaction's-         fields repeated.--       o The "txnidx" (transaction index) field shows which postings belong to-         the same transaction.  (This number might change if transactions  are-         reordered  within  the file, files are parsed/included in a different-         order, etc.)--       o The amount is separated into "commodity" (the  symbol)  and  "amount"-         (numeric quantity) fields.--       o The numeric amount is repeated in either the "credit" or "debit" col--         umn,  for convenience.  (Those names are not accurate in the account--         ing sense; it just puts negative amounts under  credit  and  zero  or-         greater amounts under debit.)--   aregister-       (areg)--       Show  the  transactions  and running balances in one account, with each-       transaction on one line.--              Flags:-                   --txn-dates            filter strictly by transaction date, not posting-                                          date. Warning: this can show a wrong running-                                          balance.-                   --no-elide             don't show only 2 commodities per amount-                   --cumulative           accumulation mode: show running total from report-                                          start date-                -H --historical           accumulation mode: show historical running-                                          total/balance (includes postings before report-                                          start date) (default)-                   --invert               display all amounts with reversed sign-                   --heading=YN           show heading row above table: yes (default) or no-                -w --width=N              set output width (default: terminal width). -wN,M-                                          sets description width as well.-                   --align-all            guarantee alignment across all lines (slower)-                -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:-                                          txt, html, csv, tsv, json.-                -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching-                                          one of the above formats selects that format.--       aregister shows the overall transactions affecting a particular account-       (and any subaccounts).  Each report line represents one transaction  in-       this  account.   Transactions before the report start date are included-       in the running balance (--historical mode is  the  default).   You  can-       suppress this behaviour using the --cumulative option.--       This  is  a more "real world", bank-like view than the register command-       (which shows individual postings, possibly from multiple accounts,  not-       necessarily in historical mode).  As a quick rule of thumb:--       o aregister  is  best  when  reconciling real-world asset/liability ac--         counts--       o register is best when reviewing individual revenues/expenses.--       Note this command's non-standard,  and  required,  first  argument;  it-       specifies  the account whose register will be shown.  You can write the-       account's name, or (to save typing) a  case-insensitive  infix  regular-       expression  matching  the  name, which selects the alphabetically first-       matched account.  (For example, if you  have  assets:personal  checking-       and  assets:business  checking,  hledger areg checking would select as--       sets:business checking.)--       Transactions involving subaccounts of this account will also be  shown.-       aregister  ignores depth limits, so its final total will always match a-       historical balance report with similar arguments.--       Any additional arguments are standard query arguments, which will limit-       the transactions shown.  Note some queries  will  disturb  the  running-       balance,  causing it to be different from the account's real-world run--       ning balance.--       An example: this shows the transactions and historical running  balance-       during july, in the first account whose name contains "checking":--              $ hledger areg checking date:jul--       Each aregister line item shows:--       o the  transaction's date (or the relevant posting's date if different,-         see below)--       o the names of all the other account(s) involved  in  this  transaction-         (probably abbreviated)--       o the total change to this account's balance from this transaction--       o the account's historical running balance after this transaction.--       Transactions  making a net change of zero are not shown by default; add-       the -E/--empty flag to show them.--       For performance reasons, column widths are chosen based  on  the  first-       1000  lines;  this means unusually wide values in later lines can cause-       visual discontinuities as column widths are adjusted.  If you  want  to-       ensure  perfect alignment, at the cost of more time and memory, use the-       --align-all flag.--       By default, aregister shows a heading above the  data.   However,  when-       reporting  in  a  language different from English, it is easier to omit-       this heading and prepend your own  one.   For  this  purpose,  use  the-       --heading=no option.--       This command also supports the output destination and output format op--       tions.  The output formats supported are txt, csv, tsv (Added in 1.32),-       html, fods (Added in 1.41) and json.--   aregister and posting dates-       aregister  always shows one line (and date and amount) per transaction.-       But sometimes transactions have postings with different  dates.   Also,-       not  all  of  a transaction's postings may be within the report period.-       To resolve this, aregister shows the earliest of the transaction's date-       and posting dates that is in-period, and the sum of the in-period post--       ings.  In other words it will show a combined line item with  just  the-       earliest  date,  and  the  running balance will (temporarily, until the-       transaction's last posting) be inaccurate.  Use register -H if you need-       to see the individual postings.--       There is also a --txn-dates flag, which filters strictly by transaction-       date, ignoring posting dates.  This too can cause an inaccurate running-       balance.--   register-       (reg)--       Show postings and their running total.--              Flags:-                   --cumulative           accumulation mode: show running total from report-                                          start date (default)-                -H --historical           accumulation mode: show historical running-                                          total/balance (includes postings before report-                                          start date)-                -A --average              show running average of posting amounts instead-                                          of total (implies --empty)-                -m --match=DESC           fuzzy search for one recent posting with-                                          description closest to DESC-                -r --related              show postings' siblings instead-                   --invert               display all amounts with reversed sign-                   --sort=FIELDS          sort by: date, desc, account, amount, absamount,-                                          or a comma-separated combination of these. For a-                                          descending sort, prefix with -. (Default: date)-                -w --width=N              set output width (default: terminal width). -wN,M-                                          sets description width as well.-                   --align-all            guarantee alignment across all lines (slower)-                   --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate links to hledger-web,-                                          with this prefix. (Usually the base url shown by-                                          hledger-web; can also be relative.)-                -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:-                                          txt, csv, tsv, html, fods, json.-                -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching-                                          one of the above formats selects that format.--       The register command displays matched postings, across all accounts, in-       date order, with their running total  or  running  historical  balance.-       (See  also the aregister command, which shows matched transactions in a-       specific account.)--       register normally shows line per posting, but note that multi-commodity-       amounts will occupy multiple lines (one line per commodity).--       It is typically used with a query selecting a  particular  account,  to-       see that account's activity:--              $ hledger register checking-              2008/01/01 income               assets:bank:checking            $1           $1-              2008/06/01 gift                 assets:bank:checking            $1           $2-              2008/06/02 save                 assets:bank:checking           $-1           $1-              2008/12/31 pay off              assets:bank:checking           $-1            0--       With --date2, it shows and sorts by secondary date instead.--       For  performance  reasons,  column widths are chosen based on the first-       1000 lines; this means unusually wide values in later lines  can  cause-       visual  discontinuities  as column widths are adjusted.  If you want to-       ensure perfect alignment, at the cost of more time and memory, use  the-       --align-all flag.--       The  --historical/-H  flag  adds the balance from any undisplayed prior-       postings to the running total.  This is useful when  you  want  to  see-       only recent activity, with a historically accurate running balance:--              $ hledger register checking -b 2008/6 --historical-              2008/06/01 gift                 assets:bank:checking            $1           $2-              2008/06/02 save                 assets:bank:checking           $-1           $1-              2008/12/31 pay off              assets:bank:checking           $-1            0--       The --depth option limits the amount of sub-account detail displayed.--       The  --average/-A flag shows the running average posting amount instead-       of the running total (so, the final number displayed is the average for-       the whole report period).  This flag implies --empty (see  below).   It-       is  affected  by --historical.  It works best when showing just one ac--       count and one commodity.--       The --related/-r flag shows the other postings in the  transactions  of-       the postings which would normally be shown.--       The  --invert flag negates all amounts.  For example, it can be used on-       an income account where amounts are normally displayed as negative num--       bers.  It's also useful to show postings on the  checking  account  to--       gether with the related account:--       The  --sort=FIELDS  flag sorts by the fields given, which can be any of-       account, amount, absamount, date, or desc/description, optionally sepa--       rated by commas.  For example, --sort  account,amount  will  group  all-       transactions in each account, sorted by transaction amount.  Each field-       can  be  negated by a preceding -, so --sort -amount will show transac--       tions ordered from smallest amount to largest amount.--              $ hledger register --related --invert assets:checking--       With a reporting interval, register shows summary postings, one per in--       terval, aggregating the postings to each account:--              $ hledger register --monthly income-              2008/01                 income:salary                          $-1          $-1-              2008/06                 income:gifts                           $-1          $-2--       Periods with no activity, and summary postings with a zero amount,  are-       not shown by default; use the --empty/-E flag to see them:--              $ hledger register --monthly income -E-              2008/01                 income:salary                          $-1          $-1-              2008/02                                                          0          $-1-              2008/03                                                          0          $-1-              2008/04                                                          0          $-1-              2008/05                                                          0          $-1-              2008/06                 income:gifts                           $-1          $-2-              2008/07                                                          0          $-2-              2008/08                                                          0          $-2-              2008/09                                                          0          $-2-              2008/10                                                          0          $-2-              2008/11                                                          0          $-2-              2008/12                                                          0          $-2--       Often,  you'll want to see just one line per interval.  The --depth op--       tion helps with this, causing subaccounts to be aggregated:--              $ hledger register --monthly assets --depth 1-              2008/01                 assets                                  $1           $1-              2008/06                 assets                                 $-1            0-              2008/12                 assets                                 $-1          $-1--       Note when using report intervals, if you specify start/end dates  these-       will  be adjusted outward if necessary to contain a whole number of in--       tervals.  This ensures that the  first  and  last  intervals  are  full-       length and comparable to the others in the report.--       With  -m DESC/--match=DESC, register does a fuzzy search for one recent-       posting whose description is most similar to DESC.  DESC should contain-       at least two characters.  If there is no similar-enough match, no post--       ing will be shown and the program exit code will be non-zero.--   Custom register output-       register normally uses the full terminal width (or  80  columns  if  it-       can't detect that).  You can override this with the --width/-w option.--       The  description  and  account columns normally share the space equally-       (about half of (width - 40) each).  You can adjust this by adding a de--       scription width as part of --width's argument, comma-separated: --width-       W,D .  Here's a diagram (won't display correctly in --help):--              <--------------------------------- width (W) ---------------------------------->-              date (10)  description (D)       account (W-41-D)     amount (12)   balance (12)-              DDDDDDDDDD dddddddddddddddddddd  aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa  AAAAAAAAAAAA  AAAAAAAAAAAA--       and some examples:--              $ hledger reg                     # use terminal width (or 80 on windows)-              $ hledger reg -w 100              # use width 100-              $ hledger reg -w 100,40           # set overall width 100, description width 40--       This command also supports the output destination and output format op--       tions The output formats supported are txt, csv, tsv (Added  in  1.32),-       and json.--   balancesheet-       (bs)--       Show  the  end  balances  in asset and liability accounts.  Amounts are-       shown with normal positive sign, as in  conventional  financial  state--       ments.--              Flags:-                   --sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts-                                          (default)-                   --valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of-                                          period-end historical balances (caused by deposits,-                                          withdrawals, market price fluctuations)-                   --gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital-                                          gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost-                                          basis)-                   --count                calculation mode: show the count of postings-                   --change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column-                                          start to column end (in multicolumn reports)-                   --cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report-                                          start (specified by e.g. -b/--begin) to column end-                -H --historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from-                                          journal start to column end (includes postings-                                          before report start date) (default)-                -l --flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list-                                          (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,-                                          except where the account is depth-clipped.-                -t --tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts-                                          include subaccount amounts.-                   --drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts-                   --declared             include non-parent declared accounts (best used-                                          with -E)-                -A --average              show a row average column (in multicolumn-                                          reports)-                -T --row-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)-                   --summary-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,-                                          average) (in multicolumn reports)-                -N --no-total             omit the final total row-                   --no-elide             in tree mode, don't squash boring parent accounts-                   --format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)-                -S --sort-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name-                -% --percent              express values in percentage of each column's-                                          total-                   --layout=ARG           how to show multi-commodity amounts:-                                          'wide[,WIDTH]': all commodities on one line-                                          'tall'        : each commodity on a new line-                                          'bare'        : bare numbers, symbols in a column-                   --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate hyperlinks to-                                          hledger-web, with this prefix. (Usually the base-                                          url shown by hledger-web; can also be relative.)-                -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:-                                          txt, html, csv, tsv, json.-                -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching-                                          one of the above formats selects that format.--       This  command  displays a balance sheet, showing historical ending bal--       ances of asset and liability accounts.  (To see equity as well, use the-       balancesheetequity command.)--       Accounts declared with the Asset, Cash or Liability type are shown (see-       account types).   Or  if  no  such  accounts  are  declared,  it  shows-       top-level  accounts named asset or liability (case insensitive, plurals-       allowed) and their subaccounts.--       Example:--              $ hledger balancesheet-              Balance Sheet 2008-12-31--                                  || 2008-12-31-              ====================++============-               Assets             ||-              --------------------++-------------               assets:bank:saving ||         $1-               assets:cash        ||        $-2-              --------------------++-------------                                  ||        $-1-              ====================++============-               Liabilities        ||-              --------------------++-------------               liabilities:debts  ||        $-1-              --------------------++-------------                                  ||        $-1-              ====================++============-               Net:               ||          0--       This command is a higher-level variant of the balance command, and sup--       ports many of that command's features, such  as  multi-period  reports.-       It  is  similar  to  hledger  balance  -H  assets liabilities, but with-       smarter account detection, and liabilities displayed  with  their  sign-       flipped.--       This command also supports the output destination and output format op--       tions  The  output formats supported are txt, csv, tsv (Added in 1.32),-       html, and json.--   balancesheetequity-       (bse)--       This command displays a balance sheet, showing historical  ending  bal--       ances  of asset, liability and equity accounts.  Amounts are shown with-       normal positive sign, as in conventional financial statements.--              Flags:-                   --sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts-                                          (default)-                   --valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of-                                          period-end historical balances (caused by deposits,-                                          withdrawals, market price fluctuations)-                   --gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital-                                          gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost-                                          basis)-                   --count                calculation mode: show the count of postings-                   --change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column-                                          start to column end (in multicolumn reports)-                   --cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report-                                          start (specified by e.g. -b/--begin) to column end-                -H --historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from-                                          journal start to column end (includes postings-                                          before report start date) (default)-                -l --flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list-                                          (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,-                                          except where the account is depth-clipped.-                -t --tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts-                                          include subaccount amounts.-                   --drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts-                   --declared             include non-parent declared accounts (best used-                                          with -E)-                -A --average              show a row average column (in multicolumn-                                          reports)-                -T --row-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)-                   --summary-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,-                                          average) (in multicolumn reports)-                -N --no-total             omit the final total row-                   --no-elide             in tree mode, don't squash boring parent accounts-                   --format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)-                -S --sort-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name-                -% --percent              express values in percentage of each column's-                                          total-                   --layout=ARG           how to show multi-commodity amounts:-                                          'wide[,WIDTH]': all commodities on one line-                                          'tall'        : each commodity on a new line-                                          'bare'        : bare numbers, symbols in a column-                   --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate hyperlinks to-                                          hledger-web, with this prefix. (Usually the base-                                          url shown by hledger-web; can also be relative.)-                -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:-                                          txt, html, csv, tsv, json.-                -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching-                                          one of the above formats selects that format.--       This report shows accounts declared with the Asset, Cash, Liability  or-       Equity  type (see account types).  Or if no such accounts are declared,-       it shows top-level accounts named asset, liability or equity (case  in--       sensitive, plurals allowed) and their subaccounts.--       Example:--              $ hledger balancesheetequity-              Balance Sheet With Equity 2008-12-31--                                  || 2008-12-31-              ====================++============-               Assets             ||-              --------------------++-------------               assets:bank:saving ||         $1-               assets:cash        ||        $-2-              --------------------++-------------                                  ||        $-1-              ====================++============-               Liabilities        ||-              --------------------++-------------               liabilities:debts  ||        $-1-              --------------------++-------------                                  ||        $-1-              ====================++============-               Equity             ||-              --------------------++-------------              --------------------++-------------                                  ||          0-              ====================++============-               Net:               ||          0--       This command is a higher-level variant of the balance command, and sup--       ports  many  of  that command's features, such as multi-period reports.-       It is similar to hledger balance -H assets liabilities equity, but with-       smarter account detection, and liabilities/equity displayed with  their-       sign flipped.--       This report is the easiest way to see if the accounting equation (A+L+E-       =  0)  is satisfied (after you have done a close --retain to merge rev--       enues and expenses with equity, and  perhaps  added  --infer-equity  to-       balance your commodity conversions).--       This command also supports the output destination and output format op--       tions The output formats supported are txt, csv, tsv, html, and json.--   cashflow-       (cf)--       This  command  displays  a (simple) cashflow statement, showing the in--       flows and outflows affecting "cash" (ie,  liquid,  easily  convertible)-       assets.   Amounts  are  shown  with normal positive sign, as in conven--       tional financial statements.--              Flags:-                   --sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts-                                          (default)-                   --valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of-                                          period-end historical balances (caused by deposits,-                                          withdrawals, market price fluctuations)-                   --gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital-                                          gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost-                                          basis)-                   --count                calculation mode: show the count of postings-                   --change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column-                                          start to column end (in multicolumn reports)-                                          (default)-                   --cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report-                                          start (specified by e.g. -b/--begin) to column end-                -H --historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from-                                          journal start to column end (includes postings-                                          before report start date)-                -l --flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list-                                          (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,-                                          except where the account is depth-clipped.-                -t --tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts-                                          include subaccount amounts.-                   --drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts-                   --declared             include non-parent declared accounts (best used-                                          with -E)-                -A --average              show a row average column (in multicolumn-                                          reports)-                -T --row-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)-                   --summary-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,-                                          average) (in multicolumn reports)-                -N --no-total             omit the final total row-                   --no-elide             in tree mode, don't squash boring parent accounts-                   --format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)-                -S --sort-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name-                -% --percent              express values in percentage of each column's-                                          total-                   --layout=ARG           how to show multi-commodity amounts:-                                          'wide[,WIDTH]': all commodities on one line-                                          'tall'        : each commodity on a new line-                                          'bare'        : bare numbers, symbols in a column-                   --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate hyperlinks to-                                          hledger-web, with this prefix. (Usually the base-                                          url shown by hledger-web; can also be relative.)-                -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:-                                          txt, html, csv, tsv, json.-                -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching-                                          one of the above formats selects that format.--       This report shows accounts declared with the  Cash  type  (see  account-       types).  Or if no such accounts are declared, it shows accounts--       o under  a  top-level account named asset (case insensitive, plural al--         lowed)--       o whose name contains some variation of cash, bank, checking or saving.--       More precisely: all accounts matching this case insensitive regular ex--       pression:--       ^assets?(:.+)?:(cash|bank|che(ck|que?)(ing)?|savings?|currentcash)(:|$)--       and their subaccounts.--       An example cashflow report:--              $ hledger cashflow-              Cashflow Statement 2008--                                  || 2008-              ====================++======-               Cash flows         ||-              --------------------++-------               assets:bank:saving ||   $1-               assets:cash        ||  $-2-              --------------------++-------                                  ||  $-1--       This command is a higher-level variant of the balance command, and sup--       ports many of that command's features, such  as  multi-period  reports.-       It  is  similar  to  hledger  balance  assets  not:fixed not:investment-       not:receivable, but with smarter account detection.--       This command also supports the output destination and output format op--       tions The output formats supported are txt, csv, tsv (Added  in  1.32),-       html, and json.--   incomestatement-       (is)--       Show  revenue  inflows  and  expense outflows during the report period.-       Amounts are shown with normal positive sign, as in conventional  finan--       cial statements.--              Flags:-                   --sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts-                                          (default)-                   --valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of-                                          period-end historical balances (caused by deposits,-                                          withdrawals, market price fluctuations)-                   --gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital-                                          gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost-                                          basis)-                   --count                calculation mode: show the count of postings-                   --change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column-                                          start to column end (in multicolumn reports)-                                          (default)-                   --cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report-                                          start (specified by e.g. -b/--begin) to column end-                -H --historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from-                                          journal start to column end (includes postings-                                          before report start date)-                -l --flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list-                                          (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,-                                          except where the account is depth-clipped.-                -t --tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts-                                          include subaccount amounts.-                   --drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts-                   --declared             include non-parent declared accounts (best used-                                          with -E)-                -A --average              show a row average column (in multicolumn-                                          reports)-                -T --row-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)-                   --summary-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,-                                          average) (in multicolumn reports)-                -N --no-total             omit the final total row-                   --no-elide             in tree mode, don't squash boring parent accounts-                   --format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)-                -S --sort-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name-                -% --percent              express values in percentage of each column's-                                          total-                   --layout=ARG           how to show multi-commodity amounts:-                                          'wide[,WIDTH]': all commodities on one line-                                          'tall'        : each commodity on a new line-                                          'bare'        : bare numbers, symbols in a column-                   --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate hyperlinks to-                                          hledger-web, with this prefix. (Usually the base-                                          url shown by hledger-web; can also be relative.)-                -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:-                                          txt, html, csv, tsv, json.-                -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching-                                          one of the above formats selects that format.--       This  command  displays  an  income statement, showing revenues and ex--       penses during one or more periods.--       It shows accounts declared with the Revenue or Expense  type  (see  ac--       count  types).  Or if no such accounts are declared, it shows top-level-       accounts named revenue or income or expense (case insensitive,  plurals-       allowed) and their subaccounts.--       Example:--              $ hledger incomestatement-              Income Statement 2008--                                 || 2008-              ===================++======-               Revenues          ||-              -------------------++-------               income:gifts      ||   $1-               income:salary     ||   $1-              -------------------++-------                                 ||   $2-              ===================++======-               Expenses          ||-              -------------------++-------               expenses:food     ||   $1-               expenses:supplies ||   $1-              -------------------++-------                                 ||   $2-              ===================++======-               Net:              ||    0--       This command is a higher-level variant of the balance command, and sup--       ports  many  of  that command's features, such as multi-period reports.-       It is similar to hledger balance '(revenues|income)' expenses, but with-       smarter account detection, and  revenues/income  displayed  with  their-       sign flipped.--       This command also supports the output destination and output format op--       tions  The  output formats supported are txt, csv, tsv (Added in 1.32),-       html, and json.--Advanced report commands-   balance-       (bal)--       A flexible, general purpose "summing" report that shows  accounts  with-       some kind of numeric data.  This can be balance changes per period, end-       balances, budget performance, unrealised capital gains, etc.--              Flags:-                   --sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts-                                          (default)-                   --valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of-                                          period-end historical balances (caused by deposits,-                                          withdrawals, market price fluctuations)-                   --gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital-                                          gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost-                                          basis)-                   --budget[=DESCPAT]     calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts-                                          together with budget goals defined by periodic-                                          transactions. With a DESCPAT argument (must be-                                          separated by = not space),-                                          use only periodic transactions with matching-                                          description-                                          (case insensitive substring match).-                   --count                calculation mode: show the count of postings-                   --change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column-                                          start to column end (in multicolumn reports,-                                          default)-                   --cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report-                                          start (specified by e.g. -b/--begin) to column end-                -H --historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from-                                          journal start to column end (includes postings-                                          before report start date)-                -l --flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list-                                          (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,-                                          except where the account is depth-clipped.-                -t --tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts-                                          include subaccount amounts.-                   --drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts-                   --declared             include non-parent declared accounts (best used-                                          with -E)-                -A --average              show a row average column (in multicolumn-                                          reports)-                -T --row-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)-                   --summary-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,-                                          average) (in multicolumn reports)-                -N --no-total             omit the final total row-                   --no-elide             in tree mode, don't squash boring parent accounts-                   --format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)-                -S --sort-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name (in-                                          flat mode). With multiple columns, sorts by the row-                                          total, or by row average if that is displayed.-                -% --percent              express values in percentage of each column's-                                          total-                -r --related              show the other accounts transacted with, instead-                   --invert               display all amounts with reversed sign-                   --transpose            switch rows and columns (use vertical time axis)-                   --layout=ARG           how to lay out multi-commodity amounts and the-                                          overall table:-                                          'wide[,W]': commodities on same line, up to W wide-                                          'tall'    : commodities on separate lines-                                          'bare'    : commodity symbols in a separate column-                                          'tidy'    : each data field in its own column-                   --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate links to hledger-web,-                                          with this prefix. (Usually the base url shown by-                                          hledger-web; can also be relative.)-                -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:-                                          txt, html, csv, tsv, json, fods.-                -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching-                                          one of the above formats selects that format.--       balance  is  one  of  hledger's oldest and most versatile commands, for-       listing account balances, balance changes, values,  value  changes  and-       more, during one time period or many.  Generally it shows a table, with-       rows representing accounts, and columns representing periods.--       Note there are some variants of the balance command with convenient de--       faults,  which  are  simpler  to use: balancesheet, balancesheetequity,-       cashflow and incomestatement.  When you need  more  control,  then  use-       balance.--   balance features-       Here's  a quick overview of the balance command's features, followed by-       more detailed descriptions and examples.  Many of these work  with  the-       other balance-like commands as well (bs, cf, is..).--       balance can show..--       o accounts as a list (-l) or a tree (-t)--       o optionally depth-limited (-[1-9])--       o sorted by declaration order and name, or by amount--       ..and their..--       o balance changes (the default)--       o or actual and planned balance changes (--budget)--       o or value of balance changes (-V)--       o or change of balance values (--valuechange)--       o or unrealised capital gain/loss (--gain)--       o or balance changes from sibling postings (--related/-r)--       o or postings count (--count)--       ..in..--       o one time period (the whole journal period by default)--       o or multiple periods (-D, -W, -M, -Q, -Y, -p INTERVAL)--       ..either..--       o per period (the default)--       o or accumulated since report start date (--cumulative)--       o or accumulated since account creation (--historical/-H)--       ..possibly converted to..--       o cost (--value=cost[,COMM]/--cost/-B)--       o or market value, as of transaction dates (--value=then[,COMM])--       o or at period ends (--value=end[,COMM])--       o or now (--value=now)--       o or at some other date (--value=YYYY-MM-DD)--       ..with..--       o totals  (-T),  averages  (-A), percentages (-%), inverted sign (--in--         vert)--       o rows and columns swapped (--transpose)--       o another field used as account name (--pivot)--       o custom-formatted line items (single-period reports only) (--format)--       o commodities displayed on the same line or multiple lines (--layout)--       This command supports the output destination and output format options,-       with output formats txt, csv, tsv (Added in 1.32), json, and (multi-pe--       riod reports only:) html, fods (Added in 1.40).  In  txt  output  in  a-       colour-supporting terminal, negative amounts are shown in red.--   Simple balance report-       With  no  arguments,  balance  shows  a  list of all accounts and their-       change of balance - ie, the sum of posting amounts,  both  inflows  and-       outflows  -  during  the  entire period of the journal.  ("Simple" here-       means just one column of numbers, covering a single  period.   You  can-       also have multi-period reports, described later.)--       For  real-world accounts, these numbers will normally be their end bal--       ance at the end of the journal period; more on this below.--       Accounts are sorted by declaration order if any,  and  then  alphabeti--       cally by account name.  For instance (using examples/sample.journal):--              $ hledger -f examples/sample.journal bal-                                $1  assets:bank:saving-                               $-2  assets:cash-                                $1  expenses:food-                                $1  expenses:supplies-                               $-1  income:gifts-                               $-1  income:salary-                                $1  liabilities:debts-              ---------------------                                 0--       Accounts with a zero balance (and no non-zero subaccounts, in tree mode-       -  see  below) are hidden by default.  Use -E/--empty to show them (re--       vealing assets:bank:checking here):--              $ hledger -f examples/sample.journal bal  -E-                                 0  assets:bank:checking-                                $1  assets:bank:saving-                               $-2  assets:cash-                                $1  expenses:food-                                $1  expenses:supplies-                               $-1  income:gifts-                               $-1  income:salary-                                $1  liabilities:debts-              ---------------------                                 0--       The total of the amounts displayed is shown as the  last  line,  unless-       -N/--no-total is used.--   Balance report line format-       For single-period balance reports displayed in the terminal (only), you-       can  use --format FMT to customise the format and content of each line.-       Eg:--              $ hledger -f examples/sample.journal balance --format "%20(account) %12(total)"-                            assets          $-1-                       bank:saving           $1-                              cash          $-2-                          expenses           $2-                              food           $1-                          supplies           $1-                            income          $-2-                             gifts          $-1-                            salary          $-1-                 liabilities:debts           $1-              ----------------------------------                                              0--       The FMT format string specifies the  formatting  applied  to  each  ac--       count/balance pair.  It may contain any suitable text, with data fields-       interpolated like so:--       %[MIN][.MAX](FIELDNAME)--       o MIN pads with spaces to at least this width (optional)--       o MAX truncates at this width (optional)--       o FIELDNAME must be enclosed in parentheses, and can be one of:--         o depth_spacer  - a number of spaces equal to the account's depth, or-           if MIN is specified, MIN * depth spaces.--         o account - the account's name--         o total - the account's balance/posted total, right justified--       Also, FMT can begin with an optional prefix to control  how  multi-com--       modity amounts are rendered:--       o %_ - render on multiple lines, bottom-aligned (the default)--       o %^ - render on multiple lines, top-aligned--       o %, - render on one line, comma-separated--       There are some quirks.  Eg in one-line mode, %(depth_spacer) has no ef--       fect,  instead  %(account)  has indentation built in.   Experimentation-       may be needed to get pleasing results.--       Some example formats:--       o %(total) - the account's total--       o %-20.20(account) - the account's name, left justified, padded  to  20-         characters and clipped at 20 characters--       o %,%-50(account)   %25(total)  - account name padded to 50 characters,-         total padded to 20 characters, with multiple commodities rendered  on-         one line--       o %20(total)   %2(depth_spacer)%-(account) - the default format for the-         single-column balance report--   Filtered balance report-       You can show fewer accounts,  a  different  time  period,  totals  from-       cleared transactions only, etc.  by using query arguments or options to-       limit the postings being matched.  Eg:--              $ hledger -f examples/sample.journal bal --cleared assets date:200806-                               $-2  assets:cash-              ---------------------                               $-2--   List or tree mode-       By  default,  or with -l/--flat, accounts are shown as a flat list with-       their full names visible, as in the examples above.--       With -t/--tree, the  account  hierarchy  is  shown,  with  subaccounts'-       "leaf" names indented below their parent:--              $ hledger -f examples/sample.journal balance-                               $-1  assets-                                $1    bank:saving-                               $-2    cash-                                $2  expenses-                                $1    food-                                $1    supplies-                               $-2  income-                               $-1    gifts-                               $-1    salary-                                $1  liabilities:debts-              ---------------------                                 0--       Notes:--       o "Boring" accounts are combined with their subaccount for more compact-         output,  unless  --no-elide is used.  Boring accounts have no balance-         of their own and just one subaccount (eg assets:bank and  liabilities-         above).--       o All  balances  shown  are "inclusive", ie including the balances from-         all subaccounts.  Note this means  some  repetition  in  the  output,-         which requires explanation when sharing reports with non-plaintextac--         counting-users.   A  tree mode report's final total is the sum of the-         top-level balances shown, not of all the balances shown.--       o Each group of sibling accounts (ie, under a common parent) is  sorted-         separately.--   Depth limiting-       With  a  depth:NUM  query, or --depth NUM option, or just -NUM (eg: -3)-       balance reports will show accounts only to the specified depth,  hiding-       the  deeper  subaccounts.   This  can be useful for getting an overview-       without too much detail.--       Account balances at the depth limit always include  the  balances  from-       any deeper subaccounts (even in list mode).  Eg, limiting to depth 1:--              $ hledger -f examples/sample.journal balance -1-                               $-1  assets-                                $2  expenses-                               $-2  income-                                $1  liabilities-              ---------------------                                 0--   Dropping top-level accounts-       You  can  also  hide  one  or  more top-level account name parts, using-       --drop NUM.  This can be useful for hiding repetitive top-level account-       names:--              $ hledger -f examples/sample.journal bal expenses --drop 1-                                $1  food-                                $1  supplies-              ---------------------                                $2--   Showing declared accounts-       With --declared, accounts which have been declared with an account  di--       rective  will  be  included in the balance report, even if they have no-       transactions.  (Since they will have a zero balance, you will also need-       -E/--empty to see them.)--       More precisely, leaf declared accounts (with no  subaccounts)  will  be-       included, since those are usually the more useful in reports.--       The  idea  of this is to be able to see a useful "complete" balance re--       port, even when you don't have transactions in all of your declared ac--       counts yet.--   Sorting by amount-       With -S/--sort-amount, accounts with the largest (most  positive)  bal--       ances  are  shown  first.   Eg:  hledger  bal  expenses -MAS shows your-       biggest averaged monthly expenses first.  When more than one  commodity-       is  present, they will be sorted by the alphabetically earliest commod--       ity first, and then by subsequent commodities (if an amount is  missing-       a commodity, it is treated as 0).--       Revenues  and liability balances are typically negative, however, so -S-       shows these in reverse order.  To work around this, you can  add  --in--       vert  to flip the signs.  Or you could use one of the higher-level bal--       ance reports (bs, is..), which flip the sign automatically (eg: hledger-       is -MAS).--   Percentages-       With -%/--percent, balance reports show each account's value  expressed-       as a percentage of the (column) total.--       Note it is not useful to calculate percentages if the amounts in a col--       umn  have  mixed  signs.  In this case, make a separate report for each-       sign, eg:--              $ hledger bal -% amt:`>0`-              $ hledger bal -% amt:`<0`--       Similarly, if the amounts in a column have mixed  commodities,  convert-       them  to  one  commodity with -B, -V, -X or --value, or make a separate-       report for each commodity:--              $ hledger bal -% cur:\\$-              $ hledger bal -% cur:--   Multi-period balance report-       With  a  report  interval  (set   by   the   -D/--daily,   -W/--weekly,-       -M/--monthly,  -Q/--quarterly,  -Y/--yearly, or -p/--period flag), bal--       ance shows a tabular report, with columns representing successive  time-       periods (and a title):--              $ hledger -f examples/sample.journal bal --quarterly income expenses -E-              Balance changes in 2008:--                                 ||  2008q1  2008q2  2008q3  2008q4-              ===================++=================================-               expenses:food     ||       0      $1       0       0-               expenses:supplies ||       0      $1       0       0-               income:gifts      ||       0     $-1       0       0-               income:salary     ||     $-1       0       0       0-              -------------------++----------------------------------                                 ||     $-1      $1       0       0--       Notes:--       o The report's start/end dates will be expanded, if necessary, to fully-         encompass the displayed subperiods (so that the first and last subpe--         riods have the same duration as the others).--       o Leading  and trailing periods (columns) containing all zeroes are not-         shown, unless -E/--empty is used.--       o Accounts  (rows)  containing  all  zeroes  are  not   shown,   unless-         -E/--empty is used.--       o Amounts  with  many commodities are shown in abbreviated form, unless-         --no-elide is used.--       o Average and/or total columns can be added with the  -A/--average  and-         -T/--row-total flags.--       o The --transpose flag can be used to exchange rows and columns.--       o The  --pivot  FIELD option causes a different transaction field to be-         used as "account name".  See PIVOTING.--       o The --summary-only flag (--summary also works) hides all but the  To--         tal and Average columns (those should be enabled with --row-total and-         -A/--average).--       Multi-period reports with many periods can be too wide for easy viewing-       in the terminal.  Here are some ways to handle that:--       o Hide the totals row with -N/--no-total--       o Filter to a single currency with cur:--       o Convert to a single currency with -V [--infer-market-price]--       o Use a more compact layout like --layout=bare--       o Maximize the terminal window--       o Reduce the terminal's font size--       o View  with  a  pager like less, eg: hledger bal -D --color=yes | less-         -RS--       o Output as CSV and use a CSV viewer like visidata (hledger bal  -D  -O-         csv  |  vd  -f  csv),  Emacs'  csv-mode (M-x csv-mode, C-c C-a), or a-         spreadsheet (hledger bal -D -o a.csv && open a.csv)--       o Output as HTML and view with a browser: hledger bal -D -o  a.html  &&-         open a.html--   Balance change, end balance-       It's  important to be clear on the meaning of the numbers shown in bal--       ance reports.  Here is some terminology we use:--       A balance change is the net amount added to, or removed  from,  an  ac--       count during some period.--       An  end balance is the amount accumulated in an account as of some date-       (and some time, but hledger doesn't store that; assume end  of  day  in-       your timezone).  It is the sum of previous balance changes.--       We  call it a historical end balance if it includes all balance changes-       since the account was created.  For a real world account, this means it-       will match the "historical record", eg the balances  reported  in  your-       bank statements or bank web UI.  (If they are correct!)--       In  general,  balance  changes  are what you want to see when reviewing-       revenues and expenses, and historical end balances are what you want to-       see when reviewing or reconciling asset, liability and equity accounts.--       balance shows balance changes by default.  To see  accurate  historical-       end balances:--       1. Initialise  account  starting  balances  with  an "opening balances"-          transaction (a transfer from equity  to  the  account),  unless  the-          journal covers the account's full lifetime.--       2. Include all of of the account's prior postings in the report, by not-          specifying  a  report  start  date,  or by using the -H/--historical-          flag.  (-H causes report start date to be ignored when summing post--          ings.)--   Balance report modes-       The balance command is quite flexible; here is the full detail  on  how-       to  control what it reports.  If the following seems complicated, don't-       worry - this is for advanced reporting, and it does take time  and  ex--       perimentation to get familiar with all the report modes.--       There are three important option groups:--       hledger  balance  [CALCULATIONMODE]  [ACCUMULATIONMODE] [VALUATIONMODE]-       ...--   Calculation mode-       The basic calculation to perform for each table cell.  It is one of:--       o --sum : sum the posting amounts (default)--       o --budget : sum the amounts, but also show the budget goal amount (for-         each account/period)--       o --valuechange : show the change in period-end historical balance val--         ues (caused by deposits, withdrawals, and/or  market  price  fluctua--         tions)--       o --gain  :  show the unrealised capital gain/loss, (the current valued-         balance minus each amount's original cost)--       o --count : show the count of postings--   Accumulation mode-       How amounts should accumulate  across  a  report's  subperiods/columns.-       Another  way  to say it: which time period's postings should contribute-       to each cell's calculation.  It is one of:--       o --change : calculate with postings from column start to  column  end,-         ie  "just  this  column".   Typically  used to see revenues/expenses.-         (default for balance, cashflow, incomestatement)--       o --cumulative : calculate with postings from report  start  to  column-         end,  ie "previous columns plus this column".  Typically used to show-         changes accumulated since the report's start date.  Not often used.--       o --historical/-H : calculate with postings from journal start to  col--         umn  end,  ie  "all postings from before report start date until this-         column's end".  Typically used to see historical end balances of  as--         sets/liabilities/equity.   (default  for balancesheet, balancesheete--         quity)--   Valuation mode-       Which kind of value or cost conversion should be applied, if  any,  be--       fore displaying the report.  See Cost reporting and Value reporting for-       more about conversions.--       A valuation (or cost) mode can be selected with the --value option:--       o no conversion : don't convert to cost or value (default)--       o --value=cost[,COMM]  :  convert  amounts  to cost (then optionally to-         some other commodity)--       o --value=then[,COMM] : convert amounts to market value on  transaction-         dates--       o --value=end[,COMM]  :  convert  amounts to market value on period end-         date(s)-       (default with --valuechange, --gain)--       o --value=now[,COMM] : convert amounts to market value on today's date--       o --value=YYYY-MM-DD[,COMM] : convert amounts to market  value  on  an--         other date--       or with the legacy -B/-V/-X options, which are equivalent and easier to-       type:--       o -B/--cost : like --value=cost--       o -V/--market : like --value=end--       o -X COMM/--exchange COMM : like --value=end,COMM--       Note that --value can also convert to cost, as a convenience; but actu--       ally  --cost and --value are independent options, and could be used to--       gether.--   Combining balance report modes-       Most combinations of these modes should produce reasonable reports, but-       if you find any that seem wrong or misleading, let us know.   The  fol--       lowing restrictions are applied:--       o --valuechange implies --value=end--       o --valuechange  makes  --change  the  default  when used with the bal--         ancesheet/balancesheetequity commands--       o --cumulative or --historical disables --row-total/-T--       For reference, here is what the combinations of accumulation and valua--       tion show:--       Valua-     no valuation       --value= then       --value= end      --value=-       tion:>                                                              YYYY-MM-DD-       Accumu-                                                             /now-       lation:v-       ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------       --change   change in period   sum   of    post-   period-end        DATE-value  of-                                     ing-date   market   value of change   change  in pe--                                     values in period    in period         riod-       --cumu-    change from  re-   sum   of    post-   period-end        DATE-value  of-       lative     port   start  to   ing-date   market   value of change   change    from-                  period end         values  from  re-   from     report   report   start-                                     port start to pe-   start to period   to period end-                                     riod end            end-       --his-     change      from   sum   of    post-   period-end        DATE-value  of-       torical    journal start to   ing-date   market   value of change   change    from-       /-H        period end (his-   values from jour-   from    journal   journal  start-                  torical end bal-   nal start to  pe-   start to period   to period end-                  ance)              riod end            end--   Budget report-       The --budget report is like a regular balance report, but with two main-       differences:--       o Budget goals and performance percentages are also shown, in brackets--       o Accounts which don't have budget goals are hidden by default.--       This  is useful for comparing planned and actual income, expenses, time-       usage, etc.--       Periodic transaction rules are used to define budget goals.  For  exam--       ple,  here's  a periodic rule defining monthly goals for bus travel and-       food expenses:--              ;; Budget-              ~ monthly-                (expenses:bus)              $30-                (expenses:food)            $400--       After recording some actual expenses,--              ;; Two months worth of expenses-              2017-11-01-                income                   $-1950-                expenses:bus                $35-                expenses:food:groceries    $310-                expenses:food:dining        $42-                expenses:movies             $38-                assets:bank:checking--              2017-12-01-                income                   $-2100-                expenses:bus                $53-                expenses:food:groceries    $380-                expenses:food:dining        $32-                expenses:gifts             $100-                assets:bank:checking--       we can see a budget report like this:--              $ hledger bal -M --budget-              Budget performance in 2017-11-01..2017-12-31:--                             ||                  Nov                   Dec-              ===============++============================================-               <unbudgeted>  || $-425                 $-565-               expenses      ||  $425 [ 99% of $430]   $565 [131% of $430]-               expenses:bus  ||   $35 [117% of  $30]    $53 [177% of  $30]-               expenses:food ||  $352 [ 88% of $400]   $412 [103% of $400]-              ---------------++---------------------------------------------                             ||     0 [  0% of $430]      0 [  0% of $430]--       This is "goal-based budgeting"; you define goals for accounts and peri--       ods, often recurring, and hledger shows  performance  relative  to  the-       goals.   This  contrasts  with  "envelope budgeting", which is more de--       tailed and strict - useful when cash is tight, but  also  quite  a  bit-       more  work.  https://plaintextaccounting.org/Budgeting has more on this-       topic.--   Using the budget report-       Historically this report has been  confusing  and  fragile.   hledger's-       version  should  be  relatively robust and intuitive, but you may still-       find surprises.  Here are more notes to help with  learning  and  trou--       bleshooting.--       o In  the  above  example, expenses:bus and expenses:food are shown be--         cause they have budget goals during the report period.--       o Their parent expenses is also shown,  with  budget  goals  aggregated-         from the children.--       o The  subaccounts expenses:food:groceries and expenses:food:dining are-         not shown since they have no budget goal of their own, but they  con--         tribute to expenses:food's actual amount.--       o Unbudgeted  accounts  expenses:movies and expenses:gifts are also not-         shown, but they contribute to expenses's actual amount.--       o The other unbudgeted accounts  income  and  assets:bank:checking  are-         grouped as <unbudgeted>.--       o --depth  or depth: can be used to limit report depth in the usual way-         (but will not reveal unbudgeted subaccounts).--       o Amounts are always inclusive of subaccounts (even in -l/--list mode).--       o Numbers displayed in a --budget report will not always agree with the-         totals, because  of  hidden  unbudgeted  accounts;  this  is  normal.-         -E/--empty can be used to reveal the hidden accounts.--       o In the periodic rules used for setting budget goals, unbalanced post--         ings are convenient.--       o You  can filter budget reports with the usual queries, eg to focus on-         particular accounts.  It's common to restrict them to just  expenses.-         (The  <unbudgeted>  account  is occasionally hard to exclude; this is-         because of date surprises, discussed below.)--       o When you have multiple currencies, you may want to  convert  them  to-         one  (-X  COMM  --infer-market-prices) and/or show just one at a time-         (cur:COMM).  If you do need to  show  multiple  currencies  at  once,-         --layout bare can be helpful.--       o You  can "roll over" amounts (actual and budgeted) to the next period-         with --cumulative.--       See also: https://hledger.org/budgeting.html.--   Budget date surprises-       With small data, or when starting out, some  of  the  generated  budget-       goal  transaction dates might fall outside the report periods.  Eg with-       the following journal and report, the first period appears to  have  no-       expenses:food  budget.   (Also  the  <unbudgeted> account should be ex--       cluded by the expenses query, but isn't.):--              ~ monthly in 2020-                (expenses:food)  $500--              2020-01-15-                expenses:food    $400-                assets:checking--              $ hledger bal --budget expenses-              Budget performance in 2020-01-15:--                             ||         2020-01-15-              ===============++====================-               <unbudgeted>  || $400-               expenses:food ||    0 [ 0% of $500]-              ---------------++---------------------                             || $400 [80% of $500]--       In this case, the budget goal transactions are generated on first  days-       of  of month (this can be seen with hledger print --forecast tag:gener--       ated expenses).  Whereas the report period defaults to  just  the  15th-       day  of  january (this can be seen from the report table's column head--       ings).--       To fix this kind of thing, be more explicit  about  the  report  period-       (and/or  the periodic rules' dates).  In this case, adding -b 2020 does-       the trick.--   Selecting budget goals-       By default, the budget report uses all available  periodic  transaction-       rules  to  generate goals.  This includes rules with a different report-       interval from your report.  Eg if you have daily,  weekly  and  monthly-       periodic  rules, all of these will contribute to the goals in a monthly-       budget report.--       You can select a subset of periodic rules by providing an  argument  to-       the  --budget  flag.   --budget=DESCPAT  will  match all periodic rules-       whose description contains DESCPAT, a case-insensitive substring (not a-       regular expression or query).  This means you can  give  your  periodic-       rules  descriptions (remember that two spaces are needed between period-       expression and description), and then select from multiple budgets  de--       fined in your journal.--   Budgeting vs forecasting-       --forecast  and --budget both use the periodic transaction rules in the-       journal to generate  temporary  transactions  for  reporting  purposes.-       However  they  are  separate  features - though you can use both at the-       same time if you want.  Here are some differences between them:--       --forecast                               --budget-       ---------------------------------------------------------------------------       is a general option; it enables  fore-   is  a balance command option; it-       casting with all reports                 selects  the  balance   report's-                                                budget mode-       generates  visible  transactions which   generates invisible transactions-       appear in reports                        which produce goal amounts-       generates forecast  transactions  from   generates  budget  goal transac--       after the last regular transaction, to   tions throughout the report  pe--       the  end of the report period; or with   riod,  optionally  restricted by-       an argument --forecast=PERIODEXPR gen-   periods specified in  the  peri--       erates them throughout  the  specified   odic transaction rules-       period,  both optionally restricted by-       periods  specified  in  the   periodic-       transaction rules-       uses all periodic rules                  uses all periodic rules; or with-                                                an   argument   --budget=DESCPAT-                                                uses just the rules  matched  by-                                                DESCPAT--   Balance report layout-       The --layout option affects how balance and the other balance-like com--       mands  show  multi-commodity amounts and commodity symbols.  It can im--       prove readability, for humans and/or machines (other software).  It has-       four possible values:--       o --layout=wide[,WIDTH]: commodities are shown on a  single  line,  op--         tionally elided to WIDTH--       o --layout=tall: each commodity is shown on a separate line--       o --layout=bare: commodity symbols are in their own column, amounts are-         bare numbers--       o --layout=tidy:  data  is  normalised  to easily-consumed "tidy" form,-         with one row per data value.  (This one is currently  supported  only-         by the balance command.)--       Here  are  the  --layout modes supported by each output format Only CSV-       output supports all of them:--       -      txt   csv   html   json   sql-       --------------------------------------       wide   Y     Y     Y-       tall   Y     Y     Y-       bare   Y     Y     Y-       tidy         Y--       Examples:--   Wide layout-       With many commodities, reports can be very wide:--              $ hledger -f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade -3 -T -Y --layout=wide-              Balance changes in 2012-01-01..2014-12-31:--                                ||                                          2012                                                     2013                                             2014                                                      Total-              ==================++====================================================================================================================================================================================================================-               Assets:US:ETrade || 10.00 ITOT, 337.18 USD, 12.00 VEA, 106.00 VHT  70.00 GLD, 18.00 ITOT, -98.12 USD, 10.00 VEA, 18.00 VHT  -11.00 ITOT, 4881.44 USD, 14.00 VEA, 170.00 VHT  70.00 GLD, 17.00 ITOT, 5120.50 USD, 36.00 VEA, 294.00 VHT-              ------------------++---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                || 10.00 ITOT, 337.18 USD, 12.00 VEA, 106.00 VHT  70.00 GLD, 18.00 ITOT, -98.12 USD, 10.00 VEA, 18.00 VHT  -11.00 ITOT, 4881.44 USD, 14.00 VEA, 170.00 VHT  70.00 GLD, 17.00 ITOT, 5120.50 USD, 36.00 VEA, 294.00 VHT--       A width limit reduces the width, but some commodities will be hidden:--              $ hledger -f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade -3 -T -Y --layout=wide,32-              Balance changes in 2012-01-01..2014-12-31:--                                ||                             2012                             2013                   2014                            Total-              ==================++===========================================================================================================================-               Assets:US:ETrade || 10.00 ITOT, 337.18 USD, 2 more..  70.00 GLD, 18.00 ITOT, 3 more..  -11.00 ITOT, 3 more..  70.00 GLD, 17.00 ITOT, 3 more..-              ------------------++----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                || 10.00 ITOT, 337.18 USD, 2 more..  70.00 GLD, 18.00 ITOT, 3 more..  -11.00 ITOT, 3 more..  70.00 GLD, 17.00 ITOT, 3 more..--   Tall layout-       Each commodity gets a new line (may be different in each  column),  and-       account names are repeated:--              $ hledger -f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade -3 -T -Y --layout=tall-              Balance changes in 2012-01-01..2014-12-31:--                                ||       2012        2013         2014        Total-              ==================++==================================================-               Assets:US:ETrade || 10.00 ITOT   70.00 GLD  -11.00 ITOT    70.00 GLD-               Assets:US:ETrade || 337.18 USD  18.00 ITOT  4881.44 USD   17.00 ITOT-               Assets:US:ETrade ||  12.00 VEA  -98.12 USD    14.00 VEA  5120.50 USD-               Assets:US:ETrade || 106.00 VHT   10.00 VEA   170.00 VHT    36.00 VEA-               Assets:US:ETrade ||              18.00 VHT                294.00 VHT-              ------------------++---------------------------------------------------                                || 10.00 ITOT   70.00 GLD  -11.00 ITOT    70.00 GLD-                                || 337.18 USD  18.00 ITOT  4881.44 USD   17.00 ITOT-                                ||  12.00 VEA  -98.12 USD    14.00 VEA  5120.50 USD-                                || 106.00 VHT   10.00 VEA   170.00 VHT    36.00 VEA-                                ||              18.00 VHT                294.00 VHT--   Bare layout-       Commodity  symbols  are  kept in one column, each commodity has its own-       row, amounts are bare numbers, account names are repeated:--              $ hledger -f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade -3 -T -Y --layout=bare-              Balance changes in 2012-01-01..2014-12-31:--                                || Commodity    2012    2013     2014    Total-              ==================++=============================================-               Assets:US:ETrade || GLD             0   70.00        0    70.00-               Assets:US:ETrade || ITOT        10.00   18.00   -11.00    17.00-               Assets:US:ETrade || USD        337.18  -98.12  4881.44  5120.50-               Assets:US:ETrade || VEA         12.00   10.00    14.00    36.00-               Assets:US:ETrade || VHT        106.00   18.00   170.00   294.00-              ------------------++----------------------------------------------                                || GLD             0   70.00        0    70.00-                                || ITOT        10.00   18.00   -11.00    17.00-                                || USD        337.18  -98.12  4881.44  5120.50-                                || VEA         12.00   10.00    14.00    36.00-                                || VHT        106.00   18.00   170.00   294.00--       Bare layout also affects CSV output, which is useful for producing data-       that is easier to consume, eg for making charts:--              $ hledger -f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade -3 -O csv --layout=bare-              "account","commodity","balance"-              "Assets:US:ETrade","GLD","70.00"-              "Assets:US:ETrade","ITOT","17.00"-              "Assets:US:ETrade","USD","5120.50"-              "Assets:US:ETrade","VEA","36.00"-              "Assets:US:ETrade","VHT","294.00"-              "Total:","GLD","70.00"-              "Total:","ITOT","17.00"-              "Total:","USD","5120.50"-              "Total:","VEA","36.00"-              "Total:","VHT","294.00"--       Bare layout will sometimes display an extra row for the no-symbol  com--       modity,  because  of  zero  amounts  (hledger  treats zeroes as commod--       ity-less,   usually).    This   can   break   hledger-bar   confusingly-       (workaround: add a cur: query to exclude the no-symbol row).--   Tidy layout-       This       produces       normalised       "tidy       data"       (see-       https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/tidyr/vignettes/tidy-data.html)-       where every variable has its own column and each row represents a  sin--       gle data point.  This is the easiest kind of data for other software to-       consume:--              $ hledger -f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade -3 -Y -O csv --layout=tidy-              "account","period","start_date","end_date","commodity","value"-              "Assets:US:ETrade","2012","2012-01-01","2012-12-31","GLD","0"-              "Assets:US:ETrade","2012","2012-01-01","2012-12-31","ITOT","10.00"-              "Assets:US:ETrade","2012","2012-01-01","2012-12-31","USD","337.18"-              "Assets:US:ETrade","2012","2012-01-01","2012-12-31","VEA","12.00"-              "Assets:US:ETrade","2012","2012-01-01","2012-12-31","VHT","106.00"-              "Assets:US:ETrade","2013","2013-01-01","2013-12-31","GLD","70.00"-              "Assets:US:ETrade","2013","2013-01-01","2013-12-31","ITOT","18.00"-              "Assets:US:ETrade","2013","2013-01-01","2013-12-31","USD","-98.12"-              "Assets:US:ETrade","2013","2013-01-01","2013-12-31","VEA","10.00"-              "Assets:US:ETrade","2013","2013-01-01","2013-12-31","VHT","18.00"-              "Assets:US:ETrade","2014","2014-01-01","2014-12-31","GLD","0"-              "Assets:US:ETrade","2014","2014-01-01","2014-12-31","ITOT","-11.00"-              "Assets:US:ETrade","2014","2014-01-01","2014-12-31","USD","4881.44"-              "Assets:US:ETrade","2014","2014-01-01","2014-12-31","VEA","14.00"-              "Assets:US:ETrade","2014","2014-01-01","2014-12-31","VHT","170.00"--   Balance report output-       As  noted in Output format, if you choose HTML output (by using -O html-       or -o somefile.html), you can create a hledger.css file in the same di--       rectory to customise the report's appearance.--       The  HTML  and  FODS  output  formats  can  generate  hyperlinks  to  a-       hledger-web  register  view for each account and period.  E.g.  if your-       hledger-web server is reachable at http://localhost:5000 then you might-       run the balance command with the extra option  --base-url=http://local--       host:5000.     You    can    also    produce   relative   links,   like-       --base-url="some/path" or --base-url="".)--   Some useful balance reports-       Some frequently used balance options/reports are:--       o bal -M revenues expenses-       Show revenues/expenses in each month.  Also available as  the  incomes--       tatement command.--       o bal -M -H assets liabilities-       Show  historical  asset/liability  balances  at  each  month end.  Also-       available as the balancesheet command.--       o bal -M -H assets liabilities equity-       Show historical asset/liability/equity  balances  at  each  month  end.-       Also available as the balancesheetequity command.--       o bal -M assets not:receivable-       Show  changes  to  liquid  assets in each month.  Also available as the-       cashflow command.--       Also:--       o bal -M expenses -2 -SA-       Show monthly expenses summarised to  depth  2  and  sorted  by  average-       amount.--       o bal -M --budget expenses-       Show monthly expenses and budget goals.--       o bal -M --valuechange investments-       Show monthly change in market value of investment assets.--       o bal  investments  --valuechange  -D  date:lastweek  amt:'>1000'  -STA-         [--invert]-       Show top gainers [or losers] last week--   roi-       Shows the time-weighted (TWR) and money-weighted (IRR) rate  of  return-       on your investments.--              Flags:-                   --cashflow                 show all amounts that were used to compute-                                              returns-                   --investment=QUERY         query to select your investment transactions-                   --profit-loss=QUERY --pnl  query to select profit-and-loss or-                                              appreciation/valuation transactions--       At  a  minimum,  you need to supply a query (which could be just an ac--       count name) to select your investment(s) with --inv, and another  query-       to identify your profit and loss transactions with --pnl.--       If  you do not record changes in the value of your investment manually,-       or do not require computation  of  time-weighted  return  (TWR),  --pnl-       could be an empty query (--pnl "" or --pnl STR where STR does not match-       any of your accounts).--       This  command  will compute and display the internalized rate of return-       (IRR, also known as money-weighted rate of  return)  and  time-weighted-       rate  of  return  (TWR)  for  your  investments for the time period re--       quested.  IRR is always annualized due to the way it is  computed,  but-       TWR  is reported both as a rate over the chosen reporting period and as-       an annual rate.--       Price directives will be taken into account if you  supply  appropriate-       --cost or --value flags (see VALUATION).--       Note, in some cases this report can fail, for these reasons:--       o Error  (NotBracketed): No solution for Internal Rate of Return (IRR).-         Possible causes: IRR is huge (>1000000%), balance of  investment  be--         comes negative at some point in time.--       o Error  (SearchFailed):  Failed  to find solution for Internal Rate of-         Return (IRR).  Either search does not converge to a solution, or con--         verges too slowly.--       Examples:--       o Using  roi  to  compute  total  return  of  investment   in   stocks:-         https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/blob/master/examples/invest--         ing/roi-unrealised.ledger--       o Cookbook > Return on Investment: https://hledger.org/roi.html--   Spaces and special characters in --inv and --pnl-       Note that --inv and --pnl's argument is a query, and queries could have-       several space-separated terms (see QUERIES).--       To  indicate  that  all search terms form single command-line argument,-       you will need to put them in quotes (see Special characters):--              $ hledger roi --inv 'term1 term2 term3 ...'--       If any query terms contain spaces themselves, you will  need  an  extra-       level of nested quoting, eg:--              $ hledger roi --inv="'Assets:Test 1'" --pnl="'Equity:Unrealized Profit and Loss'"--   Semantics of --inv and --pnl-       Query  supplied to --inv has to match all transactions that are related-       to your investment.  Transactions not matching --inv will be ignored.--       In these transactions, ROI will conside postings that match --inv to be-       "investment postings" and other postings (not matching --inv)  will  be-       sorted  into  two categories: "cash flow" and "profit and loss", as ROI-       needs to know which part of the investment value is your  contributions-       and which is due to the return on investment.--       o "Cash flow" is depositing or withdrawing money, buying or selling as--         sets,  or  otherwise converting between your investment commodity and-         any other commodity.  Example:--                2019-01-01 Investing in Snake Oil-                  assets:cash          -$100-                  investment:snake oil--                2020-01-01 Selling my Snake Oil-                  assets:cash           $10-                  investment:snake oil  = 0--       o "Profit and loss" is change in the value of your investment:--                2019-06-01 Snake Oil falls in value-                  investment:snake oil  = $57-                  equity:unrealized profit or loss--       All non-investment postings are assumed to be "cash flow", unless  they-       match  --pnl query.  Changes in value of your investment due to "profit-       and loss" postings will be considered as part of  your  investment  re--       turn.--       Example:  if you use --inv snake --pnl equity:unrealized, then postings-       in the example below would be classifed as:--              2019-01-01 Snake Oil #1-                assets:cash          -$100   ; cash flow posting-                investment:snake oil         ; investment posting--              2019-03-01 Snake Oil #2-                equity:unrealized pnl  -$100 ; profit and loss posting-                snake oil                    ; investment posting--              2019-07-01 Snake Oil #3-                equity:unrealized pnl        ; profit and loss posting-                cash          -$100          ; cash flow posting-                snake oil     $50            ; investment posting--   IRR and TWR explained-       "ROI" stands for "return on investment".  Traditionally this  was  com--       puted  as a difference between current value of investment and its ini--       tial value, expressed in percentage of the initial value.--       However, this approach is only practical in simple cases, where invest--       ments receives no in-flows or out-flows of money,  and  where  rate  of-       growth is fixed over time.  For more complex scenarios you need differ--       ent  ways to compute rate of return, and this command implements two of-       them: IRR and TWR.--       Internal rate of return, or "IRR" (also called "money-weighted rate  of-       return")  takes into account effects of in-flows and out-flows, and the-       time between them.  Investment at a particular fixed interest  rate  is-       going  to  give  you more interest than the same amount invested at the-       same interest rate, but made later in time.   If  you  are  withdrawing-       from  your  investment, your future gains would be smaller (in absolute-       numbers), and will be a smaller percentage of your initial  investment,-       so your IRR will be smaller.  And if you are adding to your investment,-       you will receive bigger absolute gains, which will be a bigger percent--       age of your initial investment, so your IRR will be larger.--       As  mentioned before, in-flows and out-flows would be any cash that you-       personally put in or withdraw, and for the "roi" command, these are the-       postings that match the query in the--inv argument and  NOT  match  the-       query in the--pnl argument.--       If  you  manually  record  changes  in  the value of your investment as-       transactions that balance them against "profit and loss"  (or  "unreal--       ized  gains") account or use price directives, then in order for IRR to-       compute the precise effect of your in-flows and out-flows on  the  rate-       of  return, you will need to record the value of your investement on or-       close to the days when in- or out-flows occur.--       In technical terms, IRR uses the same approach as  computation  of  net-       present value, and tries to find a discount rate that makes net present-       value of all the cash flows of your investment to add up to zero.  This-       could  be hard to wrap your head around, especially if you haven't done-       discounted cash flow analysis before.  Implementation of IRR in hledger-       should produce results that match the =XIRR formula in Excel.--       Second way to compute rate of return that  roi  command  implements  is-       called  "time-weighted rate of return" or "TWR".  Like IRR, it will ac--       count for the effect of your in-flows and out-flows, but unlike IRR  it-       will  try  to  compute the true rate of return of the underlying asset,-       compensating for the effect that deposits and withdrawas  have  on  the-       apparent rate of growth of your investment.--       TWR  represents  your  investment  as  an  imaginary  "unit fund" where-       in-flows/ out-flows lead to buying or selling "units" of  your  invest--       ment  and  changes  in its value change the value of "investment unit".-       Change in "unit price" over the reporting period gives you rate of  re--       turn  of  your  investment, and make TWR less sensitive than IRR to the-       effects of cash in-flows and out-flows.--       References:--       o Explanation of rate of return--       o Explanation of IRR--       o Explanation of TWR--       o IRR vs TWR--       o Examples of computing IRR and TWR and discussion of  the  limitations-         of both metrics--Chart commands-   activity-       Show an ascii barchart of posting counts per interval.--              Flags:-              no command-specific flags--       The  activity  command  displays an ascii histogram showing transaction-       counts by day, week, month or other reporting interval (by day  is  the-       default).  With query arguments, it counts only matched transactions.--       Examples:--              $ hledger activity --quarterly-              2008-01-01 **-              2008-04-01 *******-              2008-07-01-              2008-10-01 **--Data generation commands-   close-       (equity)--       close  prints several kinds of "closing" and/or "opening" transactions,-       useful in various situations: migrating balances to a new journal file,-       retaining earnings into equity,  consolidating  balances,  viewing  lot-       costs..   Like  print,  it  prints valid journal entries.  You can copy-       these into your journal file(s) when you are happy with how they look.--              Flags:-                   --clopen[=TAGVAL]      show closing and opening balances transactions,-                                          for AL accounts by default-                   --close[=TAGVAL]       show just a closing balances transaction-                   --open[=TAGVAL]        show just an opening balances transaction-                   --assert[=TAGVAL]      show a balance assertions transaction-                   --assign[=TAGVAL]      show a balance assignments transaction-                   --retain[=TAGVAL]      show a retain earnings transaction, for RX-                                          accounts by default-                -x --explicit             show all amounts explicitly-                   --show-costs           show amounts with different costs separately-                   --interleaved          show source and destination postings together-                   --assertion-type=TYPE  =, ==, =* or ==*-                   --close-desc=DESC      set closing transaction's description-                   --close-acct=ACCT      set closing transaction's destination account-                   --open-desc=DESC       set opening transaction's description-                   --open-acct=ACCT       set opening transaction's source account-                   --round=TYPE           how much rounding or padding should be done when-                                          displaying amounts ?-                                          none - show original decimal digits,-                                                 as in journal (default)-                                          soft - just add or remove decimal zeros-                                                 to match precision-                                          hard - round posting amounts to precision-                                                 (can unbalance transactions)-                                          all  - also round cost amounts to precision-                                                 (can unbalance transactions)--       close has six modes, selected  by  choosing  one  of  the  mode  flags:-       --clopen,  --close  (default), --open, --assert, --assign, or --retain.-       They are all doing the same kind of operation, but with  different  de--       faults for different situations.--       The  journal  entries generated by close will have a clopen: tag, which-       is helpful when you want to exclude them from  reports.   If  the  main-       journal  file name contains a number, the tag's value will be that base-       file name with the number incremented.   Eg  if  the  journal  file  is-       2025.journal,  the  tag  will  be  clopen:2026.  Or you can set the tag-       value by providing an argument to the mode  flag.   Eg  --close=foo  or-       --clopen=2025-main.--   close --clopen-       This is useful if migrating balances to a new journal file at the start-       of  a new year.  It prints a "closing balances" transaction that zeroes-       out account balances (Asset and Liability accounts, by default), and an-       opposite "opening balances" transaction that restores them again.  Typ--       ically, you would run--              hledger close --clopen -e NEWYEAR >> $LEDGER_FILE--       and then move the opening transaction from the old file to the new file-       (and probably also update your LEDGER_FILE environment variable).--       Why might you do this ?  If your reports are fast, you may not need it.-       But at some point you will probably want  to  partition  your  data  by-       time,  for  performance or data integrity or regulatory reasons.  A new-       file or set of files per year is common.  Then, having each  file/file--       set  "bookended" with opening and closing balance transactions will al--       low you to freely pick and choose which files to read - just  the  cur--       rent year, any past year, any sequence of years, or all of them - while-       showing  correct  account  balances in each case.  The earliest opening-       balances transaction sets correct  starting  balances,  and  any  later-       closing/opening pairs will harmlessly cancel each other out.--       The  balances  will  be  transferred to and from equity:opening/closing-       balances by default.  You  can  override  this  by  using  --close-acct-       and/or --open-acct.--       You  can  select a different set of accounts to close/open by providing-       an account query.  Eg to add Equity accounts,  provide  arguments  like-       assets  liabilities  equity or type:ALE.  When migrating to a new file,-       you'll usually want to bring along the AL or ALE accounts, but not  the-       RX accounts (Revenue, Expense).--       Assertions  will  be  added indicating and checking the new balances of-       the closed/opened accounts.--   close --close-       This prints just the closing balances transaction of --clopen.   It  is-       the default if you don't specify a mode.--       More  customisation  options  are described below.  Among other things,-       you can use close --close to generate a transaction moving the balances-       from any set of accounts, to a different account.  (If you need to move-       just a portion of the balance, see hledger-move.)--   close --open-       This prints just the opening balances transaction of --clopen.  (It  is-       similar to Ledger's equity command.)--   close --assert-       This prints a transaction that asserts the account balances as they are-       on the end date (and adds an assert: tag).  It could be useful as docu--       mention and to guard against changes.--   close --assign-       This prints a transaction that assigns the account balances as they are-       on  the  end  date  (and adds an "assign:" tag).  Unlike balance asser--       tions, assignments will post changes to balances as needed to reach the-       specified amounts.--       This is another way to set starting balances when migrating  to  a  new-       file,  and  it  will set them correctly even in the presence of earlier-       files which do not have a closing balances  transaction.   However,  it-       can  hide  errors,  and disturb the accounting equation, so --clopen is-       usually recommended.--   close --retain-       This is like --close, but it closes Revenue and  Expense  account  bal--       ances  by  default.   They will be transferred to equity:retained earn--       ings, or another account specified with --close-acct.--       Revenues and expenses correspond to changes in equity.  They are  cate--       gorised separately for reporting purposes, but traditionally at the end-       of  each  accounting  period,  businesses consolidate them into equity,-       This is called "retaining earnings", or "closing the books".--       In personal accounting, there's not much reason to do  this,  and  most-       people  don't.   (One reason to do it is to help the balancesheetequity-       report show a zero total, demonstrating that  the  accounting  equation-       (A-L=E) is satisfied.)--   close customisation-       In all modes, the following things can be overridden:--       o the accounts to be closed/opened, with account query arguments--       o the closing/opening dates, with -e OPENDATE--       o the balancing account, with --close-acct=ACCT and/or --open-acct=ACCT--       o the    transaction    descriptions,    with   --close-desc=DESC   and-         --open-desc=DESC--       o the transactions' clopen tag value, with a TAGVAL  argument  for  the-         mode flag (see above).--       By  default,  the closing date is yesterday, or the journal's end date,-       whichever is later; and the opening date is always one  day  after  the-       closing  date.   You  can change these by specifying a report end date;-       the closing date will be the last day of the report period.  Eg -e 2024-       means "close on 2023-12-31, open on 2024-01-01".--       With --x/--explicit, the balancing amount will be shown explicitly, and-       if it involves multiple commodities, a separate posting will be  gener--       ated for each of them (similar to print -x).--       With  --interleaved,  each individual transfer is shown with source and-       destination postings next to  each  other  (perhaps  useful  for  trou--       bleshooting).--       With --show-costs, balances' costs are also shown, with different costs-       kept  separate.   This  may generate very large journal entries, if you-       have many  currency  conversions  or  investment  transactions.   close-       --show-costs  is  currently  the  best way to view investment lots with-       hledger.   (To  move  or  dispose  of  lots,  see  the   more   capable-       hledger-move script.)--   close and balance assertions-       close adds balance assertions verifying that the accounts have been re--       set to zero in a closing transaction or restored to their previous bal--       ances  in an opening transaction.  These provide useful error checking,-       but you can ignore them temporarily with -I, or remove them if you pre--       fer.--       Single-commodity, subaccount-exclusive balance assertions (=) are  gen--       erated  by  default.   This  can be changed with --assertion-type='==*'-       (eg).--       When running close you should probably  avoid  using  -C,  -R,  status:-       (filtering  by  status  or  realness)  or --auto (generating postings),-       since the generated balance assertions would then require these.--       Transactions with multiple dates (eg posting dates) spanning  the  file-       boundary also can disrupt the balance assertions:--              2023-12-30 a purchase made in december, cleared in january-                  expenses:food          5-                  assets:bank:checking  -5  ; date: 2023-01-02--       To  solve  this  you can transfer the money to and from a temporary ac--       count, splitting the multi-day transaction into two single-day transac--       tions:--              ; in 2022.journal:-              2022-12-30 a purchase made in december, cleared in january-                  expenses:food          5-                  equity:pending        -5--              ; in 2023.journal:-              2023-01-02 last year's transaction cleared-                  equity:pending         5 = 0-                  assets:bank:checking  -5--   close examples-   Retain earnings-       Record 2022's revenues/expenses as retained earnings on 2022-12-31, ap--       pending the generated transaction to the journal:--              $ hledger close --retain -f 2022.journal -p 2022 >> 2022.journal--       After this, to see 2022's revenues and expenses you  must  exclude  the-       retain earnings transaction:--              $ hledger -f 2022.journal is not:desc:'retain earnings'--   Migrate balances to a new file-       Close assets/liabilities on 2022-12-31 and re-open them on 2023-01-01:--              $ hledger close --clopen -f 2022.journal -p 2022-              # copy/paste the closing transaction to the end of 2022.journal-              # copy/paste the opening transaction to the start of 2023.journal--       After  this,  to  see  2022's end-of-year balances you must exclude the-       closing balances transaction:--              $ hledger -f 2022.journal bs not:desc:'closing balances'--       For more flexibility, it helps to tag closing and opening  transactions-       with eg clopen:NEWYEAR, then you can ensure correct balances by exclud--       ing all opening/closing transactions except the first, like so:--              $ hledger bs -Y -f 2021.j -f 2022.j -f 2023.j expr:'tag:clopen=2021 or not tag:clopen'-              $ hledger bs -Y -f 2021.j -f 2022.j           expr:'tag:clopen=2021 or not tag:clopen'-              $ hledger bs -Y -f 2022.j -f 2023.j           expr:'tag:clopen=2022 or not tag:clopen'-              $ hledger bs -Y -f 2021.j                     expr:'tag:clopen=2021 or not tag:clopen'-              $ hledger bs -Y -f 2022.j                     expr:'tag:clopen=2022 or not tag:clopen'-              $ hledger bs -Y -f 2023.j                     # unclosed file, no query needed--   More detailed close examples-       See examples/multi-year.--   rewrite-       Print all transactions, rewriting the postings of matched transactions.-       For  now  the only rewrite available is adding new postings, like print-       --auto.--              Flags:-                   --add-posting='ACCT  AMTEXPR'  add a posting to ACCT, which may be-                                                  parenthesised. AMTEXPR is either a literal-                                                  amount, or *N which means the transaction's-                                                  first matched amount multiplied by N (a-                                                  decimal number). Two spaces separate ACCT-                                                  and AMTEXPR.-                   --diff                         generate diff suitable as an input for-                                                  patch tool--       This is a start at a generic rewriter of transaction entries.  It reads-       the default journal and prints the transactions, like print,  but  adds-       one or more specified postings to any transactions matching QUERY.  The-       posting  amounts can be fixed, or a multiplier of the existing transac--       tion's first posting amount.--       Examples:--              $ hledger-rewrite.hs ^income --add-posting '(liabilities:tax)  *.33  ; income tax' --add-posting '(reserve:gifts)  $100'-              $ hledger-rewrite.hs expenses:gifts --add-posting '(reserve:gifts)  *-1"'-              $ hledger-rewrite.hs -f rewrites.hledger--       rewrites.hledger may consist of entries like:--              = ^income amt:<0 date:2017-                (liabilities:tax)  *0.33  ; tax on income-                (reserve:grocery)  *0.25  ; reserve 25% for grocery-                (reserve:)  *0.25  ; reserve 25% for grocery--       Note the single quotes to protect the dollar sign from  bash,  and  the-       two spaces between account and amount.--       More:--              $ hledger rewrite [QUERY]        --add-posting "ACCT  AMTEXPR" ...-              $ hledger rewrite ^income        --add-posting '(liabilities:tax)  *.33'-              $ hledger rewrite expenses:gifts --add-posting '(budget:gifts)  *-1"'-              $ hledger rewrite ^income        --add-posting '(budget:foreign currency)  *0.25 JPY; diversify'--       Argument  for  --add-posting  option  is a usual posting of transaction-       with an exception for amount specification.  More  precisely,  you  can-       use '*' (star symbol) before the amount to indicate that that this is a-       factor  for  an  amount of original matched posting.  If the amount in--       cludes a commodity name, the new posting amount will be in the new com--       modity; otherwise, it will be in the matched posting  amount's  commod--       ity.--   Re-write rules in a file-       During  the  run  this  tool will execute so called "Automated Transac--       tions" found in any journal it process.  I.e instead of specifying this-       operations in command line you can put them in a journal file.--              $ rewrite-rules.journal--       Make contents look like this:--              = ^income-                  (liabilities:tax)  *.33--              = expenses:gifts-                  budget:gifts  *-1-                  assets:budget  *1--       Note that '=' (equality symbol) that is used instead of date in  trans--       actions you usually write.  It indicates the query by which you want to-       match the posting to add new ones.--              $ hledger rewrite -f input.journal -f rewrite-rules.journal > rewritten-tidy-output.journal--       This is something similar to the commands pipeline:--              $ hledger rewrite -f input.journal '^income' --add-posting '(liabilities:tax)  *.33' \-                | hledger rewrite -f - expenses:gifts      --add-posting 'budget:gifts  *-1'       \-                                                              --add-posting 'assets:budget  *1'       \-                > rewritten-tidy-output.journal--       It  is  important  to understand that relative order of such entries in-       journal is important.  You can re-use result of previously added  post--       ings.--   Diff output format-       To  use  this tool for batch modification of your journal files you may-       find useful output in form of unified diff.--              $ hledger rewrite --diff -f examples/sample.journal '^income' --add-posting '(liabilities:tax)  *.33'--       Output might look like:--              --- /tmp/examples/sample.journal-              +++ /tmp/examples/sample.journal-              @@ -18,3 +18,4 @@-               2008/01/01 income-              -    assets:bank:checking  $1-              +    assets:bank:checking            $1-                   income:salary-              +    (liabilities:tax)                0-              @@ -22,3 +23,4 @@-               2008/06/01 gift-              -    assets:bank:checking  $1-              +    assets:bank:checking            $1-                   income:gifts-              +    (liabilities:tax)                0--       If you'll pass this through patch tool you'll get transactions contain--       ing the posting that matches your query be updated.  Note that multiple-       files might be update according to list of input  files  specified  via-       --file options and include directives inside of these files.--       Be  careful.  Whole transaction being re-formatted in a style of output-       from hledger print.--       See also:--       https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/99--   rewrite vs. print --auto-       This command predates print --auto, and currently does  much  the  same-       thing, but with these differences:--       o with  multiple files, rewrite lets rules in any file affect all other-         files.  print --auto uses standard directive  scoping;  rules  affect-         only child files.--       o rewrite's  query  limits which transactions can be rewritten; all are-         printed.  print --auto's query limits which transactions are printed.--       o rewrite applies rules specified on command line or  in  the  journal.-         print --auto applies rules specified in the journal.--Maintenance commands-   check-       Check for various kinds of errors in your data.--              Flags:-              no command-specific flags--       hledger  provides a number of built-in correctness checks to help vali--       date your data and prevent errors.  Some are  run  automatically,  some-       when  you enable --strict mode; or you can run any of them on demand by-       providing them as arguments to the check command.   check  produces  no-       output and a zero exit code if all is well.  Eg:--              hledger check                      # run basic checks-              hledger check -s                   # run basic and strict checks-              hledger check ordereddates payees  # run basic checks and two others--       If  you  are  an Emacs user, you can also configure flycheck-hledger to-       run these checks, providing instant feedback as you edit the journal.--       Here are the checks currently available.  They are generally checked in-       the order they are shown here, and only the first failure will  be  re--       ported.--   Basic checks-       These  important checks are performed by default, by almost all hledger-       commands:--       o parseable - data files are in a supported format, with no syntax  er--         rors  and no invalid include directives.  This ensures that all files-         exist and are readable.--       o autobalanced - all transactions are balanced, after automatically in--         ferring missing amounts and  conversion  rates  and  then  converting-         amounts  to cost.  This ensures that each transaction's journal entry-         is well formed.--       o assertions - all balance assertions in the journal are passing.  Bal--         ance assertions are a strong defense against  errors,  catching  many-         problems.   This  check is on by default, but if it gets in your way,-         you can disable it temporarily with -I/--ignore-assertions, or  as  a-         default  by  adding  that  flag  to  your  config  file.   (Then  use-         -s/--strict or hledger check assertions when you want to enable it).--   Strict checks-       When the -s/--strict flag is used (AKA strict mode), all commands  will-       perform the following additional checks (and assertions, above).  These-       provide extra error-catching power to help you keep your data clean and-       correct:--       o balanced  -  like autobalanced, but implicit conversions between com--         modities are not allowed; all conversion transactions must  use  cost-         notation  or equity postings.  This prevents wrong conversions caused-         by typos.--       o commodities - all commodity symbols  used  must  be  declared.   This-         guards against mistyping or omitting commodity symbols.--       o accounts  -  all  account names used must be declared.  This prevents-         the use of mis-spelled or outdated account names.--   Other checks-       These are not wanted by everyone, but can be run using the  check  com--       mand:--       o tags - all tags used must be declared.  This prevents mis-spelled tag-         names.  Note hledger fairly often finds unintended tags in comments.--       o payees - all payees used in transactions must be declared.  This will-         force you to declare any new payee name before using it.  Most people-         will probably find this a bit too strict.--       o ordereddates  -  within  each  file,  transactions must be ordered by-         date.  This is a simple and effective error catcher.   It's  not  in--         cluded in strict mode, but you can add it by running hledger check -s-         ordereddates.  If enabled, this check is performed before balance as--         sertions.--       o recentassertions - all accounts with balance assertions must have one-         that's  within the 7 days before their latest posting.  This will en--         courage adding balance assertions for your active asset/liability ac--         counts, which in turn should encourage  you  to  reconcile  regularly-         with  those  real world balances - another strong defense against er--         rors.  (hledger close --assert >>$LEDGER_FILE is a convenient way  to-         add  new balance assertions.  Later these become quite redundant, and-         you might choose to remove them to reduce clutter.)--       o uniqueleafnames - no two accounts may have the same last account name-         part (eg the checking in assets:bank:checking).   This  ensures  each-         account can be matched by a unique short name, easier to remember and-         to type.--   Custom checks-       You  can build your own custom checks with add-on command scripts.  See-       also Cookbook > Scripting.  Here are some examples from hledger/bin/:--       o hledger-check-tagfiles - all tag values containing /  exist  as  file-         paths--       o hledger-check-fancyassertions  -  more complex balance assertions are-         passing--   diff-       Compares a particular account's transactions in two  input  files.   It-       shows any transactions to this account which are in one file but not in-       the other.--              Flags:-              no command-specific flags--       More precisely: for each posting affecting this account in either file,-       this  command looks for a corresponding posting in the other file which-       posts the same amount to the same account (ignoring date,  description,-       etc).--       Since it compares postings, not transactions, this also works when mul--       tiple bank transactions have been combined into a single journal entry.--       This  command is useful eg if you have downloaded an account's transac--       tions from your bank (eg as CSV data): when hledger and your bank  dis--       agree  about  the  account  balance, you can compare the bank data with-       your journal to find out the cause.--       Examples:--              $ hledger diff -f $LEDGER_FILE -f bank.csv assets:bank:giro-              These transactions are in the first file only:--              2014/01/01 Opening Balances-                  assets:bank:giro              EUR ...-                  ...-                  equity:opening balances       EUR -...--              These transactions are in the second file only:--   setup-       Check the status of the hledger installation.--              Flags:-              no command-specific flags--       setup tests your hledger installation and prints  a  list  of  results,-       sometimes  with helpful hints.  This is a good first command to run af--       ter installing hledger.  Also after upgrading, or when something's  not-       working, or just when you want a reminder of where things are.--       It  makes one network request to detect the latest hledger release ver--       sion.  It's ok if this fails or times out.  It will use ANSI  color  by-       default,  unless  disabled by NO_COLOR or --color=n.  It does not use a-       pager or a config file.--       It expects that the hledger version you are  running  is  installed  in-       your  PATH.   If  not,  it  will stop until you have done that (to keep-       things simple).--       Example:--              $ hledger setup-              Checking your hledger setup..-              Legend: good, neutral, unknown, warning--              hledger-              * is a released version ?                   no  hledger 1.42.99-gbca4b39c5-20250425, mac-aarch64-              * is up to date ?                          yes  1.42.99 installed, latest is 1.42.1-              * is a native binary for this machine ?    yes  aarch64-              * is installed in PATH ?                   yes  /Users/simon/.local/bin/hledger-              * has a system text encoding configured ?  yes  UTF-8, data files should use this encoding-              * has a user config file ? (optional)       no-              * current directory has a local config ?   yes  /Users/simon/src/hledger/hledger.conf-              * the config file is readable ?            yes  /Users/simon/src/hledger/hledger.conf--              terminal-              * the NO_COLOR variable is defined ?        no-              * --color is configured by config file ?    no-              * hledger will use color by default ?      yes-              * the PAGER variable is defined ?          yes  less-              * --pager is configured by config file ?    no-              * hledger will use a pager when needed ?   yes  /opt/homebrew/bin/less-              * the LESS variable is defined ?           yes-              * the HLEDGER_LESS variable is defined ?    no-              * adjusting LESS variable for color etc. ? yes-              * --pretty is enabled by config file ?      no  tables will use ASCII characters-              * bash shell completions are installed ?     ?-              * zsh shell completions are installed ?      ?--              journal-              * the LEDGER_FILE variable is defined ?    yes  /Users/simon/finance/2025/2025.journal-              * a default journal file is readable ?     yes  /Users/simon/finance/2025/2025.journal-              * it includes additional files ?           yes  15-              * all commodities are declared ?           yes  10-              * all accounts are declared ?              yes  160-              * all accounts have types ?                 no  14 untyped-              * accounts of each type were detected ?    yes  ALERXCV-              * commodities/accounts are checked ?        no  use -s to check commodities/accounts-              * balance assertions are checked ?         yes  use -I to ignore assertions--   test-       Run built-in unit tests.--              Flags:-              no command-specific flags--       This command runs the unit tests built in to hledger  and  hledger-lib,-       printing  the results on stdout.  If any test fails, the exit code will-       be non-zero.--       This is mainly used by hledger developers, but you can also use  it  to-       sanity-check  the  installed  hledger executable on your platform.  All-       tests are expected to pass - if you ever see a failure,  please  report-       as a bug!--       Any  arguments  before  a  -- argument will be passed to the tasty test-       runner as test-selecting -p patterns, and any arguments after  --  will-       be passed to tasty unchanged.--       Examples:--              $ hledger test               # run all unit tests-              $ hledger test balance       # run tests with "balance" in their name-              $ hledger test -- -h         # show tasty's options--PART 5: COMMON TASKS-       Here  are  some  quick  examples  of  how  to  do some basic tasks with-       hledger.--   Getting help-       Here's how to list commands and view options and command docs:--              $ hledger                # show available commands-              $ hledger --help         # show common options-              $ hledger CMD --help     # show CMD's options, common options and CMD's documentation--       You can also view your hledger version's manual in several  formats  by-       using the help command.  Eg:--              $ hledger help           # show the hledger manual with info, man or $PAGER (best available)-              $ hledger help journal   # show the journal topic in the hledger manual-              $ hledger help --help    # find out more about the help command--       To   view   manuals   and   introductory   docs   on   the  web,  visit-       https://hledger.org.   Chat  and  mail  list  support  and   discussion-       archives can be found at https://hledger.org/support.--   Constructing command lines-       hledger  has  a  flexible command line interface.  We strive to keep it-       simple and ergonomic, but if you run into one of the  sharp  edges  de--       scribed in OPTIONS, here are some tips that might help:--       o command-specific  options must go after the command (it's fine to put-         common options there too: hledger CMD OPTS ARGS)--       o you can run addon commands via hledger (hledger  ui  [ARGS])  or  di--         rectly (hledger-ui [ARGS])--       o enclose "problematic" arguments in single quotes--       o if  needed, also add a backslash to hide regular expression metachar--         acters from the shell--       o to see how a misbehaving command line is being parsed, add --debug=2.--   Starting a journal file-       hledger  looks  for  your  accounting   data   in   a   journal   file,-       $HOME/.hledger.journal by default:--              $ hledger stats-              The hledger journal file "/Users/simon/.hledger.journal" was not found.-              Please create it first, eg with "hledger add" or a text editor.-              Or, specify an existing journal file with -f or LEDGER_FILE.--       You  can  override this by setting the LEDGER_FILE environment variable-       (see below).  It's a good practice to keep this  important  file  under-       version  control,  and  to start a new file each year.  So you could do-       something like this:--              $ mkdir ~/finance-              $ cd ~/finance-              $ git init-              Initialized empty Git repository in /Users/simon/finance/.git/-              $ touch 2023.journal-              $ echo "export LEDGER_FILE=$HOME/finance/2023.journal" >> ~/.profile-              $ source ~/.profile-              $ hledger stats-              Main file                : /Users/simon/finance/2023.journal-              Included files           :-              Transactions span        :  to  (0 days)-              Last transaction         : none-              Transactions             : 0 (0.0 per day)-              Transactions last 30 days: 0 (0.0 per day)-              Transactions last 7 days : 0 (0.0 per day)-              Payees/descriptions      : 0-              Accounts                 : 0 (depth 0)-              Commodities              : 0 ()-              Market prices            : 0 ()--   Setting LEDGER_FILE-   Set LEDGER_FILE on unix-       It depends on your shell, but running these commands  in  the  terminal-       will work for many people; adapt if needed:--              $ echo 'export LEDGER_FILE=~/finance/my.journal' >> ~/.profile-              $ source ~/.profile--       When correctly configured:--       o env | grep LEDGER_FILE will show your new setting--       o and so should hledger setup and hledger files.--   Set LEDGER_FILE on mac-       In a terminal window, follow the unix procedure above.--       Also, this optional step may be helpful for GUI applications:--       1. Add an entry to ~/.MacOSX/environment.plist like--                  {-                    "LEDGER_FILE" : "~/finance/my.journal"-                  }--       2. Run  killall  Dock in a terminal window (or restart the machine), to-          complete the change.--       When correctly configured for GUI applications:--       o apps started from the dock or a  spotlight  search,  such  as  a  GUI-         Emacs, will be aware of the new LEDGER_FILE setting.--   Set LEDGER_FILE on Windows-       Using the gui is easiest:--       1. In  task bar, search for environment variables, and choose "Edit en--          vironment variables for your account".--       2. Create or change a LEDGER_FILE setting in the User  variables  pane.-          A typical value would be C:\Users\USERNAME\finance\my.journal.--       3. Click OK to complete the change.--       4. And  open  a new powershell window.  (Existing windows won't see the-          change.)--       Or at the command line, you can do it this way:--       1. In  a  powershell  window,  run   [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVari--          able("LEDGER_FILE",   "C:\User\USERNAME\finance\my.journal",   [Sys--          tem.EnvironmentVariableTarget]::User)--       2. And open a new powershell window.  (Existing windows won't  see  the-          change.)--       Warning,  doing this from the Windows command line can be tricky; other-       methods you may find online:--       o may not affect the current window--       o may not be persistent--       o may not work unless you are an administrator--       o may limit values to 1024 characters--       o may break dynamic references to other variables--       o may require a new-enough version of powershell--       o or may be intended for the older command window.--       o If you still have trouble, see eg Setting Windows PowerShell environ--         ment variables or Adding path permanently to windows using powershell-         doesn't appear to work.--       When correctly configured:--       o in a new powershell window, $env:LEDGER_FILE will show your new  set--         ting--       o and so should hledger setup and (once the file exists) hledger files.--   Setting opening balances-       Pick  a  starting  date  for which you can look up the balances of some-       real-world assets (bank accounts, wallet..)   and  liabilities  (credit-       cards..).--       To  avoid  a  lot of data entry, you may want to start with just one or-       two accounts, like your checking account or cash wallet; and pick a re--       cent starting date, like today or the start of the week.  You  can  al--       ways  come  back later and add more accounts and older transactions, eg-       going back to january 1st.--       Add an opening balances transaction to the journal, declaring the  bal--       ances on this date.  Here are two ways to do it:--       o The  first way: open the journal in any text editor and save an entry-         like this:--                2023-01-01 * opening balances-                    assets:bank:checking                $1000   = $1000-                    assets:bank:savings                 $2000   = $2000-                    assets:cash                          $100   = $100-                    liabilities:creditcard               $-50   = $-50-                    equity:opening/closing balances--         These are start-of-day balances, ie whatever was in  the  account  at-         the end of the previous day.--         The  *  after  the  date  is  an optional status flag.  Here it means-         "cleared & confirmed".--         The currency symbols are optional, but usually a good idea as  you'll-         be dealing with multiple currencies sooner or later.--         The  = amounts are optional balance assertions, providing extra error-         checking.--       o The second way: run hledger add and follow the prompts  to  record  a-         similar transaction:--                $ hledger add-                Adding transactions to journal file /Users/simon/finance/2023.journal-                Any command line arguments will be used as defaults.-                Use tab key to complete, readline keys to edit, enter to accept defaults.-                An optional (CODE) may follow transaction dates.-                An optional ; COMMENT may follow descriptions or amounts.-                If you make a mistake, enter < at any prompt to go one step backward.-                To end a transaction, enter . when prompted.-                To quit, enter . at a date prompt or press control-d or control-c.-                Date [2023-02-07]: 2023-01-01-                Description: * opening balances-                Account 1: assets:bank:checking-                Amount  1: $1000-                Account 2: assets:bank:savings-                Amount  2 [$-1000]: $2000-                Account 3: assets:cash-                Amount  3 [$-3000]: $100-                Account 4: liabilities:creditcard-                Amount  4 [$-3100]: $-50-                Account 5: equity:opening/closing balances-                Amount  5 [$-3050]:-                Account 6 (or . or enter to finish this transaction): .-                2023-01-01 * opening balances-                    assets:bank:checking                      $1000-                    assets:bank:savings                       $2000-                    assets:cash                                $100-                    liabilities:creditcard                     $-50-                    equity:opening/closing balances          $-3050--                Save this transaction to the journal ? [y]:-                Saved.-                Starting the next transaction (. or ctrl-D/ctrl-C to quit)-                Date [2023-01-01]: .--       If  you're  using  version control, this could be a good time to commit-       the journal.  Eg:--              $ git commit -m 'initial balances' 2023.journal--   Recording transactions-       As you spend or receive money, you can record these transactions  using-       one  of  the  methods  above (text editor, hledger add) or by using the-       hledger-iadd or hledger-web add-ons, or by using the import command  to-       convert CSV data downloaded from your bank.--       Here  are  some  simple transactions, see the hledger_journal(5) manual-       and hledger.org for more ideas:--              2023/1/10 * gift received-                assets:cash   $20-                income:gifts--              2023.1.12 * farmers market-                expenses:food    $13-                assets:cash--              2023-01-15 paycheck-                income:salary-                assets:bank:checking    $1000--   Reconciling-       Periodically you should reconcile - compare your hledger-reported  bal--       ances  against  external sources of truth, like bank statements or your-       bank's website - to be sure that your ledger accurately represents  the-       real-world  balances  (and,  that  the real-world institutions have not-       made a mistake!).  This gets easy and fast with (1)  practice  and  (2)-       frequency.   If  you do it daily, it can take 2-10 minutes.  If you let-       it pile up, expect it to take longer as you hunt down errors  and  dis--       crepancies.--       A typical workflow:--       1. Reconcile  cash.   Count  what's  in your wallet.  Compare with what-          hledger reports (hledger bal cash).  If they are different,  try  to-          remember  the  missing transaction, or look for the error in the al--          ready-recorded transactions.   A  register  report  can  be  helpful-          (hledger  reg cash).  If you can't find the error, add an adjustment-          transaction.  Eg if you have $105 after the above, and can't explain-          the missing $2, it could be:--                  2023-01-16 * adjust cash-                      assets:cash    $-2 = $105-                      expenses:misc--       2. Reconcile checking.  Log in to your bank's website.  Compare today's-          (cleared) balance with hledger's cleared balance (hledger bal check--          ing -C).  If they are different, track down the error or record  the-          missing  transaction(s) or add an adjustment transaction, similar to-          the above.  Unlike the cash case, you can usually compare the trans--          action history and running balance from your bank with the  one  re--          ported  by hledger reg checking -C.  This will be easier if you gen--          erally record transaction dates quite similar to your bank's  clear--          ing dates.--       3. Repeat for other asset/liability accounts.--       Tip:  instead of the register command, use hledger-ui to see a live-up--       dating register while you edit the journal: hledger-ui --watch --regis--       ter checking -C--       After reconciling, it could be a  good  time  to  mark  the  reconciled-       transactions'  status  as "cleared and confirmed", if you want to track-       that, by adding the * marker.  Eg in the  paycheck  transaction  above,-       insert * between 2023-01-15 and paycheck--       If  you're using version control, this can be another good time to com--       mit:--              $ git commit -m 'txns' 2023.journal--   Reporting-       Here are some basic reports.--       Show all transactions:--              $ hledger print-              2023-01-01 * opening balances-                  assets:bank:checking                      $1000-                  assets:bank:savings                       $2000-                  assets:cash                                $100-                  liabilities:creditcard                     $-50-                  equity:opening/closing balances          $-3050--              2023-01-10 * gift received-                  assets:cash              $20-                  income:gifts--              2023-01-12 * farmers market-                  expenses:food             $13-                  assets:cash--              2023-01-15 * paycheck-                  income:salary-                  assets:bank:checking           $1000--              2023-01-16 * adjust cash-                  assets:cash               $-2 = $105-                  expenses:misc--       Show account names, and their hierarchy:--              $ hledger accounts --tree-              assets-                bank-                  checking-                  savings-                cash-              equity-                opening/closing balances-              expenses-                food-                misc-              income-                gifts-                salary-              liabilities-                creditcard--       Show all account totals:--              $ hledger balance-                             $4105  assets-                             $4000    bank-                             $2000      checking-                             $2000      savings-                              $105    cash-                            $-3050  equity:opening/closing balances-                               $15  expenses-                               $13    food-                                $2    misc-                            $-1020  income-                              $-20    gifts-                            $-1000    salary-                              $-50  liabilities:creditcard-              ---------------------                                 0--       Show only asset and liability balances, as  a  flat  list,  limited  to-       depth 2:--              $ hledger bal assets liabilities -2-                             $4000  assets:bank-                              $105  assets:cash-                              $-50  liabilities:creditcard-              ---------------------                             $4055--       Show  the  same  thing  without negative numbers, formatted as a simple-       balance sheet:--              $ hledger bs -2-              Balance Sheet 2023-01-16--                                      || 2023-01-16-              ========================++============-               Assets                 ||-              ------------------------++-------------               assets:bank            ||      $4000-               assets:cash            ||       $105-              ------------------------++-------------                                      ||      $4105-              ========================++============-               Liabilities            ||-              ------------------------++-------------               liabilities:creditcard ||        $50-              ------------------------++-------------                                      ||        $50-              ========================++============-               Net:                   ||      $4055--       The final total is your "net worth" on the end date.  (Or use bse for a-       full balance sheet with equity.)--       Show income and expense totals, formatted as an income statement:--              hledger is-              Income Statement 2023-01-01-2023-01-16--                             || 2023-01-01-2023-01-16-              ===============++=======================-               Revenues      ||-              ---------------++------------------------               income:gifts  ||                   $20-               income:salary ||                 $1000-              ---------------++------------------------                             ||                 $1020-              ===============++=======================-               Expenses      ||-              ---------------++------------------------               expenses:food ||                   $13-               expenses:misc ||                    $2-              ---------------++------------------------                             ||                   $15-              ===============++=======================-               Net:          ||                 $1005--       The final total is your net income during this period.--       Show transactions affecting your wallet, with running total:--              $ hledger register cash-              2023-01-01 opening balances     assets:cash                   $100          $100-              2023-01-10 gift received        assets:cash                    $20          $120-              2023-01-12 farmers market       assets:cash                   $-13          $107-              2023-01-16 adjust cash          assets:cash                    $-2          $105--       Show weekly posting counts as a bar chart:--              $ hledger activity -W-              2019-12-30 *****-              2023-01-06 ****-              2023-01-13 ****--   Migrating to a new file-       At the end of the year, you may want to continue your journal in a  new-       file, so that old transactions don't slow down or clutter your reports,-       and  to  help ensure the integrity of your accounting history.  See the-       close command.--       If using version control, don't forget to git add the new file.--BUGS-       We   welcome   bug   reports   in    the    hledger    issue    tracker-       (https://bugs.hledger.org),  or  on  the  hledger  chat  or  mail  list-       (https://hledger.org/support).--       Some known issues and limitations:--       hledger uses the system's text encoding when  reading  non-ascii  text.-       If  no system encoding is configured, or if the data's encoding is dif--       ferent, hledger will give an error.  (See Text encoding,  Troubleshoot--       ing.)--       On  Microsoft  Windows, depending what kind of terminal window you use,-       non-ascii characters, ANSI text formatting, and/or  the  add  command's-       TAB  key,  may not be fully supported.  (For best results, try a power--       shell window.)--       When processing large data files, hledger uses more memory than Ledger.--   Troubleshooting-       Here are some common issues you might encounter when you  run  hledger,-       and  how  to  resolve them (and remember also you can usually get quick-       Support):--       PATH issues: I get an error like "No command 'hledger' found"-       Depending how you installed hledger, the executables may not be in your-       shell's PATH.  Eg on unix systems, stack  installs  hledger  in  ~/.lo--       cal/bin and cabal installs it in ~/.cabal/bin.  You may need to add one-       of  these  directories to your shell's PATH, and/or open a new terminal-       window.--       LEDGER_FILE issues: I configured LEDGER_FILE but hledger is  not  using-       it-       o LEDGER_FILE  should  be a real environment variable, not just a shell-         variable.  Eg on unix, the command env | grep LEDGER_FILE should show-         it.   You  may   need   to   use   export   (see   https://stackover--         flow.com/a/7411509).  On Windows, $env:LEDGER_FILE should show it.--       o You  may  need  to  force your shell to see the new configuration.  A-         simple way is to close your terminal window and open a new one.--       Text decoding issues: I get errors like "Illegal byte sequence" or "In--       valid or incomplete multibyte or wide character" or  "commitAndRelease--       Buffer: invalid argument (invalid character)"-       hledger  usually  needs  its  input to be decodable with the system lo--       cale's text encoding.  See Text encoding and Install: Text encoding.--       COMPATIBILITY ISSUES: hledger gives an error with my Ledger file-       Not all of Ledger's journal file syntax or feature  set  is  supported.-       See hledger and Ledger for full details.----AUTHORS-       Simon Michael <simon@joyful.com> and contributors.-       See http://hledger.org/CREDITS.html---COPYRIGHT-       Copyright 2007-2023 Simon Michael and contributors.---LICENSE-       Released under GNU GPL v3 or later.---SEE ALSO-       hledger(1), hledger-ui(1), hledger-web(1), ledger(1)--hledger-1.51.2                   December 2025                      HLEDGER(1)+HLEDGER(1)                    hledger User Manuals                    HLEDGER(1)++NAME+     hledger  -  a robust, friendly plain text accounting app (command line ver-+     sion).++SYNOPSIS+     hledger+     or+     hledger COMMAND [OPTS] [ARGS]++DESCRIPTION+     hledger is a robust, user-friendly,  cross-platform  set  of  programs  for+     tracking money, time, or any other commodity, using double-entry accounting+     and  a  simple,  editable  file format.  hledger is inspired by and largely+     compatible with ledger(1), and largely interconvertible with beancount(1).++     This manual is for hledger's command line interface, version 1.52.  It also+     describes the common options, file formats and concepts used by all hledger+     programs.  It might accidentally teach you some  bookkeeping/accounting  as+     well!   You  don't  need  to know everything in here to use hledger produc-+     tively, but when you have a question about functionality, this  doc  should+     answer  it.  It is detailed, so do skip ahead or skim when needed.  You can+     read it on hledger.org, or as an info manual or man page  on  your  system.+     You can also open a built-in copy, at a point of interest, by running+     hledger --man [CMD], hledger --info [CMD] or hledger help [TOPIC].++     (And for shorter help, try hledger --tldr [CMD].)++     The main function of the hledger CLI is to read plain text files describing+     financial  transactions,  crunch  the numbers, and print a useful report on+     the terminal (or save it as HTML, CSV, JSON  or  SQL).   Many  reports  are+     available,  as  subcommands.  hledger will also detect other hledger-* exe-+     cutables as extra subcommands.++     hledger usually reads from (and appends to) a journal file specified by the+     LEDGER_FILE environment variable (defaulting to $HOME/.hledger.journal); or+     you can specify files with -f options.  It can also read  timeclock  files,+     timedot files, or any CSV/SSV/TSV file with a date field.++     Here is a small journal file describing one transaction:++            2015-10-16 bought food+              expenses:food          $10+              assets:cash++     Transactions  are  dated movements of money (etc.)  between two or more ac-+     counts: bank accounts, your  wallet,  revenue/expense  categories,  people,+     etc.  You can choose any account names you wish, using : to indicate subac-+     counts.  There must be at least two spaces between account name and amount.+     Positive  amounts are inflow to that account (debit), negatives are outflow+     from it (credit).  (Some reports show revenue, liability and equity account+     balances as negative numbers as a result; this is normal.)++     hledger's add command can help you add transactions,  or  you  can  install+     other  data  entry  UIs  like hledger-web or hledger-iadd.  For more exten-+     sive/efficient changes, use a text  editor:  Emacs  +  ledger-mode,  VIM  ++     vim-ledger,  or  VS  Code  +  hledger-vscode  are  some  good  choices (see+     https://hledger.org/editors.html).++     To get started, run hledger add and follow the prompts, or  save  some  en-+     tries like the above in $HOME/.hledger.journal, then try commands like:++            $ hledger print -x+            $ hledger aregister assets+            $ hledger balance+            $ hledger balancesheet+            $ hledger incomestatement++     Run  hledger  to list the commands.  See also the "Starting a journal file"+     and "Setting opening balances" sections in PART 5: COMMON TASKS.++PART 1: USER INTERFACE+Input+     hledger reads one or more data files, each time you run it.  You can  spec-+     ify a file with -f, like so++            $ hledger -f FILE [-f FILE2 ...] print++     Files  are  most  often in hledger's journal format, with the .journal file+     extension (.hledger or .j also work); these  files  describe  transactions,+     like an accounting general journal.++     When  no file is specified, hledger looks for .hledger.journal in your home+     directory.++     But most people prefer to keep financial files in a dedicated folder,  per-+     haps  with version control.  Also, starting a new journal file each year is+     common (it's not required, but helps keep things fast and  organised).   So+     we  usually  configure a different journal file, by setting the LEDGER_FILE+     environment variable, to something like ~/finance/2023.journal.   For  more+     about  how  to  do  that  on  your  system,  see  Common  tasks  >  Setting+     LEDGER_FILE.++   Text encoding+     hledger expects non-ascii input to be decodable with  the  system  locale's+     text  encoding.   (For CSV/SSV/TSV files, this can be overridden by the en-+     coding CSV rule.)++     So, trying to read non-ascii files which have the wrong text  encoding,  or+     when  no  system  locale  is configured, will fail.  To fix this, configure+     your system locale appropriately, and/or convert the files to your system's+     text encoding (using iconv on unix, or powershell or notepad  on  Windows).+     See Install: Text encoding for more tips.++     hledger's output will use the system locale's encoding.++     hledger's docs and example files mostly use UTF-8 encoding.++   Data formats+     Usually  the data file is in hledger's journal format, but it can be in any+     of the supported file formats, which currently are:++     Reader:         Reads:                              Automatically used  for+                                                         files with extensions:+     -----------------------------------------------------------------------------+     journal         hledger  journal  files  and some   .journal  .j   .hledger+                     Ledger journals, for transactions   .ledger+     timeclock       timeclock files, for precise time   .timeclock+                     logging+     timedot         timedot  files,  for  approximate   .timedot+                     time logging+     csv             Comma- or  other  delimiter-sepa-   .csv+                     rated values, for data import+     ssv             Semicolon separated values          .ssv+     tsv             Tab separated values                .tsv+     rules           CSV/SSV/TSV/other  separated val-   .rules+                     ues, alternate way++     These formats are described in more detail below.++     hledger detects the format automatically based on the file extensions shown+     above.  If it can't recognise the file extension, it assumes  journal  for-+     mat.  So for non-journal files, it's important to use a recognised file ex-+     tension,  so  as to either read successfully or to show relevant error mes-+     sages.++     You can also force a specific reader/format by prefixing the file path with+     the format and a colon.  Eg, to read a .dat file containing  tab  separated+     values:++            $ hledger -f tsv:/some/file.dat stats++   Standard input+     The file name - means standard input:++            $ cat FILE | hledger -f- print++     If reading non-journal data in this way, you'll need to write the format as+     a prefix, like timeclock: here:++            $ echo 'i 2009/13/1 08:00:00' | hledger print -f timeclock:-++   Multiple files+     You  can  specify  multiple  -f  options, to read multiple files as one big+     journal.  When doing this, note that  certain  features  (described  below)+     will be affected:++     * Balance  assertions  will  not see the effect of transactions in previous+       files.  (Usually this doesn't matter as each file  will  set  the  corre-+       sponding opening balances.)++     * Some directives will not affect previous or subsequent files.++     If  needed,  you  can work around these by using a single parent file which+     includes the others, or concatenating the files into one, eg: cat a.journal+     b.journal | hledger -f- CMD.++   Strict mode+     hledger checks input files for valid data.  By default, the most  important+     errors are detected, while still accepting easy journal files without a lot+     of declarations:++     * Are the input files parseable, with valid syntax ?++     * Are all transactions balanced ?++     * Do all balance assertions pass ?++     With the -s/--strict flag, additional checks are performed:++     * Are  all  accounts  posted to, declared with an account directive ?  (Ac-+       count error checking)++     * Are all commodities declared with a commodity directive ?  (Commodity er-+       ror checking)++     * Are all commodity conversions declared explicitly ?++     You can use the check command to run individual checks -  the  ones  listed+     above and some more.++Commands+     hledger  provides  various  subcommands  for  getting things done.  Most of+     these commands do not change the journal file; they just read it and output+     a report.  A few commands assist with  adding  data  and  file  management.+     Some  often-used  commands  are  add, print, register, balancesheet and in-+     comestatement.++     To show a summary of commands, run hledger with no arguments.  You can  see+     the same commands summary at the start of PART 4: COMMANDS below.++     To use a particular command, run hledger CMD [CMDOPTS] [CMDARGS],++     * CMD  is  the full command name, or its standard abbreviation shown in the+       commands list, or any unambiguous prefix of the name.++     * CMDOPTS are command-specific options, if any.   Command-specific  options+       must be written after the command name.  Eg: hledger print -x.++     * CMDARGS  are  additional  arguments to the command, if any.  Most hledger+       commands accept arguments representing a query, to limit the data in some+       way.  Eg: hledger reg assets:checking.++     To list a command's options, arguments, and documentation in the  terminal,+     run hledger CMD -h.  Eg: hledger bal -h.++   Add-on commands+     In  addition  to  the  built-in  commands, you can install add-on commands,+     which will also appear in hledger's commands list.  Some of  these  can  be+     installed  as  separate packages; others can be found in hledger's bin/ di-+     rectory, documented at https://hledger.org/scripts.html.++     Add-on commands are programs or scripts in your shell's  PATH,  whose  name+     starts with "hledger-" and ends with no extension or a recognised extension+     (".bat",  ".com",  ".exe",  ".hs",  ".js",  ".lhs",  ".lua", ".php", ".pl",+     ".py", ".rb", ".rkt", or ".sh"), and (on unix and mac) which has executable+     permission for the current user.++     You can run add-on commands directly: hledger-ui --watch.++     Or you can run them  with  hledger,  like  built-in  commands:  hledger  ui+     --watch.   In  this case hledger's config file will be used, so you can set+     custom options for the addon there.  (Before hledger 1.50, an  --  argument+     was needed before addon options, but not any more.)++Options+     Run  hledger  -h  to see general command line help.  Options can be written+     either before or after the command name.  These options are specific to the+     hledger CLI:++            Flags:+                 --conf=CONFFILE        Use extra options defined in this config file. If+                                        not specified, searches upward and in XDG config+                                        dir for hledger.conf (or .hledger.conf in $HOME).+              -n --no-conf              ignore any config file++     And the following general options are common to most hledger commands:++            General input/data transformation flags:+              -f --file=[FMT:]FILE      Read data from FILE, or from stdin if FILE is -,+                                        inferring format from extension or a FMT: prefix.+                                        Can be specified more than once. If not specified,+                                        reads from $LEDGER_FILE or $HOME/.hledger.journal.+                 --rules=RULESFILE      Use rules defined in this rules file for+                                        converting subsequent CSV/SSV/TSV files. If not+                                        specified, uses FILE.csv.rules for each FILE.csv.+                 --alias=A=B|/RGX/=RPL  transform account names from A to B, or by+                                        replacing regular expression matches+                 --auto                 generate extra postings by applying auto posting+                                        rules ("=") to all transactions+                 --forecast[=PERIOD]    Generate extra transactions from periodic rules+                                        ("~"), from after the latest ordinary transaction+                                        until 6 months from now. Or, during the specified+                                        PERIOD (the equals is required). Auto posting rules+                                        will also be applied to these transactions. In+                                        hledger-ui, also make future-dated transactions+                                        visible at startup.+              -I --ignore-assertions    don't check balance assertions by default+                 --txn-balancing=...    how to check that transactions are balanced:+                                        'old':   use global display precision+                                        'exact': use transaction precision (default)+                 --infer-costs          infer conversion equity postings from costs+                 --infer-equity         infer costs from conversion equity postings+                 --infer-market-prices  infer market prices from costs+                 --pivot=TAGNAME        use a different field or tag as account names+              -s --strict               do extra error checks (and override -I)+                 --verbose-tags         add tags indicating generated/modified data++            General output/reporting flags (supported by some commands):+              -b --begin=DATE           include postings/transactions on/after this date+              -e --end=DATE             include postings/transactions before this date+                                        (with a report interval, will be adjusted to+                                        following subperiod end)+              -D --daily                multiperiod report with 1 day interval+              -W --weekly               multiperiod report with 1 week interval+              -M --monthly              multiperiod report with 1 month interval+              -Q --quarterly            multiperiod report with 1 quarter interval+              -Y --yearly               multiperiod report with 1 year interval+              -p --period=PERIODEXP     set begin date, end date, and/or report interval,+                                        with more flexibility+                 --today=DATE           override today's date (affects relative dates)+                 --date2                match/use secondary dates instead (deprecated)+              -U --unmarked             include only unmarked postings/transactions+              -P --pending              include only pending postings/transactions+              -C --cleared              include only cleared postings/transactions+                                        (-U/-P/-C can be combined)+              -R --real                 include only non-virtual postings+              -E --empty                Show zero items, which are normally hidden.+                                        In hledger-ui & hledger-web, do the opposite.+                 --depth=DEPTHEXP       if a number (or -NUM): show only top NUM levels+                                        of accounts. If REGEXP=NUM, only apply limiting to+                                        accounts matching the regular expression.+              -B --cost                 show amounts converted to their cost/sale amount+              -V --market               Show amounts converted to their value at period+                                        end(s) in their default valuation commodity.+                                        Equivalent to --value=end.+              -X --exchange=COMM        Show amounts converted to their value at period+                                        end(s) in the specified commodity.+                                        Equivalent to --value=end,COMM.+                 --value=WHEN[,COMM]    show amounts converted to their value on the+                                        specified date(s) in their default valuation+                                        commodity or a specified commodity. WHEN can be:+                                        'then':     value on transaction dates+                                        'end':      value at period end(s)+                                        'now':      value today+                                        YYYY-MM-DD: value on given date+              -c --commodity-style=S    Override a commodity's display style.+                                        Eg: -c '.' or -c '1.000,00 EUR'+                 --pretty[=YN]          Use box-drawing characters in text output? Can be+                                        'y'/'yes' or 'n'/'no'.+                                        If YN is specified, the equals is required.++            General help flags:+              -h --help                 show command line help+                 --tldr                 show command examples with tldr+                 --info                 show the manual with info+                 --man                  show the manual with man+                 --version              show version information+                 --debug=[1-9]          show this much debug output (default: 1)+                 --pager=YN             use a pager when needed ? y/yes (default) or n/no+                 --color=YNA --colour   use ANSI color ? y/yes, n/no, or auto (default)++     Usually hledger accepts any unambiguous flag prefix, eg you can write  --tl+     instead of --tldr or --dry instead of --dry-run.++     You  can  combine  short flags which don't take arguments, eg you can write+     -MAST instead of -M -A -S -T.  Flags requiring an argument  can't  be  com-+     bined in this way (-If FILE won't work).++     If  the  same  option appears more than once in a command line, usually the+     last (right-most) wins.  Similarly, if mutually exclusive  flags  are  used+     together, the right-most wins.  (When flags are mutually exclusive, they'll+     usually have a group prefix in --help.)++     With most commands, arguments are interpreted as a hledger query which fil-+     ter  the  data.   Some queries can be expressed either with options or with+     arguments.++     Below are more tips for using the command line interface  -  feel  free  to+     skip these until you need them.++   Special characters+     In  commands  you type at the command line, certain characters have special+     meaning and sometimes need to be "escaped" or "quoted", by prefixing  back-+     slashes or enclosing in quotes.++     If you are able to minimise the use of special characters in your data, you+     won't  have to deal with this as much.  For example, you could use hyphen -+     or underscore _ instead of spaces in account names, and you could  use  the+     USD currency code instead of the $ currency symbol in amounts.++     But  if  you  prefer to use spaced account names and $, it's fine.  Just be+     aware of this topic so you can check this doc when needed.  (These examples+     are mostly tested on unix; some details might need to be adapted if  you're+     on Windows.)++   Escaping shell special characters+     These are some characters which may have special meaning to your shell (the+     program which interprets command lines):++     * SPACE, <, >, (, ), |, \, %++     * $ if followed by a word character++     So  for  example,  to match an account name containing spaces, like "credit+     card", don't write:++            $ hledger register credit card++     Instead, enclose the name in single quotes:++            $ hledger register 'credit card'++     On unix or in Windows powershell, if you use double quotes your shell  will+     silently  treat  $ as variable interpolation.  So you should probably avoid+     double quotes, unless you want that behaviour, eg in a script:++            $ hledger register "assets:$SOMEACCT"++     But in an older Windows CMD.EXE window, you must use double quotes:++            C:\Users\Me> hledger register "credit card"++     On unix or in Windows powershell, as an alternative to quotes you can write+     a backslash before each special character:++            $ hledger register credit\ card++     Finally, since hledger's query arguments are regular expressions (described+     below), you could also fill that gap with . which matches any character:++            $ hledger register credit.card++   Escaping regular expression special characters+     Some characters also have special meaning  in  regular  expressions,  which+     hledger's arguments often are.  Those include:++     * ., ^, $, [, ], (, ), |, \++     To escape one of these, write \ before it.  But note this is in addition to+     the  shell  escaping  above.   So  for characters which are special to both+     shell and regular expressions, like \ and $, you will  sometimes  need  two+     levels of escaping.++     For example, a balance report that uses a cur: query restricting it to just+     the $ currency, should be written like this:++            $ hledger balance cur:\\$++     Explanation:++     1. Add  a  backslash  \ before the dollar sign $ to protect it from regular+        expressions (so it will be matched literally with no special meaning).++     2. Add another backslash before that backslash,  to  protect  it  from  the+        shell (so the shell won't consume it).++     3. $ doesn't need to be protected from the shell in this case, because it's+        not followed by a word character; but it would be harmless to do so.++     But  here's  another way to write that, which tends to be easier: add back-+     slashes to escape from regular expressions, then enclose with quotes to es-+     cape from the shell:++            $ hledger balance cur:'\$'++   Escaping in other situations+     hledger options and arguments are sometimes used in places other  than  the+     command line, where the escaping/quoting rules are different.  For example,+     backslash-quoting may not be available.  Here's a quick reference:++     In unix shell       Use single quotes and/or backslash (or double quotes+                         for variable interpolation)+     In Windows power-   Use single quotes (or double quotes for variable in-+     shell               terpolation)+     In Windows cmd      Use double quotes+     In   hledger-ui's   Use single or double quotes+     filter prompt+     In  hledger-web's   Use single or double quotes+     search form+     In   an  argument   Don't use spaces, don't shell-escape,  do  regex-es-+     file                cape, write one argument/option per line+     In a config file    Use  single  or double quotes, and enclose the whole+                         argument ('desc:a b' not desc:'a b')+     In   ghci    (the   Use double quotes, and enclose the whole argument+     Haskell REPL)++   Unicode characters+     hledger is expected to handle non-ascii characters correctly:++     * they  should  be parsed correctly in input files and on the command line,+       by all hledger tools (add,  iadd,  hledger-web's  search/add/edit  forms,+       etc.)++     * they  should  be  displayed correctly by all hledger tools, and on-screen+       alignment should be preserved.++     This requires a well-configured environment.  Here are some tips:++     * A system locale must be configured, which can decode the characters being+       used.  This is essential - see Text encoding and Install: Text encoding.++     * Your terminal software (eg Terminal.app, iTerm, CMD.exe,  xterm..)   must+       support unicode.  On Windows, you may need to use Windows Terminal.++     * The  terminal  must  be  using a font which includes the required unicode+       glyphs.++     * The terminal should be configured to display wide  characters  as  double+       width (for report alignment).++     * On  Windows,  for best results you should run hledger in the same kind of+       environment in which it was built.  Eg  hledger  built  in  the  standard+       CMD.EXE  environment  (like the binaries on our download page) might show+       display problems when run in a cygwin or msys terminal, and  vice  versa.+       (See eg #961).++   Regular expressions+     A  regular expression (regexp) is a small piece of text where certain char-+     acters (like ., ^, $, +, *, (), |, [], \) have special meanings, forming  a+     tiny  language  for  matching  text  precisely - very useful in hledger and+     elsewhere.  To learn all about them, visit regular-expressions.info.++     hledger supports regexps whenever you are entering a pattern to match some-+     thing, eg in query arguments, account aliases, CSV if rules,  hledger-web's+     search  form,  hledger-ui's  /  search,  etc.  You may need to wrap them in+     quotes, especially at the command  line  (see  Special  characters  above).+     Here are some examples:++     Account name queries (quoted for command line use):++            Regular expression:  Matches:+            -------------------  ------------------------------------------------------------+            bank                 assets:bank, assets:bank:savings, expenses:art:banksy, ...+            :bank                assets:bank:savings, expenses:art:banksy+            :bank:               assets:bank:savings+            '^bank'              none of those ( ^ matches beginning of text )+            'bank$'              assets:bank   ( $ matches end of text )+            'big \$ bank'        big $ bank    ( \ disables following character's special meaning )+            '\bbank\b'           assets:bank, assets:bank:savings  ( \b matches word boundaries )+            '(sav|check)ing'     saving or checking  ( (|) matches either alternative )+            'saving|checking'    saving or checking  ( outer parentheses are not needed )+            'savings?'           saving or savings   ( ? matches 0 or 1 of the preceding thing )+            'my +bank'           my bank, my  bank, ... ( + matches 1 or more of the preceding thing )+            'my *bank'           mybank, my bank, my  bank, ... ( * matches 0 or more of the preceding thing )+            'b.nk'               bank, bonk, b nk, ... ( . matches any character )++     Some other queries:++            desc:'amazon|amzn|audible'  Amazon transactions+            cur:EUR              amounts with commodity symbol containing EUR+            cur:'\$'             amounts with commodity symbol containing $+            cur:'^\$$'           only $ amounts, not eg AU$ or CA$+            cur:....?            amounts with 4-or-more-character symbols+            tag:.=202[1-3]       things with any tag whose value contains 2021, 2022 or 2023++     Account name aliases: accept . instead of : as account separator:++            alias /\./=:         replaces all periods in account names with colons++     Show multiple top-level accounts combined as one:++            --alias='/^[^:]+/=combined'  ( [^:] matches any character other than : )++     Show accounts with the second-level part removed:++            --alias '/^([^:]+):[^:]+/ = \1'+                                 match a top-level account and a second-level account+                                 and replace those with just the top-level account+                                 ( \1 in the replacement text means "whatever was matched+                                 by the first parenthesised part of the regexp"++     CSV rules: match CSV records containing dining-related MCC codes:++            if \?MCC581[124]++     Match CSV records with a specific amount around the end/start of month:++            if %amount \b3\.99+            &  %date   (29|30|31|01|02|03)$++   hledger's regular expressions+     hledger's regular expressions come from the regex-tdfa library.  If they're+     not  doing  what  you expect, it's important to know exactly what they sup-+     port:++     1. they are case insensitive++     2. they are infix matching (they do not need to match the entire thing  be-+        ing matched)++     3. they are POSIX ERE (extended regular expressions)++     4. they also support GNU word boundaries (\b, \B, \<, \>)++     5. backreferences  are  supported  when  doing  text replacement in account+        aliases or CSV rules, where backreferences can be used in  the  replace-+        ment  string to reference capturing groups in the search regexp.  Other-+        wise, if you write \1, it will match the digit 1.++     6. they do not support lazy quantifiers (*?), mode modifiers ((?s)),  char-+        acter classes (\w, \d), or anything else not mentioned above.++     7. they  may not (I'm guessing not) properly support right-to-left or bidi-+        rectional text.++     Some things to note:++     * In the alias directive and --alias option, regular  expressions  must  be+       enclosed  in  forward slashes (/REGEX/).  Elsewhere in hledger, these are+       not required.++     * In queries, to match a regular expression metacharacter like $ as a  lit-+       eral  character,  prepend a backslash.  Eg to search for amounts with the+       dollar sign in hledger-web, write cur:\$.++     * On the command line, some metacharacters like $ have a special meaning to+       the shell and so must be escaped at least once more.  See Special charac-+       ters.++   Argument files+     You can save a set of command line options and arguments  in  a  file,  and+     then  use  them  by  writing @FILE.args as a hledger command argument.  The+     .args file extension is conventional, but not  required.   In  an  argument+     file,++     * Each line can contain one argument, flag, or option.++     * Blank lines or lines beginning with # are ignored.++     * An option's flag and value should be joined by =.++     * An  option  value or an argument may contain spaces.  Don't use single or+       double quotes.++     * And generally, use one less level of quoting/escaping than at the command+       line.  Eg cur:\$, not cur:\\$ as on the command line.++     For example:++            # cash.args++            assets:cash+            assets:charles schwab:sweep+            cur:\$+            -c=$1.++            $ hledger bal @cash.args++   Config files+     With hledger 1.40+, you can save extra command line options  and  arguments+     in a more featureful hledger config file.  Here's a small example:++            # General options are listed first, and used with hledger commands that support them.+            --pretty++            # Options following a `[COMMAND]` heading are used with that hledger command only.+            [print]+            --explicit --infer-costs++     To  use a config file, specify it with the --conf option.  Its options will+     be inserted near the start of your command line, so you can  override  them+     with command line options if needed.++     Or,  you  can set up an automatic config file that is used whenever you run+     hledger, by creating hledger.conf in the current  directory  or  above,  or+     .hledger.conf  in your home directory (~/.hledger.conf), or hledger.conf in+     your XDG config directory (~/.config/hledger/hledger.conf).++     Here is another example config you could start with: https://github.com/si-+     monmichael/hledger/blob/master/hledger.conf.sample++     You can put not only options, but also arguments in a config file.  If  the+     first  word  in a config file's top (general) section does not begin with a+     dash (eg: print), it is treated as the command argument (overriding any ar-+     gument on the command line).++     On unix machines, you can add a shebang line at the top of a  config  file,+     set  executable  permission on the file, and use it like a script.  Eg (the+     -S is needed on some operating systems):++            #!/usr/bin/env -S hledger --conf++     You can ignore config files by adding the -n/--no-conf flag to the  command+     line.   This is useful when using hledger in scripts, or when troubleshoot-+     ing.  When both --conf and --no-conf options are used, the right-most wins.++     To inspect the processing of config files, use --debug or  --debug=8.   Or,+     run  the setup command, which will display any active config files.  (setup+     is not affected by config files itself, unlike other commands.)++     Warning!++     There aren't many hledger features that need a warning, but this is one!++     Automatic config files, while  convenient,  also  make  hledger  less  pre-+     dictable  and  dependable.   It's easy to make a config file that changes a+     report's behaviour, or breaks your hledger-using  scripts/applications,  in+     ways that will surprise you later.++     If you don't want this,++     1. Just don't create a hledger.conf file on your machine.++     2. Also be alert to downloaded directories which may contain a hledger.conf+        file.++     3. Also  if  you  are sharing scripts or examples or support, consider that+        others may have a hledger.conf file.++     Conversely, once you decide to use this feature, try to remember:++     1. Whenever a hledger command does not work as expected, try it again  with+        -n (--no-conf) to see if a config file was to blame.++     2. Whenever  you  call  hledger  from  a script, consider whether that call+        should use -n or not.++     3. Be conservative about what you put in your config file; try to  consider+        the effect on all your reports.++     4. To  troubleshoot the effect of config files, run with --debug or --debug+        8.++     The config file feature was added in hledger 1.40.++   Shell completions+     If you use the bash or zsh shells, you can optionally set up context-sensi-+     tive   autocompletion   for   hledger   command   lines.    Try    pressing+     hledger<SPACE><TAB><TAB>  (should list all hledger commands) or hledger reg+     acct:<TAB><TAB> (should list your top-level account names).  If completions+     aren't working, or for more details, see Install > Shell completions.++Output+   Output destination+     hledger commands send their output to the terminal by default.  You can  of+     course redirect this, eg into a file, using standard shell syntax:++            $ hledger print > foo.txt++     Some  commands  (print, register, stats, the balance commands) also provide+     the -o/--output-file option, which does the same thing without needing  the+     shell.  Eg:++            $ hledger print -o foo.txt+            $ hledger print -o -        # write to stdout (the default)++   Output format+     Some  commands  offer other kinds of output, not just text on the terminal.+     Here are those commands and the formats currently supported:++     command                 txt     html     csv/tsv     fods     beancount      sql     json+     --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+     aregister               Y       Y        Y           Y                               Y+     balance                 Y       Y        Y           Y                               Y+     balancesheet            Y       Y        Y           Y                               Y+     balancesheetequity      Y       Y        Y           Y                               Y+     cashflow                Y       Y        Y           Y                               Y+     incomestatement         Y       Y        Y           Y                               Y+     print                   Y       Y        Y           Y        Y              Y       Y+     register                Y       Y        Y           Y                               Y++     You can also see which output formats a command supports by running hledger+     CMD -h and looking for the -O/--output-format=FMT option,++     You can select the output format by using that option:++            $ hledger print -O csv    # print CSV to standard output++     or  by  choosing  a  suitable  filename  extension   with   the   -o/--out-+     put-file=FILE.FMT option:++            $ hledger balancesheet -o foo.csv    # write CSV to foo.csv++     The  -O  option  can  be combined with -o to override the file extension if+     needed:++            $ hledger balancesheet -o foo.txt -O csv    # write CSV to foo.txt++     Here are some notes about the various output formats.++   Text output+     This is the default: human readable, plain text report output, suitable for+     viewing with a monospace font in a terminal.  If your data contains unicode+     or wide characters, you'll need a terminal and font that render those  cor-+     rectly.  (This can be challenging on MS Windows.)++     Some reports (register, aregister) will normally use the full window width.+     If  this  isn't  working  or  you  want  to  override  it,  you can use the+     -w/--width option.++     Balance reports (balance, balancesheet, incomestatement...)   use  whatever+     width  they  need.   Multi-period multi-currency reports can often be wider+     than the window.  Besides using a pager, helpful techniques for this situa-+     tion include --layout=bare, -X COMM, cur:,  --transpose,  --tree,  --depth,+     --drop, switching to html output, etc.++   Box-drawing characters+     hledger draws simple table borders by default, to minimise the risk of dis-+     play  problems caused by a terminal/font not supporting box-drawing charac-+     ters.++     But your terminal and font probably do support them, so we recommend  using+     the  --pretty flag to show prettier tables in the terminal.  This is a good+     flag to add to your hledger config file.++   Colour+     hledger tries to automatically detect ANSI colour and text styling  support+     and use it when appropriate.  (Currently, it is used rather minimally: some+     reports  show  negative  numbers in red, and help output uses bold text for+     emphasis.)++     You can override this by setting the NO_COLOR environment variable to  dis-+     able  it,  or  by using the --color/--colour option, perhaps in your config+     file, with a y/yes or n/no value to force it on or off.++   Paging+     In unix-like environments, when displaying large output (in any output for-+     mat) in the terminal, hledger tries to use a pager when appropriate.   (You+     can disable this with the --pager=no option, perhaps in your config file.)++     The  pager  shows one page of text at a time, and lets you scroll around to+     see more.  While it is active, usually SPACE shows the next page,  h  shows+     help,  and  q quits.  The home/end/page up/page down/cursor keys, and mouse+     scrolling, may also work.++     hledger will use the pager specified by  the  PAGER  environment  variable,+     otherwise less if available, otherwise more if available.  (With one excep-+     tion:  hledger help -p TOPIC will always use less, so that it can scroll to+     the topic.)++     The pager is expected to display hledger's ANSI colour  and  text  styling.+     If  you see junk characters, you might need to configure your pager to han-+     dle ANSI codes.  Or you could disable colour as described above.++     If you are using the less pager, hledger tries to  provide  a  consistently+     pleasant  experience  by  running  it with some extra options added to your+     LESS environment variable:++     --chop-long-lines       --hilite-unread       --ignore-case       --no-init+     --quit-if-one-screen --shift=8 --squeeze-blank-lines --use-backslash++     and when colour output is enabled:++     --RAW-CONTROL-CHARS++     You  can prevent this by setting your preferred options in the HLEDGER_LESS+     variable, which will be used instead of LESS.++   HTML output+     HTML output can be styled by an optional hledger.css file in the  same  di-+     rectory.++     HTML  output  will  be a HTML fragment, not a complete HTML document.  Like+     other hledger output, for non-ascii characters it will use the  system  lo-+     cale's text encoding (see Text encoding).++   CSV / TSV output+     In  CSV or TSV output, digit group marks (such as thousands separators) are+     disabled automatically.++   FODS output+     FODS is the OpenDocument Spreadsheet format as plain XML,  as  accepted  by+     LibreOffice  and  OpenOffice.   If  you use their spreadsheet applications,+     this is better than CSV because it works across locales (decimal point  vs.+     decimal  comma,  character  encoding stored in XML header, thus no problems+     with umlauts), it supports  fixed  header  rows  and  columns,  cell  types+     (string vs.  number vs.  date), separation of number and currency (currency+     is  displayed  but  the cell type is still a number accessible for computa-+     tion), styles (bold), borders.   Btw.   you  can  still  extract  CSV  from+     FODS/ODS using various utilities like libreoffice --headless or ods2csv.++   Beancount output+     This  is  Beancount's  journal  format.   You  can  use this to export your+     hledger data to Beancount, eg to use the Fava web app.++     hledger will try to adjust your data to suit Beancount, automatically.   Be+     cautious  and  check the conversion until you are confident it is good.  If+     you plan to export to Beancount often, you may want to follow  its  conven-+     tions, for a cleaner conversion:++     * use Beancount-friendly account names++     * use currency codes instead of currency symbols++     * use cost notation instead of equity conversion postings++     * avoid virtual postings, balance assignments, and secondary dates.++     There  is  one  big adjustment you must handle yourself: for Beancount, the+     top level account names must be Assets, Liabilities, Equity, Income, and/or+     Expenses.  You can use account aliases to rewrite your account  names  tem-+     porarily, if needed, as in this hledger2beancount.conf config file.++     2024-12-20: Some more things not yet handled for you:++     * P directives are not converted automatically - convert those yourself.++     * Balance  assignments are not converted (Beancount doesn't support them) -+       replace those with explicit amounts.++   Beancount account names+     Aside from the top-level names, hledger will adjust your account  names  to+     make  valid  Beancount  account names, by capitalising each part, replacing+     spaces with -, replacing other  unsupported  characters  with  C<HEXBYTES>,+     prepending  A  to  account  name  parts  which don't begin with a letter or+     digit, and appending :A to account names which have only one part.++   Beancount commodity names+     hledger will adjust your commodity names to make  valid  Beancount  commod-+     ity/currency  names, which must be 2-24 uppercase letters, digits, or ', .,+     _, -, beginning with a letter and ending with a letter or  digit.   hledger+     will  convert known currency symbols to ISO 4217 currency codes, capitalise+     letters, replace spaces with -, replace other unsupported  characters  with+     C<HEXBYTES>, and prepend or append C if needed.++   Beancount virtual postings+     Beancount  doesn't  allow  virtual  postings; if you have any, they will be+     omitted from beancount output.++   Beancount metadata+     hledger tags will be converted to Beancount metadata (except for tags whose+     name begins with _).  Metadata names will be adjusted to be  Beancount-com-+     patible:  beginning  with a lowercase letter, at least two characters long,+     and with unsupported characters encoded.  Metadata values  will  use  Bean-+     count's string type.++     In  hledger,  objects  can have the same tag repeated with multiple values.+     Eg an assets:cash account might have both type:Asset  and  type:Cash  tags.+     For  Beancount  these  will be combined into one, with the values combined,+     comma separated.  Eg: type: "Asset, Cash".++   Beancount costs+     Beancount doesn't allow redundant costs and conversion postings as  hledger+     does.   If  you have any of these, the conversion postings will be omitted.+     Currently we support at most one  cost  +  conversion  postings  group  per+     transaction.++   Beancount operating currency+     Declaring  an  operating  currency (or several) improves Beancount and Fava+     reports.  Currently hledger will declare each currency used in cost amounts+     as an operating currency.  If needed, replace these with your own  declara-+     tion, like++            option "operating_currency" "USD"++   SQL output+     SQL output is expected to work at least with SQLite, MySQL and Postgres.++     The  SQL  statements are expected to be executed in the empty database.  If+     you already have tables created via SQL output of hledger, you would proba-+     bly want to either clear data from these (via delete or truncate SQL state-+     ments) or drop the tables completely before import; otherwise your postings+     would be duplicated.++     For SQLite, it is more useful if you modify the generated id field to be  a+     PRIMARY KEY.  Eg:++            $ hledger print -O sql | sed 's/id serial/id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT NOT NULL/g' | ...++     This is not yet much used; feedback is welcome.++   JSON output+     Our JSON is rather large and verbose, since it is a faithful representation+     of  hledger's  internal  data types.  To understand its structure, read the+     Haskell type definitions, which  are  mostly  in  https://github.com/simon-+     michael/hledger/blob/master/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Types.hs.+     hledger-web's OpenAPI specification may also be relevant.++     hledger  stores  numbers with sometimes up to 255 significant digits.  This+     is too many digits for most JSON consumers, so in JSON output we round num-+     bers to at most 10 decimal places.  (We don't limit the number  of  integer+     digits.)   If you find this causing problems, please let us know.  Related:+     #1195++     This is not yet much used; feedback is welcome.++   Commodity styles+     When displaying amounts, hledger infers a standard display style  for  each+     commodity/currency, as described below in Commodity display style.++     If  needed, this can be overridden by a -c/--commodity-style option (except+     for cost amounts and amounts displayed by the print command, which are  al-+     ways  displayed  with all decimal digits).  For example, the following will+     force dollar amounts to be displayed as shown:++            $ hledger print -c '$1.000,0'++     This option can be repeated to set the display style for multiple  commodi-+     ties/currencies.   Its argument is as described in the commodity directive.+     Note that omitting the commodity symbol will set the display style for just+     the no-symbol commodity, not all commodities.++     In some cases hledger  will  adjust  number  formatting  to  improve  their+     parseability (such as adding trailing decimal marks when needed).++   Debug output+     We intend hledger to be relatively easy to troubleshoot, introspect and de-+     velop.   You  can  add --debug[=N] to any hledger command line to see addi-+     tional debug output.  N ranges from 1 (least  output,  the  default)  to  9+     (maximum  output).  Typically you would start with 1 and increase until you+     are seeing enough.  Debug output goes to stderr, and  is  not  affected  by+     -o/--output-file (unless you redirect stderr to stdout, eg: 2>&1).  It will+     be  interleaved with normal output, which can help reveal when parts of the+     code are evaluated.  To capture debug output in a log file instead, you can+     usually redirect stderr, eg:++            hledger bal --debug=3 2>hledger.log++     (This option doesn't work in a config file yet.)++Environment+     These environment variables affect hledger:++     HLEDGER_LESS If less is your pager, this variable specifies  the  less  op-+     tions hledger should use.  (Otherwise, LESS + custom options are used.)++     LEDGER_FILE  The  default journal file, to be used when no -f/--file option+     is provided.  For example, it could be  ~/finance/main.journal.   This  can+     also  be  a glob pattern, eg ./2???.journal.  (If the glob matches multiple+     files, only the alphanumerically first one is used.)  If LEDGER_FILE points+     to a non-existent file, an error will be raised.  If the value is the empty+     string, it is ignored.++     If LEDGER_FILE is not set and -f is not provided, the default journal  file+     is  $HOME/.hledger.journal  (or  if  a  home  directory  can't be detected,+     ./.hledger.journal).++     See also Common tasks > Setting LEDGER_FILE.++     NO_COLOR If this environment variable exists  (with  any  value,  including+     empty),  hledger  will  not use ANSI color codes in terminal output, unless+     overridden by an explicit --color=y or --colour=y option.++PART 2: DATA FORMATS+Journal+     hledger's usual data source is a plain text file containing journal entries+     in hledger journal format.  If you're looking for a quick  reference,  jump+     ahead  to  the  journal  cheatsheet  (or  use  the  table  of  contents  at+     https://hledger.org/hledger.html).++     This file represents an accounting General Journal.  The .journal file  ex-+     tension is most often used, though not strictly required.  The journal file+     contains  a  number  of  transaction entries, each describing a transfer of+     money (or any commodity) between two or more named accounts,  in  a  simple+     format readable by both hledger and humans.++     hledger's  journal  format is compatible with most of Ledger's journal for-+     mat, but not all of it.  The differences and interoperation  tips  are  de-+     scribed  at hledger and Ledger.  With some care, and by avoiding incompati-+     ble features, you can keep your hledger journal readable by Ledger and vice+     versa.  This can useful eg for comparing the behaviour of one  app  against+     the other.++     You can use hledger without learning any more about this file; just use the+     add or web or import commands to create and update it.++     Many  users,  though,  edit  the journal file with a text editor, and track+     changes with a version control system such as git.  Editor add-ons such  as+     ledger-mode  or hledger-mode for Emacs, vim-ledger for Vim, and hledger-vs-+     code for Visual Studio Code, make this easier, adding  colour,  formatting,+     tab  completion,  and  useful commands.  See Editors at hledger.org for the+     full list.++     A hledger journal file can contain three kinds  of  thing:  comment  lines,+     transactions,  and/or  directives (including periodic transaction rules and+     auto posting rules).  Understanding the journal file format will also  give+     you  a  good  understanding of hledger's data model.  Here's a quick cheat-+     sheet/overview, followed by detailed descriptions of each part.++   Journal cheatsheet+            # Here is the main syntax of hledger's journal format+            # (omitting extra Ledger compatibility syntax).++            ###############################################################################++            # 1. These are comment lines, for notes or temporarily disabling things.+            ; They begin with # or ;++            comment+            Or, lines can be enclosed within "comment" / "end comment".+            This is a block of+            commented lines.+            end comment++            # Some journal entries can have semicolon comments at end of line  ; like this+            # Some of them require 2 or more spaces before the semicolon.++            ###############################################################################++            # 2. Directives customise processing or output in some way.+            # You don't need any directives to get started.+            # But they can add more error checking, or change how things are displayed.+            # They begin with a word, letter, or symbol.+            # They are most often placed at the top, before transactions.++            account assets             ; Declare valid account names and display order.+            account assets:savings     ; A subaccount. This one represents a bank account.+            account assets:checking    ; Another. Note, 2+ spaces after the account name.+            account assets:receivable  ; Accounting type is inferred from english names,+            account passifs            ; or declared with a "type" tag, type:L+            account expenses           ; type:X+                                       ; A follow-on comment line, indented.+            account expenses:rent      ; Expense and revenue categories are also accounts.+                                       ; Subaccounts inherit their parent's type.++            commodity $0.00         ; Declare valid commodities and their display styles.+            commodity 1.000,00 EUR++            decimal-mark .          ; The decimal mark used in this file (if ambiguous).++            payee Whole Foods       ; Declare a valid payee name.++            tag trip                ; Declare a valid tag name.++            P 2024-03-01 AAPL $179  ; Declare a market price for AAPL in $ on this date.++            include other.journal   ; Include another journal file here.++            # Declare a recurring "periodic transaction", for budget/forecast reports+            ~ monthly  set budget goals  ; <- Note, 2+ spaces before the description.+                (expenses:rent)      $1000+                (expenses:food)       $500++            # Declare an auto posting rule, to modify existing transactions in reports+            = revenues:consulting+                liabilities:tax:2024:us          *0.25  ; Add a tax liability & expense+                expenses:tax:2024:us            *-0.25  ; for 25% of the revenue.++            ###############################################################################++            # 3. Transactions are what it's all about.+            # They are dated events, usually movements of money between 2 or more accounts.+            # They begin with a numeric date.+            # Here is their basic shape:+            #+            # DATE DESCRIPTION    ; The transaction's date and optional description.+            #   ACCOUNT1  AMOUNT  ; A posting of an amount to/from this account, indented.+            #   ACCOUNT2  AMOUNT  ; A second posting, balancing the first.+            #   ...               ; More if needed. Amounts must sum to zero.+            #                     ; Note, 2+ spaces between account names and amounts.++            2024-01-01 opening balances         ; At the start, declare pre-existing balances this way.+                assets:savings          $10000  ; Account names can be anything. lower case is easy to type.+                assets:checking          $1000  ; assets, liabilities, equity, revenues, expenses are common.+                liabilities:credit card  $-500  ; liabilities, equity, revenues balances are usually negative.+                equity:start                    ; One amount can be left blank. $-10500 is inferred here.+                                                ; Some of these accounts we didn't declare above,+                                                ; so -s/--strict would complain.++            2024-01-03 ! (12345) pay rent+                ; Additional transaction comment lines, indented.+                ; There can be a ! or * after the date meaning "pending" or "cleared".+                ; There can be a parenthesised (code) after the date/status.+                                                ; Amounts' sign shows direction of flow.+                assets:checking          $-500  ; Minus means removed from this account (credit).+                expenses:rent             $500  ; Plus means added to this account (debit).++            ; Keeping transactions in date order is optional (but helps error checking).++            2024-01-02 Gringott's Bank | withdrawal  ; Description can be PAYEE | NOTE+                assets:bank:gold       -10 gold+                assets:pouch            10 gold++            2024-01-02 shopping+                expenses:clothing        1 gold+                expenses:wands           5 gold+                assets:pouch            -6 gold++            2024-01-02 receive gift+                revenues:gifts          -3 "Chocolate Frogs"  ; Complex commodity symbols+                assets:pouch             3 "Chocolate Frogs"  ; must be in double quotes.++            2024-01-15 buy some shares, in two lots                 ; Cost can be noted.+                assets:investments:2024-01-15     2.0 AAAA @ $1.50  ; @  means per-unit cost+                assets:investments:2024-01-15-02  3.0 AAAA @@ $4    ; @@ means total cost+                                  ; ^ Per-lot subaccounts are sometimes useful.+                assets:checking                 $-7++            2024-01-15 assert some account balances on this date+                ; Balances can be asserted in any transaction, with =, for extra error checking.+                ; Assertion txns like this one can be made with hledger close --assert --show-costs+                ;+                assets:savings                    $0                   = $10000+                assets:checking                   $0                   =   $493+                assets:bank:gold                   0 gold              =    -10 gold+                assets:pouch                       0 gold              =      4 gold+                assets:pouch                       0 "Chocolate Frogs" =      3 "Chocolate Frogs"+                assets:investments:2024-01-15      0.0 AAAA            =      2.0 AAAA @  $1.50+                assets:investments:2024-01-15-02   0.0 AAAA            =      3.0 AAAA @@ $4+                liabilities:credit card           $0                   =  $-500++            2024-02-01 note some event, or a transaction not yet fully entered, on this date+                ; Postings are not required.++            # Consistent YYYY-MM-DD date format is recommended,+            # but you can use . or / and omit leading zeros if you prefer.+            2024.01.01+            2024/1/1++   Comments+     Lines in the journal will be ignored if they begin with a  hash  (#)  or  a+     semicolon  (;).  (See also Other syntax.)  hledger will also ignore regions+     beginning with a comment line and ending with an end comment line (or  file+     end).  Here's a suggestion for choosing between them:++     * # for top-level notes++     * ; for commenting out things temporarily++     * comment for quickly commenting large regions (remember it's there, or you+       might get confused)++     Eg:++            # a comment line+            ; another commentline+            comment+            A multi-line comment block,+            continuing until "end comment" directive+            or the end of the current file.+            end comment++     Some  hledger  entries can have same-line comments attached to them, from ;+     (semicolon) to end of line.  See Transaction  comments,  Posting  comments,+     and Account comments below.++   Transactions+     Transactions are the main unit of information in a journal file.  They rep-+     resent events, typically a movement of some quantity of commodities between+     two or more named accounts.++     Each  transaction  is  recorded as a journal entry, beginning with a simple+     date in column 0.  This can be followed by any of  the  following  optional+     fields, separated by spaces:++     * a status character (empty, !, or *)++     * a code (any short number or text, enclosed in parentheses)++     * a description (any remaining text until end of line or a semicolon)++     * a  comment  (any  remaining text following a semicolon until end of line,+       and any following indented lines beginning with a semicolon)++     * 0 or more indented posting lines, describing what was transferred and the+       accounts involved (indented comment lines are also allowed, but not blank+       lines or non-indented lines).++     Here's a simple journal file containing one transaction:++            2008/01/01 income+              assets:bank:checking   $1+              income:salary         $-1++   Dates+   Simple dates+     Dates in the journal file use simple dates format: YYYY-MM-DD or YYYY/MM/DD+     or YYYY.MM.DD, with leading zeros optional.  The year may  be  omitted,  in+     which  case  it will be inferred from the context: the current transaction,+     the default year set with a Y directive, or the current date when the  com-+     mand is run.  Some examples: 2010-01-31, 2010/01/31, 2010.1.31, 1/31.++     (The UI also accepts simple dates, as well as the more flexible smart dates+     documented in the hledger manual.)++   Posting dates+     You  can give individual postings a different date from their parent trans-+     action, by adding a posting comment containing a tag  (see  below)  like  ;+     date:DATE.   (There's  also a Ledger-compatible syntax, ; [DATE], which can+     be convenient.)++     This is probably the best way to control posting dates  precisely.   Eg  in+     this  example  the  expense should appear in May reports, and the deduction+     from checking should be reported on 6/1 for easy bank reconciliation:++            2015/5/30+                expenses:food     $10  ; food purchased on saturday 5/30+                assets:checking        ; bank cleared it on monday, date:6/1++            $ hledger -f t.j register food+            2015-05-30                      expenses:food                  $10           $10++            $ hledger -f t.j register checking+            2015-06-01                      assets:checking               $-10          $-10++     DATE should be a simple date; if the year is not specified it will use  the+     year of the transaction's date.+     The  date:  tag  must have a valid simple date value if it is present, eg a+     date: tag with no value is not allowed.++   Status+     Transactions (or individual postings within a transaction) can have a  sta-+     tus  mark,  which  is a single character before the transaction description+     (or posting account name), separated from it by a space, indicating one  of+     three statuses:++     mark     status+     ------------------+              unmarked+     !        pending+     *        cleared++     When reporting, you can filter by status with the -U/--unmarked, -P/--pend-+     ing, and -C/--cleared flags (and you can combine these, eg -UP to match all+     except cleared things).  Or you can use the status:, status:!, and status:*+     queries, or the U, P, C keys in hledger-ui.++     (Note:  in Ledger the "unmarked" state is called "uncleared"; in hledger we+     renamed it to "unmarked" for semantic clarity.)++     Status marks are optional, but can  be  helpful  eg  for  reconciling  with+     real-world  accounts.  Some editor modes provide highlighting and shortcuts+     for working with status.  Eg in Emacs ledger-mode, you can toggle  transac-+     tion status with C-c C-e, or posting status with C-c C-c.++     What  "uncleared",  "pending",  and  "cleared"  actually mean is up to you.+     Here's one suggestion:++     status       meaning+     --------------------------------------------------------------------------+     uncleared    recorded but not yet reconciled; needs review+     pending      tentatively reconciled (if needed, eg during a big reconcil-+                  iation)+     cleared      complete, reconciled as far as possible, and considered cor-+                  rect++     With this scheme, you would use -PC to see  the  current  balance  at  your+     bank,  -U  to  see  things which will probably hit your bank soon (like un-+     cashed checks), and no flags to see the most up-to-date state of  your  fi-+     nances.++   Code+     After the status mark, but before the description, you can optionally write+     a transaction "code", such as a check number or transaction id, enclosed in+     parentheses,++     This has a few limitations: The code must not contain a closing parenthesis+     (or it will be truncated).  Codes tend to disrupt alignment of the register+     report,  making  it harder to scan visually.  And you can't store more than+     one value there per transaction.  For these reasons you might want to avoid+     the code field and use tags(#tags] instead.++   Description+     After the date, status mark and/or code fields, the rest of  the  line  (or+     until  a  comment  is begun with ;) is the transaction's description.  Here+     you can describe the transaction (called  the  "narration"  in  traditional+     bookkeeping),  or  you  can  record a payee/payer name, or you can leave it+     empty.++     Transaction descriptions show up in print output and in  register  reports,+     and can be listed with the descriptions command.++     You  can  query by description with desc:DESCREGEX, or pivot on description+     with --pivot desc.++   Payee and note+     Sometimes people want a dedicated payee/payer field that can be queried and+     checked more strictly.  If you want that, you can write a | (pipe)  charac-+     ter  in the description.  This divides it into a "payee" field on the left,+     and a "note" field on the right.  (Either can be empty.)++     You can query these with payee:PAYEEREGEX and  note:NOTEREGEX,  list  their+     values with the payees and notes commands, or pivot on payee or note.++     Note: in transactions with no | character, description, payee, and note all+     have  the  same value.  Once a | is added, they become distinct.  (If you'd+     like to change this behaviour, please propose it on the mail list.)++     If you want more strict error checking, you can  declare  the  valid  payee+     names with payee directives, and then enforce these with hledger check pay-+     ees.   (Note:  because  of  the above, for this you'll need to ensure every+     transaction description contains a | and therefore a checkable payee  name,+     even if it's empty.)++   Transaction comments+     Text following ;, after a transaction description, and/or on indented lines+     immediately  below it, form comments for that transaction.  They are repro-+     duced by print but otherwise ignored, except they may contain  tags,  which+     are not ignored.++            2012-01-01 something  ; a transaction comment+                ; a second line of transaction comment+                expenses   1+                assets++   Postings+     A posting is an addition of some amount to, or removal of some amount from,+     an  account.  Each posting line begins with at least one space or tab (2 or+     4 spaces is common), followed by:++     * (optional) a status character (empty, !, or *), followed by a space++     * (required) an account name (any text, optionally including single spaces.+       If anything follows the account name on the same line, the  account  name+       must be ended by two or more spaces.)++     * (optional) an amount++     * (optional) a same-line posting comment, beginning with a semicolon (;).++     If  the  amount is positive, it is being added to the account; if negative,+     it is being removed from the account.++     The posting amounts in a transaction must sum up to zero,  indicating  that+     the  inflows  and outflows are equal.  We call this a balanced transaction.+     (You can read more about the details of transaction balancing below.)++     If no amount is written, it will be calculated automatically from the other+     postings in the transaction, so as to balance the  transaction.   In  other+     words, in any transaction you can leave one posting amountless to save typ-+     ing.++   Debits and credits+     The  traditional accounting concepts of debit and credit of course exist in+     hledger, but we represent them with numeric sign.   Positive  and  negative+     posting amounts represent debits and credits respectively.++     You  don't need to remember that, but if you would like to - eg for helping+     newcomers or for talking with your accountant - here's a handy mnemonic:++     debit  / plus  / left  / short  words+     credit / minus / right / longer words++   Account names+     Accounts are the main way of categorising things in hledger.  As in  Double+     Entry  Bookkeeping,  they can represent real world accounts (such as a bank+     account), or more abstract categories such as  "money  spent  on  food"  or+     "money borrowed from Frank".++     Account  names are flexible.  They may be capitalised or not; they may con-+     tain letters, numbers, punctuation, symbols, or single spaces; they may  be+     in any language.++     Typically we use the five traditional accounting categories as the starting+     point for account names.  In english they are:++     assets, liabilities, equity, revenues, expenses++     These  will  be discussed more in Account types below.  In hledger docs you+     may see them referred to as A, L, E, R, X for short.++   Two space delimiter+     Note the two or more spaces delimiter that's sometimes required  after  ac-+     count  names.    hledger's  account  names, inherited from Ledger, are very+     permissive; they may contain pretty much any kind of text, including single+     spaces and semicolons.  Because of this, they must be terminated by two  or+     more  spaces if there is anything following them on the same line.  For ex-+     ample, if an amount, balance assignment, or same-line  comment  follows  an+     account  name, they must be preceded by two or more spaces, else they would+     be considered part of the account name:++            bad:     assets:accounts receivable $10        ; <- too close!+            good:    assets:accounts receivable  $10++            bad:     assets:accounts receivable =$1000     ; <- too close!+            good:    assets:accounts receivable  =$1000++            bad:     assets:accounts receivable ; comment.   <- too close!+            good:    assets:accounts receivable  ; comment++     This two-space delimiter appears in a few places in hledger, such as  after+     account  names in postings or account directives; also after the period ex-+     pression in periodic transaction rules.  When you are starting out,  expect+     it to catch you out at least once.  It's annoying sometimes, but it lets us+     use expressive account names while still keeping the syntax light.++   Account hierarchy+     For  more  precise reporting, we usually divide accounts into more detailed+     subaccounts, subsubaccounts, and so on, by writing a full colon between ac-+     count name parts.  For example, instead of writing assets and expenses,  we+     might  write  assets:bank:checking  and  expenses:food.   From  these names+     hledger will infer this hierarchy of five accounts:++            assets+            assets:bank+            assets:bank:checking+            expenses+            expenses:food++     Or as an outline:++            assets+             bank+              checking+            expenses+             food++     hledger reports can summarise the account tree to any  depth,  so  you  can+     make  your  subcategories as detailed as you like.  But don't go overboard,+     especially when getting started; simpler categories can be less work.++   Other account name features+     Enclosing  the  account  name  in  parentheses  or  brackets,   like   (ex-+     penses:food), enables a non-standard bookkeeping feature: virtual postings.++     Account  names  can  be  rewritten  and restructured, temporarily or perma-+     nently, by account aliases.++   Amounts+     After the account name, there is usually an amount.  (Remember: between ac-+     count name and amount, there must be two or more spaces.)++     hledger's amount format is flexible, supporting several international  for-+     mats.  Here are some examples.  Amounts have a number (the "quantity"):++            1++     ..and  usually a currency symbol or commodity name (more on this below), to+     the left or right of the quantity, with or without a separating space:++            $1+            4000 AAPL+            3 "green apples"++     Amounts can be preceded by a minus sign (or a plus sign, though plus is the+     default), The sign can be written before or  after  a  left-side  commodity+     symbol:++            -$1+            $-1++     One  or  more  spaces  between  the sign and the number are acceptable when+     parsing (but they won't be displayed in output):++            + $1+            $-      1++     Scientific E notation is allowed:++            1E-6+            EUR 1E3++   Decimal marks+     A decimal mark can be written as a period or a comma:++            1.23+            1,23++     Both of these are common in international number formats, so hledger is not+     biased towards one or the other.  Because hledger also supports digit group+     marks (eg thousands separators), this means that a  number  like  1,000  or+     1.000  containing  just  one  period or comma is ambiguous.  In such cases,+     hledger by default assumes it is a decimal mark, and  will  parse  both  of+     those as 1.++     To  help  hledger  parse such ambiguous numbers more accurately, if you use+     digit group marks, we recommend declaring the decimal mark explicitly.  The+     best way is to add a decimal-mark directive at the top of each  data  file,+     like this:++            decimal-mark .++     Or  you  can  declare it per commodity with commodity directives, described+     below.++     hledger also accepts numbers like 10. with no digits after the decimal mark+     (and will sometimes display numbers that way to  disambiguate  them  -  see+     Trailing decimal marks).++   Digit group marks+     In  the  integer  part  of  the amount quantity (left of the decimal mark),+     groups of digits can optionally be separated by a  digit  group  mark  -  a+     comma  or  period (whichever is not used as decimal mark), or a space (sev-+     eral Unicode space variants, like no-break space, are also accepted).    So+     these are all valid amounts in a journal file:++                 $1,000,000.00+              EUR 2.000.000,00+            INR 9,99,99,999.00+                  1 000 000.00   ; <- ordinary space+                  1 000 000.00   ; <- no-break space++   Commodity+     Amounts  in  hledger have both a "quantity", which is a signed decimal num-+     ber, and a "commodity", which is a currency symbol, stock  ticker,  or  any+     word or phrase describing something you are tracking.++     If  the  commodity  name contains non-letters (spaces, numbers, or punctua-+     tion), you must always write  it  inside  double  quotes  ("green  apples",+     "ABC123").++     If  you write just a bare number, that too will have a commodity, with name+     ""; we call that the "no-symbol commodity".++     Actually, hledger combines these single-commodity amounts into more  power-+     ful multi-commodity amounts, which are what it works with most of the time.+     A  multi-commodity amount could be, eg: 1 USD, 2 EUR, 3.456 TSLA.  In prac-+     tice, you will only see multi-commodity amounts in  hledger's  output;  you+     can't write them directly in the journal file.++     By  default,  the  format  of amounts in the journal influences how hledger+     displays them in output.  This is explained in Commodity display style  be-+     low.++   Costs+     In  traditional double entry bookkeeping, to record a transaction where one+     commodity is exchanged for another, you add extra equity postings  to  bal-+     ance the two commodities.  Eg:++            2026-01-01 buy euros+              assets:dollars     $-123+              equity:conversion   $123+              equity:conversion  a-100+              assets:euros        a100++     hledger  offers  a  more convenient @/@@ "cost notation" as an alternative:+     instead of equity postings, you can write the "conversion rate" or  "trans-+     acted  price"  after  a posting amount.  hledger docs generically call this+     "cost", whether buying or selling.  It can be written as either @ UNITPRICE+     or @@ TOTALPRICE.  Eg you could write the above as:++            2026-01-01 buy euros+              assets:dollars     $-123+              assets:euros        a100 @ $1.23    ; unit cost (exchange rate)++     or:++            2026-01-01 buy euros+              assets:dollars     $-123+              assets:euros        a100 @@ $123    ; total cost++     The cost should normally be a positive amount.   Negative  costs  are  sup-+     ported, but can be confusing, as discussed at --infer-market-prices: market+     prices from transactions.++     Costs participate in transaction balancing.  Amounts are converted to their+     cost  before checking if the transaction is balanced.  You could also write+     the above less redundantly, like so:++            2026-01-01 buy euros+              assets:dollars                      ; $-123 is inferred+              assets:euros        a100 @ $1.23++     or:++            2026-01-01 buy euros+              assets:dollars                      ; $-123 is inferred+              assets:euros        a100 @@ $123++     or even:++            2026-01-01 buy euros+              assets:euros        a100            ;  @@ $123 is inferred+              assets:dollars     $-123++     This last form works for transactions involving  exactly  two  commodities,+     with  neither  cost notation nor equity postings.  Note, the order of post-+     ings is significant: the cost will be attached to the first (top)  posting.+     So  we  had  to  switch  the  order of postings, to get the same meaning as+     above.  Also, this form is the easiest to make undetected errors  with;  so+     it is rejected by hledger check balanced, and by strict mode.++     Advantages of cost notation:++     1. it's more compact and easier to read and write++     2. hledger  reports can show such amounts converted to their cost, when you+        add the -B/--cost flag (see Cost reporting).++     Advantages of equity postings++     1. they help to keep the accounting equation balanced (if  you  care  about+        that)++     2. they translate easily to any other double entry accounting system.++     Most hledger users use cost notation and don't use equity postings.++     But you can always convert cost notation to equity postings by adding --in-+     fer-equity.  Eg try hledger print -x --infer-equity.++     And  you  can  usually  convert  equity postings to cost notation by adding+     --infer-costs (see Requirements for detecting equity conversion  postings).+     Eg try hledger print -x --infer-costs.++     Finally:  using  both equity postings and cost notation at the same time is+     allowed, as long as the journal entry is well formed such that  the  equity+     postings / cost equivalences can be detected.  (Otherwise you'll get an er-+     ror message saying that the transaction is unbalanced.):++            2026-01-01 buy euros+              assets:dollars     $-123+              equity:conversion   $123+              equity:conversion  a-100+              assets:euros        a100 @ $1.23++     So  in  principle you could enable both --infer-equity and --infer-costs in+     your config file, and your reports would have the advantages of both.++   Cost basis / lot syntax+     If you are buying some commodity to hold as an investment, it may be impor-+     tant to keep track of++     1. its original acquisition cost++     2. its original acquisition date++     3. and a sequence number or label, if needed, to disambiguate multiple  ac-+        quisitions  on  the  same day, or to serve as a mnemonic for easy refer-+        ence.++     In hledger we call these three the "cost basis"; and if an amount being ac-+     quired has a cost basis, we call it a "lot".  Tax authorities often require+     that lots are tracked carefully and disposed of (sold) in a certain order.++     Note, though "cost basis" sounds similar to the "cost"  (transacted  price)+     discussed  above,  they  are  distinct  concepts.  In some transactions the+     transacted price and basis cost are the same, but in others they are not.++     So cost basis has its own syntax, also called "lot syntax".  hledger's  lot+     syntax  is like Ledger's: one or more of the following annotations, follow-+     ing the main amount:++     * {LOTUNITCOST} or {{LOTTOTALCOST}} (see lot price)++     * [LOTDATE] (see lot date)++     * (LOTLABEL) (see lot note)++     hledger does not yet do anything with this lot syntax, except  to  preserve+     it  and show it in print's txt, beancount, and json output.  This means you+     can use this syntax in your hledger  journals  (plus  an  amountless  extra+     posting  to  help transactions balance, if needed), then use the print com-+     mand to  export  to  Ledger  or  Beancount  or  rustledger,  to  use  their+     lots/gains reports (see Export Lots workflow).++   Balance assertions+     hledger  supports  Ledger-style balance assertions in journal files.  These+     look like, for example, = EXPECTEDBALANCE following a posting's amount.  Eg+     here we assert the expected dollar balance in accounts a and b  after  each+     posting:++            2013/1/1+              a   $1 =  $1+              b      = $-1++            2013/1/2+              a   $1 =  $2+              b  $-1 = $-2++     After reading a journal file, hledger will check all balance assertions and+     report  an  error  if any of them fail.  Balance assertions can protect you+     from, eg, inadvertently disrupting reconciled balances  while  cleaning  up+     old  entries.  You can disable them temporarily with the -I/--ignore-asser-+     tions flag, which can be useful for troubleshooting or for  reading  Ledger+     files.   (Note:  this  flag currently does not disable balance assignments,+     described below).++   Assertions and ordering+     hledger calculates and checks an account's balance assertions in date order+     (and when there are multiple assertions on the same day, in  parse  order).+     Note this is different from Ledger, which checks assertions always in parse+     order, ignoring dates.++     This  means  in  hledger  you can freely reorder transactions, postings, or+     files, and balance assertions will usually keep working.  The exception  is+     when  you  reorder  multiple postings on the same day, to the same account,+     which have balance assertions; those will likely need updating.++   Assertions and multiple files+     If an account has transactions appearing in multiple files, balance  asser-+     tions can still work - but only if those files are part of a hierarchy made+     by include directives.++     If  the  same  files are specified with two -f options on the command line,+     the assertions in the second will not see the balances from the first.++     To work around this, arrange your files in a hierarchy with  include.   Or,+     you  could concatenate the files temporarily, and process them like one big+     file.++     Why does it work this way ?  It might be related to hledger's goal of  sta-+     ble predictable reports.  File hierarchy is considered "permanent", part of+     your  data,  while  the order of command line options/arguments is not.  We+     don't want transient changes to be able to change the meaning of the  data.+     Eg  it  would  be frustrating if tomorrow all your balance assertions broke+     because you wrote command line arguments in a different order.  (Discussion+     welcome.)++   Assertions and costs+     Balance assertions ignore costs, and should  normally  be  written  without+     one:++            2019/1/1+              (a)     $1 @ a1 = $1++     We  do allow costs to be written in balance assertion amounts, however, and+     print shows them, but they don't affect whether  the  assertion  passes  or+     fails.  This is for backward compatibility (hledger's close command used to+     generate balance assertions with costs), and because balance assignments do+     use costs (see below).++   Assertions and commodities+     The  balance  assertions described so far are "single commodity balance as-+     sertions": they assert and check the balance in one commodity, ignoring any+     others that may be present.  This is how balance assertions work in  Ledger+     also.++     If  an account contains multiple commodities, you can assert their balances+     by writing multiple postings with balance assertions, one for each  commod-+     ity:++            2013/1/1+              usd   $-1+              eur   a-1+              both++            2013/1/2+              both    0 = $1+              both    0 = a1++     In  hledger  you  can make a stronger "sole commodity balance assertion" by+     writing two equals signs (==  EXPECTEDBALANCE).   This  also  asserts  that+     there  are no other commodities in the account besides the asserted one (or+     at least, that their current balance is zero):++            2013/1/1+              usd   $-1  == $-1  ; these sole commodity assertions succeed+              eur   a-1  == a-1+              both      ;==  $1  ; this one would fail because 'both' contains $ and a++     It's less easy to make a "sole commodities  balance  assertion"  (note  the+     plural) - ie, asserting that an account contains two or more specified com-+     modities and no others.  It can be done by++     1. isolating each commodity in a subaccount, and asserting those++     2. and  also  asserting  there are no commodities in the parent account it-+        self:++        2013/1/1+          usd       $-1+          eur       a-1+          both        0 == 0   ; nothing up my sleeve+          both:usd   $1 == $1  ; a dollar here+          both:eur   a1 == a1  ; a euro there++   Assertions and subaccounts+     All of the balance assertions above (both = and ==) are  "subaccount-exclu-+     sive  balance  assertions";  they  ignore any balances that exist in deeper+     subaccounts.++     In hledger you can make "subaccount-inclusive balance assertions" by adding+     a star after the equals (=* or ==*):++            2019/1/1+              equity:start+              assets:checking  $10+              assets:savings   $10+              assets            $0 ==* $20  ; assets + subaccounts contains $20 and nothing else++   Assertions and status+     Balance assertions always consider  postings  of  all  statuses  (unmarked,+     pending,  or  cleared);  they  are  not  affected  by  the  -U/--unmarked /+     -P/--pending / -C/--cleared flags or the status: query.++   Assertions and virtual postings+     Balance assertions always consider both real and virtual postings; they are+     not affected by the --real/-R flag or real: query.++   Assertions and auto postings+     Balance assertions are affected by the --auto flag,  which  generates  auto+     postings,  which can alter account balances.  Because auto postings are op-+     tional in hledger, accounts affected by them effectively have two balances.+     But balance assertions can only test one or the  other  of  these.   So  to+     avoid making fragile assertions, either:++     * assert  the  balance  calculated  with --auto, and always use --auto with+       that file++     * or assert the balance calculated without --auto,  and  never  use  --auto+       with that file++     * or  avoid  balance  assertions  on accounts affected by auto postings (or+       avoid auto postings entirely).++   Assertions and precision+     Balance assertions compare the exactly calculated amounts,  which  are  not+     always  what  is  shown by reports.  Eg a commodity directive may limit the+     display precision, but this will not affect  balance  assertions.   Balance+     assertion failure messages show exact amounts.++   Assertions and hledger add+     Balance  assertions can be included in the amounts given in add.  All types+     of assertions are supported, and assertions can be  used  as  in  a  normal+     journal file.++     All transactions, not just those that have an explicit assertion, are vali-+     dated  against  the  existing  assertions in the journal.  This means it is+     possible for an added transaction to fail even if its assertions  are  cor-+     rect as of the transaction date.++     If this assertion checking is not desired, then it can be disabled with -I.++     However, balance assignments are currently not supported.++   Posting comments+     Text  following  ;,  at the end of a posting line, and/or on indented lines+     immediately below it, form comments for that posting.  They are  reproduced+     by print but otherwise ignored, except they may contain tags, which are not+     ignored.++            2012-01-01+                expenses   1  ; a comment for posting 1+                assets+                ; a comment for posting 2+                ; a second comment line for posting 2++   Transaction balancing+     How  exactly  does  hledger  decide when a transaction is balanced ?  Espe-+     cially when it involves costs, which often are not exact,  because  of  re-+     peating  decimals, or imperfect data from financial institutions ?  In each+     commodity, hledger sums the transaction's posting amounts, after converting+     any with costs; then it checks if that sum is zero, when rounded to a suit-+     able number of decimal digits - which we call the balancing precision.++     Since version 1.50, hledger infers balancing precision in each  transaction+     from  the  amounts  in that transaction's journal entry (like Ledger).  Ie,+     when checking the balance of commodity A, it uses the highest decimal  pre-+     cision  seen  for  A  in  the journal entry (excluding cost amounts).  This+     makes transaction balancing robust; any  imbalances  must  be  visibly  ac-+     counted for in the journal entry, display precision can be freely increased+     with -c, and compatibility with Ledger and Beancount journals is good.++     Note  that  hledger  versions  before 1.50 worked differently: they allowed+     display precision to override the balancing precision.  This  masked  small+     imbalances and caused fragility (see issue #2402).  As a result, some jour-+     nal entries (or CSV rules) that worked with hledger <1.50, are now rejected+     with an "unbalanced transaction" error.  If you hit this problem, it's easy+     to fix:++     * You  can  restore the old behaviour, by adding --txn-balancing=old to the+       command or to your ~/.hledger.conf file.  This lets you  keep  using  old+       journals unchanged, though without the above benefits.++     * Or  you can fix the problem entries (recommended).  There are three ways,+       use whichever seems best:++       1. make cost amounts more precise (add more/better decimal digits)++       2. or make non-cost amounts less precise (remove unnecessary decimal dig-+          its that are raising the precision)++       3. or add a posting to absorb the imbalance (eg "expenses:rounding".  Re-+          member that one posting may omit the amount; that's convenient here.)++   Tags+     Tags are a way to add extra labels or data fields  to  transactions,  post-+     ings,  or accounts, which you can match with a tag: query in reports.  (See+     queries below.)++     Tags are a single word or hyphenated word, immediately followed by  a  full+     colon,  written  within  a  comment.   (Yes,  storing  data  in comments is+     slightly weird.)  Here's a transaction with a tag:++            2025-01-01 groceries        ; some-tag:+                assets:checking+                expenses:food       $1++     A tag can have a value, a single line of text written after the colon.  Tag+     values can't contain newlines.:++            2025-01-01 groceries        ; tag1: this is tag1's value++     Multiple tags can be separated by comma.  Tag values can't contain commas.:++            2025-01-01 groceries        ; tag1:value 1, tag2:value 2, comment text++     A tag can have multiple values:++            2025-01-01 groceries        ; tag1:value 1, tag1:value 2++     You can write each tag on its own line of you prefer (but they still  can't+     contain commas):++            2025-01-01 groceries+                ; tag1: value 1+                ; tag2: value 2++     Tags can be attached to individual postings, rather than the overall trans-+     action:++            2025-01-01 rent+                assets:checking+                expenses:rent       $1000  ; postingtag:++     Tags can be attached to accounts, in their account directive:++            account assets:checking    ; acct-number: 123-45-6789++   Tag propagation+     In  addition to what they are attached to, tags also affect related data in+     a few ways, allowing more powerful queries:++     1. Accounts -> postings.  Postings inherit tags from their account.++     2. Transactions -> postings.  Postings inherit tags from their transaction.++     3. Postings -> transactions.  Transactions also acquire the tags  of  their+        postings.++     So  when you use a tag: query to match whole transactions, individual post-+     ings, or accounts, it's good to understand how tags behave.  Here's an  ex-+     ample showing all three kinds of propagation:++            account assets:checking+            account expenses:food           ; atag:++            2025-01-01 groceries            ; ttag:+                assets:checking             ; p1tag:+                expenses:food           $1  ; p2tag:++     data part       has tags         explanation+     -----------------------------------------------------------------------------+     assets:check-                    no tags attached+     ing account+     expenses:food   atag             atag: in comment+     account+     assets:check-   p1tag, ttag      p1tag:   in  comment,  ttag  acquired  from+     ing posting                      transaction+     expenses:food   p2tag,   atag,   p2tag:  in comment, atag from account, ttag+     posting         ttag             from transaction+     groceries       ttag,   p1tag,   ttag: in comment, p1tag from first posting,+     transaction     p2tag, atag      p2tag and atag from second posting++   Displaying tags+     You can use the tags command to list tag names or values.++     The print command also shows tags.++     You can use --pivot to display tag values in other reports, in various ways+     (eg appended to account names, like pseudo subaccounts).++   When to use tags ?+     Tags  provide more dimensions of categorisation, complementing accounts and+     transaction descriptions.  When to use each of these is somewhat  a  matter+     of  taste.   Accounts  have the most built-in support, and regex queries on+     descriptions are also quite powerful.  So you may not  need  tags  at  all.+     But  if  you want to track multiple cross-cutting categories, they can be a+     good fit.  For example, you could tag trip-related transactions with  trip:+     YEAR:PLACE, without disturbing your usual account categories.++   Tag names+     What is allowed in a tag name ?  Most non-whitespace characters.  Eg : is a+     valid tag.++     For  extra error checking, you can declare valid tag names with the tag di-+     rective, and then enforce these with the check command.  But note that tags+     are detected quite loosely at present, sometimes where  you  didn't  intend+     them.  Eg a comment like ; see https://foo.com adds a https tag.++     There  are  several  tag  names which have special significance to hledger.+     They are explained elsewhere, but here's a quick reference:++             type                   -- declares an account's type+             date                   -- overrides a posting's date+             date2                  -- overrides a posting's secondary date+             assert                 -- appears on txns generated by close --assert+             retain                 -- appears on txns generated by close --retain+             start                  -- appears on txns generated by close --migrate/--close/--open/--assign+             t                      -- appears on postings generated from timedot letters++             generated-transaction  -- appears on txns generated by a periodic rule+             modified-transaction   -- appears on txns which have had auto postings added+             generated-posting      -- appears on generated postings+             cost-posting           -- appears on postings which have (or could have) a cost,+                                       and which have equivalent conversion postings in the transaction+             conversion-posting     -- appears on postings which are to a V/Conversion account+                                       and which have an equivalent cost posting in the transaction++     The second group above (generated-transaction, etc.)  are normally  hidden,+     with  a _ prefix added.  This means print doesn't show them by default; but+     you can still use them in queries.  You can add the --verbose-tags flag  to+     make them visible in print output, which can be useful for troubleshooting.++   Directives+     Besides  transactions,  there  is  something  else you can put in a journal+     file: directives.  These are declarations, beginning with a  keyword,  that+     modify  hledger's behaviour.  Some directives can have more specific subdi-+     rectives,  indented  below  them.   hledger's  directives  are  similar  to+     Ledger's  in  many  cases, but there are also many differences.  Directives+     are not required, but can be useful.  Here are the main directives:++     purpose                                    directive+     --------------------------------------------------------------------------+     READING DATA:+     Rewrite account names                      alias+     Comment out sections of the file           comment+     Declare file's  decimal  mark,  to  help   decimal-mark+     parse amounts accurately+     Include other data files                   include+     GENERATING DATA:+     Generate  recurring transactions or bud-   ~+     get goals+     Generate  extra  postings  on   existing   =+     transactions+     CHECKING FOR ERRORS:+     Define  valid  entities  to provide more   account, commodity, payee, tag+     error checking+     REPORTING:+     Declare accounts' type and display order   account+     Declare commodity display styles           commodity+     Declare market prices                      P++   Directives and multiple files+     Directives vary in their scope, ie which journal entries  and  which  input+     files  they  affect.  Most often, a directive will affect the following en-+     tries and included files if any, until the end of the current file - and no+     further.  You might find this inconvenient!  For example, alias  directives+     do  not affect parent or sibling files.  But there are usually workarounds;+     for example, put alias directives in your top-most file,  before  including+     other files.++     The restriction, though it may be annoying at first, is in a good cause; it+     allows  reports to be stable and deterministic, independent of the order of+     input.  Without it, reports could show different numbers depending  on  the+     order of -f options, or the positions of include directives in your files.++   Directive effects+     Here  are all hledger's directives, with their effects and scope summarised+     - nine main directives, plus four others which we consider non-essential:++     di-        what it does                                                       ends+     rec-                                                                          at+     tive                                                                          file+                                                                                   end?+     --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+     ac-        Declares an account, for checking all entries in all files;  and   N+     count      its display order and type.  Subdirectives: any text, ignored.+     alias      Rewrites  account  names, in following entries until end of cur-   Y+                rent file or end aliases.  Command line equivalent: --alias+     com-       Ignores part of the journal file, until end of current  file  or   Y+     ment       end comment.+     com-       Declares up to four things: 1.  a commodity symbol, for checking   N,N,Y,Y+     mod-       all  amounts  in all files 2.  the display style for all amounts+     ity        of this commodity 3.  the decimal mark for  parsing  amounts  of+                this  commodity,  in  the rest of this file and its children, if+                there is no decimal-mark directive 4.  the precision to use  for+                balanced-transaction  checking  in  this commodity, in this file+                and its children.   Takes  precedence  over  D.   Subdirectives:+                format (ignored).  Command line equivalent: -c/--commodity-style+     deci-      Declares  the  decimal mark, for parsing amounts of all commodi-   Y+     mal-mark   ties in following entries until next decimal-mark or end of cur-+                rent file.  Included files can override.  Takes precedence  over+                commodity and D.+     include    Includes  entries  and  directives from another file, as if they   N+                were  written  inline.   Command  line   alternative:   multiple+                -f/--file+     payee      Declares a payee name, for checking all entries in all files.      N+     P          Declares the market price of a commodity on some date, for value   N+                reports.+     ~          Declares  a  periodic  transaction  rule  that  generates future   N+     (tilde)    transactions with  --forecast  and  budget  goals  with  balance+                --budget.+     Other+     syntax:+     apply      Prepends  a  common parent account to all account names, in fol-   Y+     account    lowing entries until end of current file or end apply account.+     D          Sets a default commodity to use for  no-symbol  amounts;and,  if   Y,Y,N,N+                there  is no commodity directive for this commodity: its decimal+                mark, balancing precision, and display style, as above.+     Y          Sets a default year to use for any yearless dates, in  following   Y+                entries until end of current file.+     =          Declares  an  auto posting rule that generates extra postings on   partly+     (equals)   matched transactions with --auto, in current, parent, and  child+                files (but not sibling files, see #1212).+     Other      Other  directives from Ledger's file format are accepted but ig-+     Ledger     nored.+     direc-+     tives++   account directive+     account directives can be used to declare accounts  (ie,  the  places  that+     amounts  are transferred from and to).  Though not required, these declara-+     tions can provide several benefits:++     * They can document your intended chart of accounts, providing a reference.++     * They can store additional account information as  comments,  or  as  tags+       which can be used to filter or pivot reports.++     * They  can restrict which accounts may be posted to by transactions, eg in+       strict mode, which helps prevent errors.++     * They influence account display order in reports, allowing  non-alphabetic+       sorting (eg Revenues to appear above Expenses).++     * They  can  help  hledger know your accounts' types (asset, liability, eq-+       uity, revenue, expense), enabling reports like balancesheet and  incomes-+       tatement.++     * They  help  with  account  name  completion (in hledger add, hledger-web,+       hledger-iadd, ledger-mode, etc.)++     They are written as the word account followed by  a  hledger-style  account+     name.  Eg:++            account assets:bank:checking++     Ledger-style indented subdirectives are also accepted, but ignored:++            account assets:bank:checking+              format subdirective  ; currently ignored++   Account comments+     Text  following two or more spaces and ; at the end of an account directive+     line, and/or following ; on indented lines immediately below it, form  com-+     ments for that account.++     Same-line  account comments require two+ spaces before ; because that char-+     acter can appear in account names.++            account assets:bank:checking    ; same-line comment, at least 2 spaces before the semicolon+              ; next-line comment+              ; some tags - type:A, acctnum:12345++   Account tags+     An account directive's comment may contain tags.  These will be  propagated+     to  all  postings using that account, as hidden but queryable posting tags,+     except where the posting already a tag of the  same  name.   (Posting  tags+     override account tags.)++   Account error checking+     By  default, accounts need not be declared; they come into existence when a+     posting references them.  This is convenient, but it  means  hledger  can't+     warn you when you mis-spell an account name in the journal.  Usually you'll+     find that error later, as an extra account in balance reports, or an incor-+     rect balance when reconciling.++     In  strict mode, enabled with the -s/--strict flag, or when you run hledger+     check accounts, hledger will report an error if any transaction uses an ac-+     count name that has not been declared by an account directive.  Some notes:++     * The declaration is case-sensitive; transactions must use the correct  ac-+       count name capitalisation.++     * The account directive's scope is "whole file and below" (see directives).+       This means it affects all of the current file, and any files it includes,+       but  not  parent  or  sibling  files.  The position of account directives+       within the file does not matter, though it's usual to  put  them  at  the+       top.++     * Accounts  can only be declared in journal files, but will affect included+       files of all types.++     * It's currently not possible to declare "all possible subaccounts" with  a+       wildcard; every account posted to must be declared.++     * If  you  use the --infer-equity flag, you will also need declarations for+       the account names it generates.++   Account display order+     Account directives also cause hledger to display accounts in  a  particular+     order,  not  just  alphabetically.  Eg, here is a conventional ordering for+     the top-level accounts:++            account assets+            account liabilities+            account equity+            account revenues+            account expenses++     Now hledger displays them in that order:++            $ hledger accounts+            assets+            liabilities+            equity+            revenues+            expenses++     If there are undeclared accounts, those will be displayed last,  in  alpha-+     betical order.++     Sorting is done within each group of sibling accounts, at each level of the+     account  tree.   Eg,  a  declaration  like  account parent:child influences+     child's position among its siblings.++     Note, it does not affect parent's position; for that, you need  an  account+     parent declaration.++     Sibling  accounts  are always displayed together; hledger won't display x:y+     in between a:b and a:c.++     An account directive both declares an account as a  valid  posting  target,+     and declares its display order; you can't easily do one without the other.++   Account types+     hledger knows that in accounting there are three main account types:++     Asset       A   things you own+     Liability   L   things you owe+     Equity      E   owner's  investment,+                     balances   the   two+                     above++     and two more representing changes in these:++     Revenue   R   inflows  (also known+                   as Income)+     Expense   X   outflows++     hledger also uses a few subtypes:++     Cash                      C                          liquid assets  (subtype+                                                          of Asset)+     Conversion                V                          commodity   conversions+                                                          equity (subtype of  Eq-+                                                          uity)+     Gain                      G                          capital    gains/losses+                                                          (subtype of Revenue)++     As a convenience, hledger will detect most  of  these  types  automatically+     from  english account names.  But it's better to declare them explicitly by+     adding a type: tag in the account directives.  The tag's value can  be  any+     of the types or one-letter abbreviations above.++     Here  is  a typical set of account type declarations.  Subaccounts will in-+     herit their parent's type, or can override it:++            account assets             ; type: A+            account liabilities        ; type: L+            account equity             ; type: E+            account revenues           ; type: R+            account expenses           ; type: X++            account assets:bank        ; type: C+            account assets:cash        ; type: C++            account equity:conversion  ; type: V++            account revenues:capital   ; type: G++     This enables the easy balancesheet, balancesheetequity,  cashflow  and  in-+     comestatement reports, and querying by type:.++     Tips:++     * You can list accounts and their types, for troubleshooting:++              $ hledger accounts --types [ACCTPAT] [type:TYPECODES] [-DEPTH] [--locations]++     * It's  a  good idea to declare at least one account for each account type.+       Having some types declared and some inferred can disrupt certain reports.++     * The rules for inferring types from account names are  as  follows  (using+       Regular expressions).+     If  they  don't  work for you, just ignore them and declare your types with+     type: tags.++              If account's name contains this case insensitive regular expression | its type is+              --------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------+              ^assets?(:.+)?:(cash|bank|che(ck|que?)(ing)?|savings?|current)(:|$) | Cash+              ^assets?(:|$)                                                       | Asset+              ^(debts?|liabilit(y|ies))(:|$)                                      | Liability+              ^equity:(trad(e|ing)|conversion)s?(:|$)                             | Conversion+              ^equity(:|$)                                                        | Equity+              ^(income|revenue)s?(:|$)                                            | Revenue+              ^expenses?(:|$)                                                     | Expense++     * As mentioned above, subaccounts will inherit a type from their parent ac-+       count.  To be precise, an account's type is decided by the first of these+       that exists:++       1. A type: declaration for this account.++       2. A type: declaration in the parent accounts above  it,  preferring  the+          nearest.++       3. An account type inferred from this account's name.++       4. An  account type inferred from a parent account's name, preferring the+          nearest parent.++       5. Otherwise, it will have no type.++     * Account aliases can disrupt account types.++   alias directive+     You can define account alias rules which rewrite  your  account  names,  or+     parts of them, before generating reports.  This can be useful for:++     * expanding  shorthand  account  names  to their full form, allowing easier+       data entry and a less verbose journal++     * adapting old journals to your current chart of accounts++     * experimenting with new account organisations, like a new hierarchy++     * combining two accounts into one, eg to see their sum or difference on one+       line++     * customising reports++     Account aliases also rewrite account names in account directives.  They  do+     not affect account names being entered via hledger add or hledger-web.++     Account  aliases  are  very  powerful.  They are generally easy to use cor-+     rectly, but you can also generate invalid account names with them; more  on+     this below.++     See also Rewrite account names.++   Basic aliases+     To  set  an  account  alias,  use the alias directive in your journal file.+     This affects all subsequent journal entries in the current file or its  in-+     cluded  files  (but  note: not sibling or parent files).  The spaces around+     the = are optional:++            alias OLD = NEW++     Or, you can use the --alias 'OLD=NEW' option on the command line.  This af-+     fects all entries.  It's useful for trying out aliases interactively.++     OLD and NEW are case sensitive full account names.   hledger  will  replace+     any  occurrence  of the old account name with the new one.  Subaccounts are+     also affected.  Eg:++            alias checking = assets:bank:wells fargo:checking+            ; rewrites "checking" to "assets:bank:wells fargo:checking", or "checking:a" to "assets:bank:wells fargo:checking:a"++   Regex aliases+     There is also a more powerful variant that uses a regular expression, indi-+     cated by wrapping the pattern in forward slashes.  (This is the only  place+     where hledger requires forward slashes around a regular expression.)++     Eg:++            alias /REGEX/ = REPLACEMENT++     or:++            $ hledger --alias '/REGEX/=REPLACEMENT' ...++     Any  part  of an account name matched by REGEX will be replaced by REPLACE-+     MENT.  REGEX is case-insensitive as usual.++     If you need to match a forward slash, escape it with a backslash, eg /\/=:.++     If REGEX contains parenthesised match groups, these can  be  referenced  by+     the usual backslash and number in REPLACEMENT:++            alias /^(.+):bank:([^:]+):(.*)/ = \1:\2 \3+            ; rewrites "assets:bank:wells fargo:checking" to  "assets:wells fargo checking"++     REPLACEMENT continues to the end of line (or on command line, to end of op-+     tion argument), so it can contain trailing whitespace.++   Combining aliases+     You can define as many aliases as you like, using journal directives and/or+     command line options.++     Recursive  aliases  - where an account name is rewritten by one alias, then+     by another alias, and so on - are allowed.  Each alias sees the  effect  of+     previously applied aliases.++     In  such  cases it can be important to understand which aliases will be ap-+     plied and in which order.  For (each account name in) each  journal  entry,+     we apply:++     1. alias directives preceding the journal entry, most recently parsed first+        (ie, reading upward from the journal entry, bottom to top)++     2. --alias options, in the order they appeared on the command line (left to+        right).++     In other words, for (an account name in) a given journal entry:++     * the nearest alias declaration before/above the entry is applied first++     * the next alias before/above that will be be applied next, and so on++     * aliases defined after/below the entry do not affect it.++     This  gives  nearby aliases precedence over distant ones, and helps provide+     semantic stability - aliases will keep working the same way independent  of+     which files are being read and in which order.++     In  case  of  trouble, adding --debug=6 to the command line will show which+     aliases are being applied when.++   Aliases and multiple files+     As explained at Directives and multiple files, alias directives do not  af-+     fect parent or sibling files.  Eg in this command,++            hledger -f a.aliases -f b.journal++     account  aliases defined in a.aliases will not affect b.journal.  Including+     the aliases doesn't work either:++            include a.aliases++            2023-01-01  ; not affected by a.aliases+              foo  1+              bar++     This means that account aliases should usually be declared at the start  of+     your top-most file, like this:++            alias foo=Foo+            alias bar=Bar++            2023-01-01  ; affected by aliases above+              foo  1+              bar++            include c.journal  ; also affected++   end aliases directive+     You  can  clear (forget) all currently defined aliases (seen in the journal+     so far, or defined on the command line) with this directive:++            end aliases++   Aliases can generate bad account names+     Be aware that account aliases can produce malformed  account  names,  which+     could  cause  confusing  reports or invalid print output.  For example, you+     could erase all account names:++            2021-01-01+              a:aa     1+              b++            $ hledger print --alias '/.*/='+            2021-01-01+                               1++     The above print output is not a valid journal.  Or you could insert an  il-+     legal  double space, causing print output that would give a different jour-+     nal when reparsed:++            2021-01-01+              old    1+              other++            $ hledger print --alias old="new  USD" | hledger -f- print+            2021-01-01+                new             USD 1+                other++   Aliases and account types+     If an account with a type declaration (see  Declaring  accounts  >  Account+     types) is renamed by an alias, normally the account type remains in effect.++     However, renaming in a way that reshapes the account tree (eg renaming par-+     ent accounts but not their children, or vice versa) could prevent child ac-+     counts from inheriting the account type of their parents.++     Secondly, if an account's type is being inferred from its name, renaming it+     by an alias could prevent or alter that.++     If  you  are  using account aliases and the type: query is not matching ac-+     counts as you expect, try troubleshooting with  the  accounts  command,  eg+     something like:++            $ hledger accounts --types -1 --alias assets=bassetts++   commodity directive+     The commodity directive performs several functions:++     1. It declares which commodity symbols may be used in the journal, enabling+        useful  error  checking with strict mode or the check command.  See Com-+        modity error checking below.++     2. It declares how all amounts in this commodity should  be  displayed,  eg+        how many decimals to show.  See Commodity display style above.++     3. (If no decimal-mark directive is in effect:) It sets the decimal mark to+        expect (period or comma) when parsing amounts in this commodity, in this+        file  and  files  it  includes,  from the directive until end of current+        file.  See Decimal marks above.++     4. It declares the precision with which this commodity's amounts should  be+        compared  when checking for balanced transactions, anywhere in this file+        and files it includes, until end of current file.++     Declaring commodities solves several common parsing/display problems, so we+     recommend it.++     Note that effects 3 and 4 above end at the end of the directive's file, and+     will not affect sibling or parent files.  So if you  are  relying  on  them+     (especially  4) and using multiple files, placing your commodity directives+     in a top-level parent file might be important.  Or, keep your decimal marks+     unambiguous and your entries well balanced and precise.++     Omitting the commodity symbol will set  the  display  style  for  just  the+     no-symbol commodity, not all commodities.++     Commodity styles can be overridden by the -c/--commodity-style command line+     option.++     (Related: #793)++   Commodity directive syntax+     A  commodity  directive is normally the word commodity followed by a sample+     amount, and optionally a comment.  Only the amount's symbol  and  the  num-+     ber's format is significant.  Eg:++            commodity $1000.00+            commodity 1.000,00 EUR+            commodity 1 000 000.0000   ; the no-symbol commodity++     A commodity directive's sample amount must always include a period or comma+     decimal  mark  (this  rule helps disambiguate decimal marks and digit group+     marks).  If you don't want to show any decimal digits,  write  the  decimal+     mark at the end:++            commodity 1000. AAAA       ; show AAAA with no decimals++     Commodity  symbols  containing  spaces, numbers, or punctuation must be en-+     closed in double quotes, as usual:++            commodity 1.0000 "AAAA 2023"++     Commodity directives normally include a sample amount, but can declare only+     a symbol (ie, just function 1 above):++            commodity $+            commodity INR+            commodity "AAAA 2023"+            commodity ""               ; the no-symbol commodity++     Commodity directives may also be written with an indented format  subdirec-+     tive,  as  in  Ledger.  The symbol is repeated and must be the same in both+     places.  Other subdirectives are currently ignored:++            ; display indian rupees with currency name on the left,+            ; thousands, lakhs and crores comma-separated,+            ; period as decimal point, and two decimal places.+            commodity INR+              format INR 1,00,00,000.00+              an unsupported subdirective  ; ignored by hledger++   Commodity tags+     A commodity directive's comment may contain tags.  These will be propagated+     to all postings using that commodity in their main amount,  as  hidden  but+     queryable  posting tags, except where the posting already a tag of the same+     name.  (Posting tags override account tags override commodity tags.)++   Commodity error checking+     In strict mode (-s/--strict) (or when you run hledger  check  commodities),+     hledger  will  report  an  error if an undeclared commodity symbol is used.+     (With one exception: zero amounts are always allowed to have  no  commodity+     symbol.)  It works like account error checking (described above).++   decimal-mark directive+     You  can use a decimal-mark directive - usually one per file, at the top of+     the file - to declare which character represents a decimal mark when  pars-+     ing amounts in this file.  It can look like++            decimal-mark .++     or++            decimal-mark ,++     This  prevents any ambiguity when parsing numbers in the file, so we recom-+     mend it, especially if the file contains digit group  marks  (eg  thousands+     separators).++   include directive+     You  can  pull in the content of additional files by writing an include di-+     rective, like this:++            include SOMEFILE++     This has the same effect as if  SOMEFILE's  content  was  inlined  at  this+     point.   (With  any include directives in SOMEFILE processed similarly, re-+     cursively.)++     Only journal files can include other  files.   They  can  include  journal,+     timeclock or timedot files, but not CSV files.++     If  the  file path begins with a tilde, that means your home directory: in-+     clude ~/main.journal.++     If  it  begins  with  a  slash,   it   is   an   absolute   path:   include+     /home/user/main.journal.   Otherwise it is relative to the including file's+     folder: include ../finances/main.journal.++     Also, the path may have a file type prefix to force a specific file format,+     overriding the file extension(s) (as described in  Data  formats):  include+     timedot:notes/2023.md.++     The  path  may  contain  glob  patterns to match multiple files.  hledger's+     globs are similar to zsh's: ? to match any character; [a-z]  to  match  any+     character in a range; * to match zero or more characters that aren't a path+     separator  (like /); ** to match zero or more subdirectories and/or zero or+     more characters at the start of a file name; etc.  For convenience, include+     always excludes the current file.  So, you can do++     * include *.journal to include all other journal files in the  current  di-+       rectory (excluding dot files)++     * include  **.journal  to include all other journal files in this directory+       and below (excluding dot files and top-level dot directories)++     * include timelogs/2???.timedot to include all timedot files named  like  a+       year number.++     Note  *  and  ** usually won't match dot files or dot directories, with one+     exception: ** does search non-top-level dot directories.   If  this  causes+     problems,  make  your  glob pattern more specific (eg **.journal instead of+     **).++     If you are using many, or deeply nested, include files, and have  an  error+     that's  hard  to  pinpoint: a good troubleshooting command is hledger files+     --debug=6 (or 7).++   P directive+     The P directive declares a market price, which is a conversion rate between+     two commodities on a certain date.  This allows value  reports  to  convert+     amounts  of one commodity to their value in another, on or after that date.+     These prices are often obtained from a stock exchange,  cryptocurrency  ex-+     change, or the foreign exchange market.++     The format is:++            P DATE COMMODITY1SYMBOL COMMODITY2AMOUNT++     DATE  is a simple date, COMMODITY1SYMBOL is the symbol of the commodity be-+     ing priced, and COMMODITY2AMOUNT is the amount  (symbol  and  quantity)  of+     commodity 2 that one unit of commodity 1 is worth on this date.  Examples:++            # one euro was worth $1.35 from 2009-01-01 onward:+            P 2009-01-01 a $1.35++            # and $1.40 from 2010-01-01 onward:+            P 2010-01-01 a $1.40++     The  -V, -X and --value flags use these market prices to show amount values+     in another commodity.  See Value reporting.++   payee directive+     payee PAYEE NAME++     This directive can be used to declare a limited set of payees which may ap-+     pear in transaction descriptions.  The "payees" check will report an  error+     if any transaction refers to a payee that has not been declared.  Eg:++            payee Whole Foods    ; a comment++     Payees do not have tags (tags in the comment will be ignored).++     To declare the empty payee name, use "".++            payee ""++     Ledger-style indented subdirectives, if any, are currently ignored.++   tag directive+     tag TAGNAME++     This directive can be used to declare a limited set of tag names allowed in+     tags.  TAGNAME should be a valid tag name (no spaces).  Eg:++            tag  item-id++     Any indented subdirectives are currently ignored.++     The  "tags"  check will report an error if any undeclared tag name is used.+     It is quite easy to accidentally create a tag through normal use of  colons+     in  comments;  if  you want to prevent this, you can declare and check your+     tags .++   Periodic transactions+     The ~ directive declares a "periodic rule" which generates temporary  extra+     transactions,  usually recurring at some interval, when hledger is run with+     the --forecast flag.  These "forecast transactions" are  useful  for  fore-+     casting  future  activity.  They exist only for the duration of the report,+     and only when --forecast is used; they are not saved in the journal file by+     hledger.++     Periodic rules also have a second use: with the --budget flag they set bud-+     get goals for budgeting.++     Periodic rules can be a little tricky, so before you use  them,  read  this+     whole section, or at least the following tips:++     1. Two  spaces  accidentally added or omitted will cause you trouble - read+        about this below.++     2. For troubleshooting, show the generated transactions with hledger  print+        --forecast tag:generated or hledger register --forecast tag:generated.++     3. Forecasted  transactions  will  begin only after the last non-forecasted+        transaction's date.++     4. Forecasted transactions will end 6 months from today, by  default.   See+        below for the exact start/end rules.++     5. period  expressions  can  be tricky.  Their documentation needs improve-+        ment, but is worth studying.++     6. Some period expressions with a repeating interval must begin on  a  nat-+        ural  boundary of that interval.  Eg in weekly from DATE, DATE must be a+        monday.  ~ weekly from 2019/10/1 (a tuesday) will give an error.++     7. Other period expressions with an interval are automatically expanded  to+        cover  a  whole  number  of that interval.  (This is done to improve re-+        ports, but it also affects periodic transactions.  Yes, it's a  bit  in-+        consistent  with  the  above.)   Eg:   ~  every  10th  day of month from+        2023/01, which is  equivalent  to   ~  every  10th  day  of  month  from+        2023/01/01, will be adjusted to start on 2019/12/10.++   Periodic rule syntax+     A  periodic  transaction  rule  looks like a normal journal entry, with the+     date replaced by a tilde (~) followed by a period expression  (mnemonic:  ~+     looks like a recurring sine wave.):++            # every first of month+            ~ monthly+                expenses:rent          $2000+                assets:bank:checking++            # every 15th of month in 2023's first quarter:+            ~ monthly from 2023-04-15 to 2023-06-16+                expenses:utilities          $400+                assets:bank:checking++     The  period  expression is the same syntax used for specifying multi-period+     reports, just interpreted differently; there, it specifies report  periods;+     here it specifies recurrence dates (the periods' start dates).++   Periodic rules and relative dates+     Partial  or relative dates (like 12/31, 25, tomorrow, last week, next quar-+     ter) are usually not recommended in periodic rules, since the results  will+     change  as  time passes.  If used, they will be interpreted relative to, in+     order of preference:++     1. the first day of the default year specified by a recent Y directive++     2. or the date specified with --today++     3. or the date on which you are running the report.++     They will not be affected at all by report period or forecast period dates.++   Two spaces between period expression and description!+     If the period expression is followed by a  transaction  description,  these+     must be separated by two or more spaces.  This helps hledger know where the+     period  expression  ends,  so  that descriptions can not accidentally alter+     their meaning, as in this example:++            ; 2 or more spaces needed here, so the period is not understood as "every 2 months in 2023"+            ;               ||+            ;               vv+            ~ every 2 months  in 2023, we will review+                assets:bank:checking   $1500+                income:acme inc++     So,++     * Do write two spaces between your period expression and  your  transaction+       description, if any.++     * Don't  accidentally write two spaces in the middle of your period expres-+       sion.++   Auto postings+     The = directive declares an "auto posting rule", which adds extra  postings+     to  existing  transactions.   (Remember,  postings  are  the account name &+     amount lines below a transaction's date & description.)++     In the journal, an auto posting rule looks quite like  a  transaction,  but+     instead  of  date and description it has = (mnemonic: "match") and a query,+     like this:++            = QUERY+                ACCOUNT    AMOUNT+                ...++     Queries are just like command line queries; an account  name  substring  is+     most common.  Query terms containing spaces should be enclosed in single or+     double quotes.++     Each  =  rule  works  like  this: when hledger is run with the --auto flag,+     wherever the QUERY matches a posting in the journal,  the  rule's  postings+     are added to that transaction, immediately below the matched posting.  Note+     these  generated  postings are temporary, existing only for the duration of+     the report, and only when --auto is used; they are not saved in the journal+     file by hledger.++     The postings can contain the special string %account which will be expanded+     to the account name of the matched account.++     Generated postings' amounts can depend on the matched posting's amount.  So+     auto postings can be useful for, eg, adding tax postings  with  a  standard+     percentage.  AMOUNT can be:++     * a number with no commodity symbol, like 2.  The matched posting's commod-+       ity symbol will be added to this.++     * a  normal  amount  with  a  commodity symbol, like $2.  This will be used+       as-is.++     * an asterisk followed by a  number,  like  *2.   This  will  multiply  the+       matched posting's amount (and total price, if any) by the number.++     * an  asterisk followed by an amount with commodity symbol, like *$2.  This+       multiplies and also replaces the commodity symbol with this new one.++     Some examples:++            ; every time I buy food, schedule a dollar donation+            = expenses:food+                (liabilities:charity)   $-1++            ; when I buy a gift, also deduct that amount from a budget envelope subaccount+            = expenses:gifts+                assets:checking:gifts  *-1+                assets:checking         *1++            2017/12/1+              expenses:food    $10+              assets:checking++            2017/12/14+              expenses:gifts   $20+              assets:checking++            $ hledger print --auto+            2017-12-01+                expenses:food              $10+                assets:checking+                (liabilities:charity)      $-1++            2017-12-14+                expenses:gifts             $20+                assets:checking+                assets:checking:gifts     -$20+                assets:checking            $20++     Note that depending fully on generated data such as this has some drawbacks+     - it's less portable, less future-proof, less auditable by others, and less+     robust (eg your balance assertions will depend on whether you use or  don't+     use  --auto).  An alternative is to use auto postings in "one time" fashion+     - use them to help build a complex journal  entry,  view  it  with  hledger+     print  --auto,  and  then copy that output into the journal file to make it+     permanent.++   Auto postings and multiple files+     An auto posting rule can affect any transaction in the current file, or  in+     any  parent file or child file.  Note, currently it will not affect sibling+     files (when multiple -f/--file are used - see #1212).++   Auto postings and dates+     A posting date (or secondary date)  in  the  matched  posting,  or  (taking+     precedence)  a  posting  date in the auto posting rule itself, will also be+     used in the generated posting.++   Auto postings and transaction balancing / inferred amounts /  balance  asser-+     tions+     Currently, auto postings are added:++     * after missing amounts are inferred, and transactions are checked for bal-+       ancedness,++     * but before balance assertions are checked.++     Note this means that journal entries must be balanced both before and after+     auto postings are added.  This changed in hledger 1.12+; see #893 for back-+     ground.++     This  also  means  that  you  cannot have more than one auto-posting with a+     missing amount applied to a given transaction, as it will be unable to  in-+     fer amounts.++   Auto posting tags+     Automated postings will have some extra tags:++     * generated-posting:=  QUERY  - shows this was generated by an auto posting+       rule, and the query++     * _generated-posting:= QUERY - a hidden  tag,  which  does  not  appear  in+       hledger's  output.   This  can  be used to match postings generated "just+       now", rather than generated in the past and saved to the journal.++     Also, any transaction that has been changed by auto posting rules will have+     these tags added:++     * modified: - this transaction was modified++     * _modified: - a hidden tag not appearing in the comment; this  transaction+       was modified "just now".++   Auto postings on forecast transactions only+     Tip:  you  can  can make auto postings that will apply to forecast transac-+     tions but not recorded transactions, by  adding  tag:_generated-transaction+     to  their QUERY.  This can be useful when generating new journal entries to+     be saved in the journal.++   Other syntax+     hledger journal format supports quite a few other features, mainly to  make+     interoperating  with  or  converting  from Ledger easier.  Note some of the+     features below are powerful and can be useful in special cases, but in gen-+     eral, features in this section are considered less important  or  even  not+     recommended  for most users.  Downsides are mentioned to help you decide if+     you want to use them.++   Balance assignments+     Ledger-style balance assignments are also supported.  These are  like  bal-+     ance  assertions, but with no posting amount on the left side of the equals+     sign; instead it is calculated automatically so as to  satisfy  the  asser-+     tion.  This can be a convenience during data entry, eg when setting opening+     balances:++            ; starting a new journal, set asset account balances+            2016/1/1 opening balances+              assets:checking            = $409.32+              assets:savings             = $735.24+              assets:cash                 = $42+              equity:opening balances++     or when adjusting a balance to reality:++            ; no cash left; update balance, record any untracked spending as a generic expense+            2016/1/15+              assets:cash    = $0+              expenses:misc++     The  calculated amount depends on the account's balance in the commodity at+     that point (which depends on the previously-dated postings of the commodity+     to that account since the last balance assertion or assignment).++     Downsides: using balance assignments makes your journal less  explicit;  to+     know  the  exact  amount posted, you have to run hledger or do the calcula-+     tions yourself, instead of just  reading  it.   Also  balance  assignments'+     forcing of balances can hide errors.  These things make your financial data+     less portable, less future-proof, and less trustworthy in an audit.++   Balance assignments and costs+     A  cost  in  a  balance assignment will cause the calculated amount to have+     that cost attached:++            2019/1/1+              (a)             = $1 @ a2++            $ hledger print --explicit+            2019-01-01+                (a)         $1 @ a2 = $1 @ a2++   Balance assignments and multiple files+     Balance assignments handle multiple files like  balance  assertions.   They+     see balance from other files previously included from the current file, but+     not from previous sibling or parent files.++   Bracketed posting dates+     For  setting  posting dates and secondary posting dates, Ledger's bracketed+     date syntax is also supported: [DATE], [DATE=DATE2] or [=DATE2] in  posting+     comments.   hledger  will attempt to parse any square-bracketed sequence of+     the 0123456789/-.= characters in this way.  With this syntax,  DATE  infers+     its year from the transaction and DATE2 infers its year from DATE.++     Downsides:  another  syntax to learn, redundant with hledger's date:/date2:+     tags, and confusingly similar to Ledger's lot date syntax.++   D directive+     D AMOUNT++     This directive sets a default commodity, to be used for any subsequent com-+     modityless amounts (ie, plain numbers)  seen  while  parsing  the  journal.+     This  effect  lasts  until  the next D directive, or the end of the current+     file.++     For compatibility/historical reasons, D also acts like a  commodity  direc-+     tive  (setting  the  commodity's decimal mark for parsing and display style+     for output).  So its argument is not just a commodity symbol,  but  a  full+     amount  demonstrating  the  style.   The amount must include a decimal mark+     (either period or comma).  Eg:++            ; commodity-less amounts should be treated as dollars+            ; (and displayed with the dollar sign on the left, thousands separators and two decimal places)+            D $1,000.00++            1/1+              a     5  ; <- commodity-less amount, parsed as $5 and displayed as $5.00+              b++     Interactions with other directives:++     For setting a commodity's display style, a commodity directive has  highest+     priority, then a D directive.++     For  detecting  a commodity's decimal mark during parsing, decimal-mark has+     highest priority, then commodity, then D.++     For checking commodity symbols with the check command, a  commodity  direc-+     tive is required (hledger check commodities ignores D directives).++     Downsides:  omitting  commodity  symbols makes your financial data less ex-+     plicit, less portable, and less trustworthy in an audit.  It is usually  an+     unsustainable  shortcut;  sooner  or  later you will want to track multiple+     commodities.  D is overloaded with functions redundant with  commodity  and+     decimal-mark.  And it works differently from Ledger's D.++   apply account directive+     This  directive  sets  a default parent account, which will be prepended to+     all accounts in following entries, until an end apply account directive  or+     end of current file.  Eg:++            apply account home++            2010/1/1+                food    $10+                cash++            end apply account++     is equivalent to:++            2010/01/01+                home:food           $10+                home:cash          $-10++     account directives are also affected, and so is any included content.++     Account names entered via hledger add or hledger-web are not affected.++     Account aliases, if any, are applied after the parent account is prepended.++     Downsides:  this can make your financial data less explicit, less portable,+     and less trustworthy in an audit.++   Y directive+     Y YEAR++     or (deprecated backward-compatible forms):++     year YEAR apply year YEAR++     The space is optional.  This sets a default year to be used for  subsequent+     dates which don't specify a year.  Eg:++            Y2009  ; set default year to 2009++            12/15  ; equivalent to 2009/12/15+              expenses  1+              assets++            year 2010  ; change default year to 2010++            2009/1/30  ; specifies the year, not affected+              expenses  1+              assets++            1/31   ; equivalent to 2010/1/31+              expenses  1+              assets++     Downsides:  omitting  the  year  (from primary transaction dates, at least)+     makes your financial data less explicit, less portable, and less  trustwor-+     thy  in  an audit.  Such dates can get separated from their corresponding Y+     directive, eg when evaluating a region of the journal in  your  editor.   A+     missing Y directive makes reports dependent on today's date.++   Secondary dates+     A  secondary  date  is  written after the primary date, following an equals+     sign: DATE1=DATE2.  If the year is omitted, the primary date's year is  as-+     sumed.   When  running reports, the primary (left side) date is used by de-+     fault, but with the --date2 flag (--aux-date or--effective also  work,  for+     Ledger users), the secondary (right side) date will be used instead.++     The  meaning  of  secondary dates is up to you.  Eg it could be "primary is+     the bank's clearing date, secondary is the date the transaction was  initi-+     ated, if different".++     In practice, this feature usually adds confusion:++     * You have to remember the primary and secondary dates' meaning, and follow+       that consistently.++     * It splits your bookkeeping into two modes, and you have to remember which+       mode is appropriate for a given report.++     * Usually your balance assertions will work with only one of these modes.++     * It  makes  your  financial data more complicated, less portable, and less+       clear in an audit.++     * It interacts with every feature, creating an ongoing cost  for  implemen-+       tors.++     * It distracts new users and supporters.++     * Posting dates are simpler and work better.++     So  secondary dates are officially deprecated in hledger, remaining only as+     a Ledger compatibility aid; we recommend using posting dates instead.++   Star comments+     Lines beginning with * (star/asterisk) are also comment lines.   This  fea-+     ture  allows  Emacs users to insert org headings in their journal, allowing+     them to fold/unfold/navigate it like an outline when viewed with org mode.++     Downsides: another, unconventional comment syntax to learn.  Decreases your+     journal's portability.  And switching to Emacs  org  mode  just  for  fold-+     ing/unfolding  meant  losing  the benefits of ledger mode; nowadays you can+     add outshine mode to ledger mode  to  get  folding  without  losing  ledger+     mode's features.++   Valuation expressions+     Ledger  allows a valuation function or value to be written in double paren-+     theses after an amount.  hledger ignores these.++   Virtual postings+     A posting with parentheses around the  account  name,  like  (some:account)+     10, is called an unbalanced virtual posting.  These postings do not partic-+     ipate  in transaction balancing.  (And if you write them without an amount,+     a zero amount is always inferred.)  These can  occasionally  be  convenient+     for  special  circumstances,  but they violate double entry bookkeeping and+     make your data less portable across applications, so many people avoid  us-+     ing them at all.++     A  posting with brackets around the account name ([some:account]) is called+     a balanced virtual posting.  The balanced virtual postings in a transaction+     must add up to zero, just like ordinary postings, but separately from them.+     These are not part of double entry bookkeeping  either,  but  they  are  at+     least balanced.  An example:++            2022-01-01 buy food with cash, update budget envelope subaccounts, & something else+              assets:cash                    $-10  ; <- these balance each other+              expenses:food                    $7  ; <-+              expenses:food                    $3  ; <-+              [assets:checking:budget:food]  $-10  ;   <- and these balance each other+              [assets:checking:available]     $10  ;   <-+              (something:else)                 $5  ;     <- this is not required to balance++     Ordinary postings, whose account names are neither parenthesised nor brack-+     eted,  are called real postings.  You can exclude virtual postings from re-+     ports with the -R/--real flag or a real:1 query.++   Other Ledger directives+     These other Ledger directives are currently accepted but ignored.  This al-+     lows hledger to read more Ledger files, but be aware that hledger's reports+     may differ from Ledger's if you use these.++            apply fixed COMM AMT+            apply tag   TAG+            assert      EXPR+            bucket / A  ACCT+            capture     ACCT REGEX+            check       EXPR+            define      VAR=EXPR+            end apply fixed+            end apply tag+            end apply year+            end tag+            eval / expr EXPR+            python+              PYTHONCODE+            tag         NAME+            value       EXPR+            --command-line-flags++     See also https://hledger.org/ledger.html for a detailed hledger/Ledger syn-+     tax comparison.++   Ledger virtual costs+     In Ledger, (@) UNITCOST and (@@) TOTALCOST are virtual costs, which do  not+     generate market prices.  In hledger, these are equivalent to @ and @@.++   Ledger lot syntax+     In Ledger, these optional annotations after an amount help specify the cost+     basis of a newly acquired lot, or select existing lot(s) to dispose of:++     * {LOTUNITCOST} and {{LOTTOTALCOST}} (lot price)++     * [LOTDATE] (lot date)++     * (LOTNOTE) (lot note)++     hledger  does  not  yet calculate lots itself, but it accepts these annota-+     tions and will show them in print's txt, beancount, and  json  output  for-+     mats.  This means you can use this syntax in your hledger journals (with an+     amountless  extra  posting  to help transactions balance, when needed), and+     use the print command to export to Ledger or Beancount  when  you  want  to+     calculate lots and capital gains.++   Ledger fixed lot costs+     * {=UNITCOST} and {{=TOTALCOST}} (fixed price)++       * when  buying,  means  "this  cost is also the fixed value, don't let it+         fluctuate in value reports"++     Probably equivalent to @/@@, I'm not sure.++     Beancount has simpler notation and different behaviour:++     * @ UNITCOST and @@ TOTALCOST++       * expresses a cost without creating a lot, as in hledger++       * when buying (acquiring) or selling (disposing of) a lot,  and  combined+         with {...}: is not used except to document the cost/selling price++     * {UNITCOST} and {{TOTALCOST}}++       * when  buying,  expresses  the  cost for transaction balancing, and also+         creates a lot with this cost basis attached++       * when selling,++         * selects a lot by its cost basis++         * raises an error if that lot is not present or can not be selected un-+           ambiguously (depending on booking method configured)++         * expresses the selling price for transaction balancing++     * {}, {YYYY-MM-DD}, {"LABEL"}, {UNITCOST, "LABEL"}, {UNITCOST,  YYYY-MM-DD,+       "LABEL"}++       * when  selling,  other  combinations of date/cost/label, like the above,+         are accepted for selecting the lot.++     Currently, hledger++     * supports @ and @@++     * accepts the {UNITCOST}/{{TOTALCOST}} notation, but ignores it++     * and rejects the rest.++CSV+     hledger can read transactions  from  CSV  (comma-separated  values)  files.+     More  precisely,  it can read DSV (delimiter-separated values), from a file+     or standard input.  Comma-separated, semicolon-separated and  tab-separated+     are  the most common variants, and hledger will recognise these three auto-+     matically based on a .csv, .ssv or .tsv file name extension or a csv:, ssv:+     or tsv: file path prefix.++     (To learn about producing CSV or TSV output, see Output format.)++     Each CSV file must be described by a corresponding rules file.   This  con-+     tains  rules describing the CSV data (header line, fields layout, date for-+     mat etc.), how to construct hledger transactions from it, and how to  cate-+     gorise transactions based on description or other attributes.++     By  default, hledger expects this rules file to be named like the CSV file,+     with an extra .rules extension added, in the same directory.  Eg when asked+     to read foo/FILE.csv, hledger looks for foo/FILE.csv.rules.  You can  spec-+     ify a different rules file with the --rules option.++     At  minimum,  the  rules file must identify the date and amount fields, and+     often it also specifies the date format and how  many  header  lines  there+     are.  Here's a simple CSV file and a rules file for it:++            Date, Description, Id, Amount+            12/11/2019, Foo, 123, 10.23++            # basic.csv.rules+            skip         1+            fields       date, description, , amount+            date-format  %d/%m/%Y++            $ hledger print -f basic.csv+            2019-11-12 Foo+                expenses:unknown           10.23+                income:unknown            -10.23++     There's  an introductory Tutorial: Import CSV data on hledger.org, and more+     CSV rules examples below, and a larger collection at https://github.com/si-+     monmichael/hledger/tree/master/examples/csv.++   CSV rules cheatsheet+     The following kinds of rule can appear in the rules  file,  in  any  order.+     (Blank lines and lines beginning with # or ; or * are ignored.)++     source                     optionally  declare  which  file  to read data+                                from+     archive                    optionally enable an archive of imported files+     encoding                   optionally declare  which  text  encoding  the+                                data has+     separator                  declare  the field separator, instead of rely-+                                ing on file extension+     decimal-mark               declare the decimal mark used in CSV  amounts,+                                when ambiguous+     date-format                declare how to parse CSV dates/date-times+     timezone                   declare   the   time  zone  of  ambiguous  CSV+                                date-times+     newest-first               improve txn order  when:  there  are  multiple+                                records, newest first, all with the same date+     intra-day-reversed         improve  txn  order when: same-day txns are in+                                opposite order to the overall file+     skip                       (at top level) skip header line(s) at start of+                                file+     fields list                name CSV fields for easy  reference,  and  op-+                                tionally assign their values to hledger fields+     Field assignment           assign  a CSV value or interpolated text value+                                to a hledger field+     if block                   conditionally assign values to hledger fields,+                                or skip a record or end (skip rest of file)+     if table                   conditionally assign values to hledger fields,+                                using compact syntax+     skip                       (inside an if rule) skip current record(s)+     end                        (inside an if rule) skip all remaining records+     balance-type               select which type  of  balance  assertions/as-+                                signments to generate+     include                    inline another CSV rules file++     Working with CSV tips can be found below, including How CSV rules are eval-+     uated.++   source+     If  you  tell  hledger to read a csv file with -f foo.csv, it will look for+     rules in foo.csv.rules.  Or, you can tell it to read the rules  file,  with+     -f foo.csv.rules, and it will look for data in foo.csv (since 1.30).  These+     are  mostly equivalent, but the second method provides some extra features.+     For one, the data file can be missing, without causing an error; it is just+     considered empty.++     For more flexibility, add a source rule, which lets you specify a different+     data file:++            source ./Checking1.csv++     If the file does not exist, it is just considered empty, without raising an+     error.++     If you specify just a file name with no path, hledger will look for  it  in+     the ~/Downloads folder:++            source Checking1.csv++     You can use a glob pattern, to avoid specifying the file name exactly:++            source Checking1*.csv++     This  has  another  benefit: if the pattern matches multiple files, hledger+     will read the newest (most recently modified) one.  This avoids problems if+     you have downloaded a file multiple times without cleaning up.++     All this enables a convenient workflow where  can  you  just  download  CSV+     files, then run hledger import rules/*.++     See also "Working with CSV > Reading files specified by rule".++   Data cleaning / data generating commands+     After  source's  file  pattern,  you can write | (pipe) and a data cleaning+     command (or command pipeline).  If hledger's CSV rules aren't  enough,  you+     can pre-process the downloaded data here with a shell command or script, to+     make it more suitable for conversion.  The command will be executed by your+     default  shell,  in  the directory of the rules file, will receive the data+     file's content as standard input, and should output zero or more  lines  of+     character-separated-values, suitable for conversion by the CSV rules.++     Examples:++            source ./paypal.json | paypalcsv+            source data/simplefin.json | simplefincsv - 'chase.*card'+            source OfxDownload*.csv | grep -vE '^(([^,]*,){6}[^,]*|)$' | sort -t, -n +2+            source History_for_Account_Z20144832*.csv   # | grep -E '^([^,]*,){12}[^,]*$' | sed -E -e 's/^ //' -e 's/\.([0-9]),/.\10,/g' -e 's/,([0-9]+),/,\1.00,/g'++     Or,  after  source  you  can write | and a data generating command (with no+     file pattern before the |).  This command receives  no  input,  and  should+     output  zero or more lines of character-separated values, suitable for con-+     version by the CSV rules.++     Examples:++            source | paypaljson | paypalcsv+            source | paypalcsv data/paypal.json+            source | simplefinjson >data/simplefin.json && simplefincsv data/simplefin.json 'chase.*card'+            source | simplefincsv data/simplefin.json 'unify.*checking'++     (paypal* and simplefin* scripts are in bin/)++     Whenever hledger runs one of these commands, it will echo  the  command  on+     stderr.   If  the  command  produces  error output, but exits successfully,+     hledger will show the error output as a warning.   If  the  command  fails,+     hledger will fail and show the error output in the error message.++     Added in 1.50; experimental.++   archive+     With  archive  added  to a rules file, the import command will archive each+     successfully processed data file or data command output in a  nearby  data/+     directory.   The  archive file name will be based on the rules file and the+     data file's modification date and extension (or for a data-generating  com-+     mand,  the current date and the ".csv" extension).  The original data file,+     if any, will be removed.++     Also, in this mode import will prefer the oldest file matched by the source+     rule's glob pattern, not the newest.  (So if there are multiple  downloads,+     they will be imported and archived oldest first.)++     Archiving  is  optional,  but it can be useful for troubleshooting your CSV+     rules, regenerating entries with improved rules, checking for variations in+     your bank's CSV, etc.++     Added in 1.50; experimental.++   encoding+            encoding ENCODING++     hledger normally expects non-ascii text to be  using  the  system  locale's+     text  encoding.  If you need to read CSV files which have some other encod-+     ing, you can do it by adding encoding ENCODING to your CSV rules.  Eg:  en-+     coding iso-8859-1.++     The following encodings are supported:++     ascii,   utf-8,   utf-16,   utf-32,   iso-8859-1,  iso-8859-2,  iso-8859-3,+     iso-8859-4, iso-8859-5,  iso-8859-6,  iso-8859-7,  iso-8859-8,  iso-8859-9,+     iso-8859-10,    iso-8859-11,    iso-8859-13,    iso-8859-14,   iso-8859-15,+     iso-8859-16,  cp1250,  cp1251,  cp1252,  cp1253,  cp1254,  cp1255,  cp1256,+     cp1257, cp1258, koi8-r, koi8-u, gb18030, macintosh, jis-x-0201, jis-x-0208,+     iso-2022-jp,  shift-jis,  cp437,  cp737, cp775, cp850, cp852, cp855, cp857,+     cp860, cp861, cp862, cp863, cp864, cp865, cp866, cp869, cp874, cp932.++     Added in 1.42.++   separator+     You can use the separator rule to read other kinds  of  character-separated+     data.   The argument is any single separator character, or the words tab or+     space (case insensitive).  Eg, for comma-separated values (CSV):++            separator ,++     or for semicolon-separated values (SSV):++            separator ;++     or for tab-separated values (TSV):++            separator TAB++     If the input file has a .csv, .ssv or .tsv file extension (or a csv:, ssv:,+     tsv: prefix), the appropriate separator will be inferred automatically, and+     you won't need this rule.++   skip+            skip N++     The word skip followed by a number (or no number, meaning 1) tells  hledger+     to ignore this many non-empty lines at the start of the input data.  You'll+     need  this  whenever  your CSV data contains header lines.  Note, empty and+     blank lines are skipped automatically, so you don't need to count those.++     skip has a second meaning: it can be used inside if blocks  (described  be-+     low),  to skip one or more records whenever the condition is true.  Records+     skipped in this way are ignored, except they are still required to be valid+     CSV.++   date-format+            date-format DATEFMT++     This is a helper for the date (and date2) fields.  If your  CSV  dates  are+     not formatted like YYYY-MM-DD, YYYY/MM/DD or YYYY.MM.DD, you'll need to add+     a  date-format rule describing them with a strptime-style date parsing pat-+     tern  -  see   https://hackage.haskell.org/package/time/docs/Data-Time-For-+     mat.html#v:formatTime.   The  pattern  must  parse  the CSV date value com-+     pletely.  Some examples:++            # MM/DD/YY+            date-format %m/%d/%y++            # D/M/YYYY+            # The - makes leading zeros optional.+            date-format %-d/%-m/%Y++            # YYYY-Mmm-DD+            date-format %Y-%h-%d++            # M/D/YYYY HH:MM AM some other junk+            # Note the time and junk must be fully parsed, though only the date is used.+            date-format %-m/%-d/%Y %l:%M %p some other junk++     Note currently there is no locale awareness for things like %b, and setting+     LC_TIME won't help.++   timezone+            timezone TIMEZONE++     When CSV contains date-times that are implicitly in some  time  zone  other+     than  yours,  but containing no explicit time zone information, you can use+     this rule to declare the  CSV's  native  time  zone,  which  helps  prevent+     off-by-one dates.++     When  the  CSV  date-times do contain time zone information, you don't need+     this rule; instead, use %Z in date-format (or %z, %EZ, %Ez; see the format-+     Time link above).++     In either of these cases, hledger will do a time-zone-aware conversion, lo-+     calising the CSV date-times to your current system time zone.  If you  pre-+     fer  to  localise  to some other time zone, eg for reproducibility, you can+     (on unix at least) set the output timezone with the  TZ  environment  vari-+     able, eg:++            $ TZ=-1000 hledger print -f foo.csv  # or TZ=-1000 hledger import foo.csv++     timezone currently does not understand timezone names, except "UTC", "GMT",+     "EST", "EDT", "CST", "CDT", "MST", "MDT", "PST", or "PDT".  For others, use+     numeric format: +HHMM or -HHMM.++   newest-first+     hledger  tries  to  ensure  that the generated transactions will be ordered+     chronologically, including same-day transactions.  Usually it can  auto-de-+     tect  how  the CSV records are ordered.  But if it encounters CSV where all+     records are on the same date, it assumes that the records are oldest first.+     If in fact the CSV's records are normally newest first, like:++            2022-10-01, txn 3...+            2022-10-01, txn 2...+            2022-10-01, txn 1...++     you can add the newest-first rule to help hledger generate the transactions+     in correct order.++            # same-day CSV records are newest first+            newest-first++   intra-day-reversed+     If CSV records within a single day are  ordered  opposite  to  the  overall+     record  order, you can add the intra-day-reversed rule to improve the order+     of journal entries.  Eg, here the overall record order is newest first, but+     same-day records are oldest first:++            2022-10-02, txn 3...+            2022-10-02, txn 4...+            2022-10-01, txn 1...+            2022-10-01, txn 2...++            # transactions within each day are reversed with respect to the overall date order+            intra-day-reversed++   decimal-mark+            decimal-mark .++     or:++            decimal-mark ,++     hledger automatically accepts either period or comma as a decimal mark when+     parsing numbers (cf Amounts).  However if any numbers in  the  CSV  contain+     digit  group  marks, such as thousand-separating commas, you should declare+     the decimal mark explicitly with this rule, to avoid misparsed numbers.++   CSV fields and hledger fields+     This can be confusing, so let's start with an overview:++     * CSV fields are provided by your data file.  They are named by their posi-+       tion in the CSV record, starting with 1.  You can also give them a  read-+       able name.++     * hledger  fields are predefined; date, description, account1, amount1, ac-+       count2 are some of them.  They correspond to  parts  of  a  transaction's+       journal entry, mostly.++     * The  CSV  fields and hledger fields are the only fields you'll be working+       with; you can't define new fields, or variables as in a programming  lan-+       guage.  (But you could add extra CSV fields to the data in preprocessing,+       before running the rules.)++     * For  each  CSV record, you'll assign values to one or more of the hledger+       fields to build up a transaction (journal entry).  Values can  be  static+       text,  CSV  field  values  from  the  current record, or a combination of+       these.++     * For simple cases, you can give a CSV field the same name as  one  of  the+       hledger  fields,  then  its  value will be automatically assigned to that+       hledger field.++     * CSV fields can only be read, not written to.  They'll  be  on  the  right+       hand side, with a % prefix.  Eg++       * testing a CSV field's value: if %CSVFIELD ...++       * interpolating its value: HLEDGERFIELD %CSVFIELD++     * hledger  fields can only be written to, not read.  They'll be on the left+       hand side (or in a fields list), with no prefix.  Eg++       * setting the transaction's description to a value: description VALUE++       * setting the transaction's description to the second CSV field's value:+       fields date, description, amount++   fields list+            fields FIELDNAME1, FIELDNAME2, ...++     A fields list (the word fields followed by comma-separated field names)  is+     optional, but convenient.  It does two things:++     1. It  names  the  CSV field in each column.  This can be convenient if you+        are referencing them in other rules, so you can say  %SomeField  instead+        of remembering %13.++     2. Whenever  you  use one of the special hledger field names (described be-+        low), it assigns the CSV value in this position to that  hledger  field.+        This is the quickest way to populate hledger's fields and build a trans-+        action.++     Here's  an example that says "use the 1st, 2nd and 4th fields as the trans-+     action's date, description and amount; name the last two fields  for  later+     reference; and ignore the others":++            fields date, description, , amount, , , somefield, anotherfield++     In a fields list, the separator is always comma; it is unrelated to the CSV+     file's separator.  Also:++     * There must be least two items in the list (at least one comma).++     * Field  names may not contain spaces.  Spaces before/after field names are+       optional.++     * Field names may contain _ (underscore) or - (hyphen).++     * Fields you don't care about can be given a dummy name or an empty name.++     If the CSV contains column headings, it's convenient to use these for  your+     field  names, suitably modified (eg lower-cased with spaces replaced by un-+     derscores).++     Sometimes you may want to alter a CSV field name to avoid  assigning  to  a+     hledger  field  with  the same name.  Eg you could call the CSV's "balance"+     field balance_ to avoid directly setting hledger's balance field (and  gen-+     erating a balance assertion).++   Field assignment+            HLEDGERFIELD FIELDVALUE++     Field assignments are the more flexible way to assign CSV values to hledger+     fields.   They  can be used instead of or in addition to a fields list (see+     above).++     To assign a value to a hledger field, write the  field  name  (any  of  the+     standard  hledger  field/pseudo-field  names, defined below), a space, fol-+     lowed by a text value on the same line.  This text  value  may  interpolate+     CSV  fields,  referenced either by their 1-based position in the CSV record+     (%N) or by the name they were given in the  fields  list  (%CSVFIELD),  and+     regular expression match groups (\N).++     Some examples:++            # set the amount to the 4th CSV field, with " USD" appended+            amount %4 USD++            # combine three fields to make a comment, containing note: and date: tags+            comment note: %somefield - %anotherfield, date: %1++     Tips:++     * Interpolation  strips outer whitespace (so a CSV value like " 1 " becomes+       1 when interpolated) (#1051).++     * Interpolations always refer to a CSV field  -  you  can't  interpolate  a+       hledger field.  (See Referencing other fields below).++   Field names+     Note  the two kinds of field names mentioned here, and used only in hledger+     CSV rules files:++     1. CSV field names (CSVFIELD in these docs): you can  optionally  name  the+        CSV  columns for easy reference (since hledger doesn't yet automatically+        recognise column headings in a CSV file), by writing arbitrary names  in+        a fields list, eg:++                fields When, What, Some_Id, Net, Total, Foo, Bar++     2. Special  hledger  field names (HLEDGERFIELD in these docs): you must set+        at least some of these to generate the hledger transaction  from  a  CSV+        record, by writing them as the left hand side of a field assignment, eg:++                date        %When+                code        %Some_Id+                description %What+                comment     %Foo %Bar+                amount1     $ %Total++         or directly in a fields list:++                fields date, description, code, , amount1, Foo, Bar+                currency $+                comment  %Foo %Bar++     Here  are  all  the special hledger field names available, and what happens+     when you assign values to them:++   date field+     Assigning to date sets the transaction date.++   date2 field+     date2 sets the transaction's secondary date, if any.++   status field+     status sets the transaction's status, if any.++   code field+     code sets the transaction's code, if any.++   description field+     description sets the transaction's description, if any.++   comment field+     comment sets the transaction's comment, if any.++     commentN, where N is a number, sets the Nth posting's comment.++     You can assign multi-line comments by writing literal \n in  the  code.   A+     comment starting with \n will begin on a new line.++     Comments can contain tags, as usual.++     Posting  comments  can also contain a posting date.  A secondary date, or a+     year-less date, will be ignored.++   account field+     Assigning to accountN, where N is 1 to 99, sets the account name of the Nth+     posting, and causes that posting to be generated.++     Most often there are two postings, so you'll want to set account1  and  ac-+     count2.   Typically  account1  is  associated with the CSV file, and is set+     once with a top-level assignment, while  account2  is  set  based  on  each+     transaction's description, in conditional rules.++     If  a  posting's  account name is left unset but its amount is set (see be-+     low), a default account name will be  chosen  (like  "expenses:unknown"  or+     "income:unknown").++   amount field+     There are several ways to set posting amounts from CSV, useful in different+     situations.++     1. amount is the oldest and simplest.  Assigning to this sets the amount of+        the  first  and second postings.  In the second posting, the amount will+        be negated; also, if it has a cost attached, it  will  be  converted  to+        cost.++     2. amount-in and amount-out work exactly like the above, but should be used+        when  the  CSV  has  two amount fields (such as "Debit" and "Credit", or+        "Inflow" and "Outflow").  Whichever field has a non-zero value  will  be+        used as the amount of the first and second postings.  Here are some tips+        to avoid confusion:++         * It's  not  "amount-in for posting 1 and amount-out for posting 2", it+           is "extract a single amount from the amount-in or  amount-out  field,+           and use that for posting 1 and (negated) for posting 2".++         * Don't  use  both  amount  and  amount-in/amount-out in the same rules+           file; choose based on whether the amount is in a single CSV field  or+           spread across two fields.++         * In  each  record,  at most one of the two CSV fields should contain a+           non-zero amount; the other field must contain a zero or nothing.++         * hledger assumes both CSV fields contain unsigned numbers, and it  au-+           tomatically negates the amount-out values.++         * If  the  data doesn't fit these requirements, you'll probably need an+           if rule (see below).++     3. amountN (where N is a number from 1 to 99) sets the  amount  of  only  a+        single posting: the Nth posting in the transaction.  You'll usually need+        at  least  two such assignments to make a balanced transaction.  You can+        also generate more than two postings, to represent more complex transac-+        tions.  The posting numbers don't have to be consecutive; with if rules,+        higher posting numbers can be useful to ensure a certain order of  post-+        ings.++     4. amountN-in  and  amountN-out  work exactly like the above, but should be+        used when the CSV has two amount fields.  This is analogous to amount-in+        and amount-out, and those tips also apply here.++     5. Remember that a fields list can also do assignments.   So  in  a  fields+        list  if  you  name  a  CSV  field "amount", that counts as assigning to+        amount.  (If you don't want that, call it something else in  the  fields+        list, like "amount_".)++     6. The  above  don't  handle every situation; if you need more flexibility,+        use an if rule to set amounts conditionally.  See "Working  with  CSV  >+        Setting amounts" below for more on this and on amount-setting generally.++   currency field+     currency  sets a currency symbol, to be prepended to all postings' amounts.+     You can use this if the CSV amounts do not have a currency symbol, eg if it+     is in a separate column.++     currencyN prepends a currency symbol to just the Nth posting's amount.++   balance field+     balanceN sets a balance assertion amount (or if the posting amount is  left+     empty, a balance assignment) on posting N.++     balance  is a compatibility spelling for hledger <1.17; it is equivalent to+     balance1.++     You can adjust the type of assertion/assignment with the balance-type  rule+     (see below).++     See the Working with CSV tips below for more about setting amounts and cur-+     rency.++   if block+     Rules  can be applied conditionally, depending on patterns in the CSV data.+     This allows flexibility; in particular, it is how you can categorise trans-+     actions, selecting an appropriate account name based on  their  description+     (for example).  There are two ways to write conditional rules: "if blocks",+     described here, and "if tables", described below.++     An  if block is the word if and one or more "matcher" expressions (can be a+     word or phrase), one per line, starting either on the same  or  next  line;+     followed by one or more indented rules.  Eg,++            if MATCHER+             RULE++     or++            if+            MATCHER+            MATCHER+            MATCHER+             RULE+             RULE++     If any of the matchers succeeds, all of the indented rules will be applied.+     They  are  usually  field  assignments, but the following special rules may+     also be used within an if block:++     * skip - skips the matched CSV record (generating no transaction from it)++     * end - skips the rest of the current CSV file.++     Some examples:++            # if the record contains "groceries", set account2 to "expenses:groceries"+            if groceries+             account2 expenses:groceries++            # if the record contains any of these phrases, set account2 and a transaction comment as shown+            if+            monthly service fee+            atm transaction fee+            banking thru software+             account2 expenses:business:banking+             comment  XXX deductible ? check it++            # if an empty record is seen (assuming five fields), ignore the rest of the CSV file+            if ,,,,+             end++   Matchers+     There are two kinds of matcher:++     1. A whole record matcher is simplest: it is just a word, single-line  text+        fragment,  or  other regular expression, which hledger will try to match+        case-insensitively anywhere within the CSV record.+     Eg: whole foods.++     2. A field matcher has a percent-prefixed CSV field number or  name  before+        the pattern.+     Eg: %3 whole foods or %description whole foods.+     hledger will try to match the pattern just within the named CSV field.++     When using these, there's two things to be aware of:++     1. Whole  record  matchers  don't see the exact original record; they see a+        reconstruction of it, in which values are  comma-separated,  and  quotes+        enclosing values and whitespace outside those quotes are removed.+     Eg when reading an SSV record like: 2023-01-01 ; "Acme, Inc. " ;  1,000+     the whole record matcher sees instead: 2023-01-01,Acme, Inc. ,1,000++     2. Field matchers expect either a CSV field number, or a CSV field name de-+        clared  with  fields.   Anything else will cause it to match against the+        empty string, and probably fail silently (this makes it easier to  reuse+        common  rules with different CSV files).  Don't use a hledger field name+        here (see CSV fields and hledger fields).++     You can also prefix a matcher with ! (and optional space) to negate it.  Eg+     ! whole foods, ! %3 whole foods, !%description whole foods  will  match  if+     "whole foods" is NOT present.  Added in 1.32.++     The  pattern  is,  as usual in hledger, a POSIX extended regular expression+     that also supports GNU word boundaries (\b, \B, \<, \>) and  nothing  else.+     For more details and tips, see Regular expressions in CSV rules below.++   Multiple matchers+     When an if block has multiple matchers, each on its own line,++     * By default they are OR'd (any of them can match).++     * Matcher  lines  beginning  with & (or &&, since 1.42) are AND'ed with the+       matcher above (all in the AND'ed group must match).++     * Matcher lines beginning with & ! (since 1.41, or && !,  since  1.42)  are+       first negated and then AND'ed with the matcher above.++     You  can  also  combine multiple matchers one the same line separated by &&+     (AND) or && ! (AND NOT).  Eg %description amazon && %date  2025-01-01  will+     match  only when the description field contains "amazon" and the date field+     contains "2025-01-01".  Added in 1.42.++   Match groups+     Added in 1.32++     Matchers can define match groups: parenthesised portions of the regular ex-+     pression which are available for reference in  field  assignments.   Groups+     are  enclosed  in  regular  parentheses  (( and )) and can be nested.  Each+     group is available in field assignments using the token \N, where N  is  an+     index  into  the  match  groups  for  this conditional block (e.g.  \1, \2,+     etc.).++     Example: Warp credit card payment postings to the beginning of the  billing+     period  (Month start), to match how they are presented in statements, using+     posting dates:++            if %date (....-..)-..+              comment2 date:\1-01++     Another example: Read the expense account from the  CSV  field,  but  throw+     away a prefix:++            if %account1 liabilities:family:(expenses:.*)+                account1 \1++   if table+     "if tables" are an alternative to if blocks; they can express many matchers+     and field assignments in a more compact tabular format, like this:++            if,HLEDGERFIELD1,HLEDGERFIELD2,...+            MATCHERA,VALUE1,VALUE2,...+            MATCHERB && MATCHERC,VALUE1,VALUE2,...  (*since 1.42*)+            ; Comment line that explains MATCHERD+            MATCHERD,VALUE1,VALUE2,...+            <empty line>++     The  first  character after if is taken to be this if table's field separa-+     tor.  It is unrelated to the separator used in the CSV file.  It should  be+     a non-alphanumeric character like , or | that does not appear anywhere else+     in  the  table (it should not be used in field names or matchers or values,+     and it cannot be escaped with a backslash).++     Each line must contain the same number of separators; empty values are  al-+     lowed.   Whitespace  can  be used in the matcher lines for readability (but+     not in the if line, currently).  You can use the comment lines in the table+     body.  The table must be terminated by an empty line (or end of file).++     An if table like the above is interpreted as follows: try all of the  lines+     with  matchers;  whenever  a line with matchers succeeds, assign all of the+     values on that line to the corresponding hledger fields; If multiple  lines+     match, later lines will override fields assigned by the earlier ones - just+     like the sequence of if blocks would behave.++     If table presented above is equivalent to this sequence of if blocks:++            if MATCHERA+              HLEDGERFIELD1 VALUE1+              HLEDGERFIELD2 VALUE2+              ...++            if MATCHERB && MATCHERC+              HLEDGERFIELD1 VALUE1+              HLEDGERFIELD2 VALUE2+              ...++            ; Comment line which explains MATCHERD+            if MATCHERD+              HLEDGERFIELD1 VALUE1+              HLEDGERFIELD2 VALUE2+              ...++     Example:++            if,account2,comment+            atm transaction fee,expenses:business:banking,deductible? check it+            %description groceries,expenses:groceries,+            ;; Comment line that desribes why this particular date is special+            2023/01/12.*Plumbing LLC,expenses:house:upkeep,emergency plumbing call-out++   balance-type+     Balance  assertions  generated by assigning to balanceN are of the simple =+     type by default, which is a single-commodity,  subaccount-excluding  asser-+     tion.   You  may  find the subaccount-including variants more useful, eg if+     you have created some virtual subaccounts of checking to help with  budget-+     ing.   You  can  select a different type of assertion with the balance-type+     rule:++            # balance assertions will consider all commodities and all subaccounts+            balance-type ==*++     Here are the balance assertion types for quick reference:++            =    single commodity, exclude subaccounts+            =*   single commodity, include subaccounts+            ==   multi commodity,  exclude subaccounts+            ==*  multi commodity,  include subaccounts++   include+            include RULESFILE++     This includes the contents of another CSV rules file at this point.  RULES-+     FILE is an absolute file path or a path relative to the current file's  di-+     rectory.  This can be useful for sharing common rules between several rules+     files, eg:++            # someaccount.csv.rules++            ## someaccount-specific rules+            fields   date,description,amount+            account1 assets:someaccount+            account2 expenses:misc++            ## common rules+            include categorisation.rules++   Working with CSV+     Some tips:++   Rapid feedback+     It's  a  good idea to get rapid feedback while creating/troubleshooting CSV+     rules.  Here's a good way, using entr from eradman.com/entrproject:++            $ ls foo.csv* | entr bash -c 'echo ----; hledger -f foo.csv print desc:SOMEDESC'++     A desc: query (eg) is used to select just one, or a  few,  transactions  of+     interest.   "bash  -c"  is  used to run multiple commands, so we can echo a+     separator each time the command re-runs, making it easier to read the  out-+     put.++   Valid CSV+     Note  that  hledger  will only accept valid CSV conforming to RFC 4180, and+     equivalent SSV and TSV formats (like RFC 4180 but with semicolon or tab  as+     separators).  This means, eg:++     * Values  may  be  enclosed  in double quotes, or not.  Enclosing in single+       quotes is not allowed.  (Eg 'A','B' is rejected.)++     * When values are enclosed in double quotes, spaces outside the quotes  are+       not allowed.  (Eg "A", "B" is rejected.)++     * When  values  are  not  enclosed  in  quotes, they may not contain double+       quotes.  (Eg A"A, B is rejected.)++     If your CSV/SSV/TSV is not valid in this sense, you'll need to transform it+     before reading with hledger.  Try using  sed,  or  a  more  permissive  CSV+     parser like python's csv lib.++   File Extension+     To  help  hledger  choose the CSV file reader and show the right error mes-+     sages (and choose the right field separator  character  by  default),  it's+     best  if CSV/SSV/TSV files are named with a .csv, .ssv or .tsv filename ex-+     tension.  (More about this at Data formats.)++     When reading files with the "wrong"  extension,  you  can  ensure  the  CSV+     reader  (and  the  default field separator) by prefixing the file path with+     csv:, ssv: or tsv:: Eg:++            $ hledger -f ssv:foo.dat print++     You can also override the default field separator with a separator rule  if+     needed.++   Reading CSV from standard input+     You'll  need the file format prefix when reading CSV from stdin also, since+     hledger assumes journal format by default.  Eg:++            $ cat foo.dat | hledger -f ssv:- print++   Reading multiple CSV files+     If you use multiple -f options to read multiple CSV files at once,  hledger+     will look for a correspondingly-named rules file for each CSV file.  But if+     you specify a rules file with --rules, that rules file will be used for all+     the CSV files.++   Reading files specified by rule+     Instead  of  specifying  a  CSV file in the command line, you can specify a+     rules file, as in hledger -f foo.csv.rules CMD.  By default this will  read+     data  from  foo.csv in the same directory, but you can add a source rule to+     specify a different data file, perhaps located in your web browser's  down-+     load directory.++     This  feature  was  added  in hledger 1.30, so you won't see it in most CSV+     rules examples.  But it helps remove some of the busywork of  managing  CSV+     downloads.  Most of your financial institutions's default CSV filenames are+     different  and  can be recognised by a glob pattern.  So you can put a rule+     like source Checking1*.csv in foo-checking.csv.rules, and then periodically+     follow a workflow like:++     1. Download CSV from Foo's website, using your browser's defaults++     2. Run hledger import foo-checking.csv.rules to import any new transactions++     After import, you can: discard the CSV, or leave  it  where  it  is  for  a+     while,  or  move  it into your archives, as you prefer.  If you do nothing,+     next time your  browser  will  save  something  like  Checking1-2.csv,  and+     hledger will use that because of the * wild card and because it is the most+     recent.++   Valid transactions+     After  reading  a CSV file, hledger post-processes and validates the gener-+     ated journal entries as it would for a journal file - balancing  them,  ap-+     plying  balance  assignments, and canonicalising amount styles.  Any errors+     at this stage will be reported in the usual way, displaying the problem en-+     try.++     There is one exception: balance assertions, if  you  have  generated  them,+     will  not be checked, since normally these will work only when the CSV data+     is part of the main journal.  If you do need to  check  balance  assertions+     generated from CSV right away, pipe into another hledger:++            $ hledger -f file.csv print | hledger -f- print++   Deduplicating, importing+     When  you  download  a  CSV  file  periodically, eg to get your latest bank+     transactions, the new file may overlap with the old one, containing some of+     the same records.++     The import command will (a) detect the new  transactions,  and  (b)  append+     just  those  transactions  to  your main journal.  It is idempotent, so you+     don't have to remember how many times you ran it or with which  version  of+     the  CSV.  (It keeps state in a hidden .latest.FILE.csv file.)  This is the+     easiest way to import CSV data.  Eg:++            # download the latest CSV files, then run this command.+            # Note, no -f flags needed here.+            $ hledger import *.csv [--dry]++     This method works for most CSV files.  (Where records have a stable chrono-+     logical order, and new records appear only at the new end.)++     A number of other tools and workflows, hledger-specific and otherwise,  ex-+     ist for converting, deduplicating, classifying and managing CSV data.  See:++     * https://hledger.org/cookbook.html#setups-and-workflows++     * https://plaintextaccounting.org -> data import/conversion++   Regular expressions in CSV rules+     Regular expressions in if conditions (AKA matchers) are POSIX extended reg-+     ular  expressions,  that also support GNU word boundaries (\b, \B, \<, \>),+     and nothing else.  (For more detail, see Regular expressions.)++     Here are some examples that might be useful in CSV rules:++     * Is field "foo" truly empty ?  if %foo ^$++     * Is it empty or containing only whitespace ?  if %foo ^ *$++     * Is it non-empty ?  if %foo .++     * Does it contain non-whitespace ?  if %foo [^ ]++     Testing the value of numeric fields is a  little  harder.   You  can't  use+     hledger  queries  like  amt:0  or  amt:>10 in CSV rules.  But you can often+     achieve the same thing with a regular expression.++     Note the content and layout of number fields in CSV varies, and can  change+     over time (eg if you switch data providers).  So numeric regexps are always+     somewhat specific to your particular CSV data; and it's a good idea to make+     them defensive and robust if you can.++     Here are some examples:++     * Does foo contain a non-zero number ?  if %foo [1-9]++     * Is it negative ?  if %foo -++     * Is it non-negative ?  if ! %foo -++     * Is  it  >=  10 ?  if %foo [1-9][0-9]+\. (assuming a decimal period and no+       leading zeros)++     * Is it >= 10 and < 20 ?  if %foo \b1[0-9]\.++   Setting amounts+     Continuing from amount field above, here are more tips for amount-setting:++     1. If the amount is in a single CSV field:++         a. If its sign indicates direction of flow:+         Assign it to amountN, to set the Nth posting's amount.  N is usually  1+         or 2 but can go up to 99.++         b. If another field indicates direction of flow:+         Use  one  or more conditional rules to set the appropriate amount sign.+         Eg:++                # assume a withdrawal unless Type contains "deposit":+                amount1  -%Amount+                if %Type deposit+                  amount1  %Amount++     2. If the amount is in two CSV fields (such as Debit and Credit, or In  and+        Out):++         a. If both fields are unsigned:+         Assign  one  field to amountN-in and the other to amountN-out.  hledger+         will automatically negate the "out" field, and will use whichever field+         value is non-zero as posting N's amount.++         b. If either field is signed:+         You will probably need to override hledger's sign for one or the  other+         field, as in the following example:++                # Negate the -out value, but only if it is not empty:+                fields date, description, amount1-in, amount1-out+                if %amount1-out [1-9]+                 amount1-out -%amount1-out++         c. If both fields can contain a non-zero value (or both can be empty):+         The    -in/-out    rules   normally   choose   the   value   which   is+         non-zero/non-empty.  Some value pairs can be ambiguous, such as  1  and+         none.  For such cases, use conditional rules to help select the amount.+         Eg,  to handle the above you could select the value containing non-zero+         digits:++                fields date, description, in, out+                if %in [1-9]+                 amount1 %in+                if %out [1-9]+                 amount1 %out++     3. If you want posting 2's amount converted to cost:+     Use the unnumbered amount (or amount-in and amount-out) syntax.++     4. If the CSV has only balance amounts, not transaction amounts:+     Assign to balanceN, to set a balance assignment on the Nth posting, causing+     the posting's amount to be calculated automatically.  balance with no  num-+     ber is equivalent to balance1.  In this situation hledger is more likely to+     guess  the  wrong default account name, so you may need to set that explic-+     itly.++   Amount signs+     There is some special handling making it easier to  parse  and  to  reverse+     amount  signs.   (This  only  works for whole amounts, not for cost amounts+     such as COST in amount1  AMT @ COST):++     * If an amount value begins with a plus sign:+     that will be removed: +AMT becomes AMT++     * If an amount value is parenthesised:+     it will be de-parenthesised and sign-flipped: (AMT) becomes -AMT++     * If an amount value has two minus signs (or two sets of parentheses, or  a+       minus sign and parentheses):+     they cancel out and will be removed: --AMT or -(AMT) becomes AMT++     * If an amount value contains just a sign (or just a set of parentheses):+     that is removed, making it an empty value.  "+" or "-" or "()" becomes "".++     It's  not  possible (without preprocessing the CSV) to set an amount to its+     absolute value, ie discard its sign.++   Setting currency/commodity+     If the currency/commodity symbol is included in the CSV's amount field(s):++            2023-01-01,foo,$123.00++     you don't have to do anything special for the commodity symbol, it will  be+     assigned as part of the amount.  Eg:++            fields date,description,amount++            2023-01-01 foo+                expenses:unknown         $123.00+                income:unknown          $-123.00++     If the currency is provided as a separate CSV field:++            2023-01-01,foo,USD,123.00++     You can assign that to the currency pseudo-field, which has the special ef-+     fect  of prepending itself to every amount in the transaction (on the left,+     with no separating space):++            fields date,description,currency,amount++            2023-01-01 foo+                expenses:unknown       USD123.00+                income:unknown        USD-123.00++     Or, you can use a field assignment to construct the amount  yourself,  with+     more control.  Eg to put the symbol on the right, and separated by a space:++            fields date,description,cur,amt+            amount %amt %cur++            2023-01-01 foo+                expenses:unknown        123.00 USD+                income:unknown         -123.00 USD++     Note we used a temporary field name (cur) that is not currency - that would+     trigger the prepending effect, which we don't want here.++   Amount decimal places+     When  you  are  reading CSV data, eg with a command like hledger -f foo.csv+     print, hledger will infer each commodity's  decimal  precision  (and  other+     commodity display styles) from the amounts - much as when reading a journal+     file without commodity directives (see the link).++     Note,  the commodity styles are not inferred from the numbers in the origi-+     nal CSV data; rather, they are inferred from the amounts generated  by  the+     CSV rules.++     When  you are importing CSV data with the import command, eg hledger import+     foo.csv, there's another step: import tries to make the new entries conform+     to the journal's existing styles.  So for each commodity - let's  say  it's+     EUR - import will choose:++     1. the style declared for EUR by a commodity directive in the journal++     2. otherwise, the style inferred from EUR amounts in the journal++     3. otherwise,  the  style  inferred  from  EUR amounts generated by the CSV+        rules.++     TLDR: if import is not generating the precisions or styles you want, add  a+     commodity directive to specify them.++   Referencing other fields+     In  field  assignments,  you  can  interpolate only CSV fields, not hledger+     fields.  In the example below, there's both a CSV field and a hledger field+     named amount1, but %amount1 always means the CSV  field,  not  the  hledger+     field:++            # Name the third CSV field "amount1"+            fields date,description,amount1++            # Set hledger's amount1 to the CSV amount1 field followed by USD+            amount1 %amount1 USD++            # Set comment to the CSV amount1 (not the amount1 assigned above)+            comment %amount1++     Here,  since  there's no CSV amount1 field, %amount1 will produce a literal+     "amount1":++            fields date,description,csvamount+            amount1 %csvamount USD+            # Can't interpolate amount1 here+            comment %amount1++     When there are multiple field assignments to the same hledger  field,  only+     the  last  one  takes  effect.  Here, comment's value will be be B, or C if+     "something" is matched, but never A:++            comment A+            comment B+            if something+             comment C++   How CSV rules are evaluated+     Here's how to think of CSV rules being evaluated.  If you get  a  confusing+     error  while  reading a CSV file, it may help to try to understand which of+     these steps is failing:++     1. Any included rules files are inlined, from top to  bottom,  depth  first+        (scanning  each  included file for further includes, recursively, before+        proceeding).++     2. Top level rules (date-format, fields, newest-first, skip etc) are  read,+        top  to  bottom.   "Top  level rules" means non-conditional rules.  If a+        rule occurs more than once, the  last  one  wins;  except  for  skip/end+        rules, where the first one wins.++     3. The  CSV file is read as text.  Any non-ascii characters will be decoded+        using the text encoding specified by the encoding  rule,  otherwise  the+        system locale's text encoding.++     4. Any  top-level  skip or end rule is applied.  skip [N] immediately skips+        the current or next N CSV records; end immediately skips  all  remaining+        CSV records (not normally used at top level).++     5. Now  any  remaining  CSV records are processed.  For each CSV record, in+        file order:++         * Is there a conditional skip/end rule that applies for this  record  ?+           Search  the  if blocks, from top to bottom, for a succeeding one con-+           taining a skip or end rule.  If found, skip the specified  number  of+           CSV records, then continue at 5.+         Otherwise...++         * Do some basic validation on this CSV record (eg, check that it has at+           least two fields).++         * For each hledger field (date, description, account1, etc.):++           1. Get  the field's assigned value, first searching top level assign-+              ments, made directly or by the fields rule, then assignments  made+              inside succeeding if blocks.  If there are more than one, the last+              one wins.++           2. Compute  the  field's actual value (as text), by interpolating any+              %CSVFIELD references within the assigned value; or by  choosing  a+              default value if there was no assignment.++         * Generate a hledger transaction from the hledger field values, parsing+           them if needed (eg from text to an amount).++     This  is all done by the CSV reader, one of several readers hledger can use+     to read transactions from an input file.  When all input  files  have  been+     read  successfully, their transactions are passed to whichever hledger com-+     mand the user specified.++   Well factored rules+     Some things than can help reduce duplication and complexity in rules files:++     * Extracting common rules usable  with  multiple  CSV  files  into  a  com-+       mon.rules, and adding include common.rules to each CSV's rules file.++     * Splitting  if  blocks  into  smaller if blocks, extracting the frequently+       used parts.++   CSV rules examples+   Bank of Ireland+     Here's a CSV with two amount fields  (Debit  and  Credit),  and  a  balance+     field,  which  we can use to add balance assertions, which is not necessary+     but provides extra error checking:++            Date,Details,Debit,Credit,Balance+            07/12/2012,LODGMENT       529898,,10.0,131.21+            07/12/2012,PAYMENT,5,,126++            # bankofireland-checking.csv.rules++            # skip the header line+            skip++            # name the csv fields, and assign some of them as journal entry fields+            fields  date, description, amount-out, amount-in, balance++            # We generate balance assertions by assigning to "balance"+            # above, but you may sometimes need to remove these because:+            #+            # - the CSV balance differs from the true balance,+            #   by up to 0.0000000000005 in my experience+            #+            # - it is sometimes calculated based on non-chronological ordering,+            #   eg when multiple transactions clear on the same day++            # date is in UK/Ireland format+            date-format  %d/%m/%Y++            # set the currency+            currency  EUR++            # set the base account for all txns+            account1  assets:bank:boi:checking++            $ hledger -f bankofireland-checking.csv print+            2012-12-07 LODGMENT       529898+                assets:bank:boi:checking         EUR10.0 = EUR131.2+                income:unknown                  EUR-10.0++            2012-12-07 PAYMENT+                assets:bank:boi:checking         EUR-5.0 = EUR126.0+                expenses:unknown                  EUR5.0++     The balance assertions don't raise an error above,  because  we're  reading+     directly  from  CSV, but they will be checked if these entries are imported+     into a journal file.++   Coinbase+     A simple example with some CSV from Coinbase.  The spot price  is  recorded+     using cost notation.  The legacy amount field name conveniently sets amount+     2 (posting 2's amount) to the total cost.++            # Timestamp,Transaction Type,Asset,Quantity Transacted,Spot Price Currency,Spot Price at Transaction,Subtotal,Total (inclusive of fees and/or spread),Fees and/or Spread,Notes+            # 2021-12-30T06:57:59Z,Receive,USDC,100,GBP,0.740000,"","","","Received 100.00 USDC from an external account"++            # coinbase.csv.rules+            skip         1+            fields       Timestamp,Transaction_Type,Asset,Quantity_Transacted,Spot_Price_Currency,Spot_Price_at_Transaction,Subtotal,Total,Fees_Spread,Notes+            date         %Timestamp+            date-format  %Y-%m-%dT%T%Z+            description  %Notes+            account1     assets:coinbase:cc+            amount       %Quantity_Transacted %Asset @ %Spot_Price_at_Transaction %Spot_Price_Currency++            $ hledger print -f coinbase.csv+            2021-12-30 Received 100.00 USDC from an external account+                assets:coinbase:cc    100 USDC @ 0.740000 GBP+                income:unknown                 -74.000000 GBP++   Amazon+     Here we convert amazon.com order history, and use an if block to generate a+     third  posting if there's a fee.  (In practice you'd probably get this data+     from your bank instead, but it's an example.)++            "Date","Type","To/From","Name","Status","Amount","Fees","Transaction ID"+            "Jul 29, 2012","Payment","To","Foo.","Completed","$20.00","$0.00","16000000000000DGLNJPI1P9B8DKPVHL"+            "Jul 30, 2012","Payment","To","Adapteva, Inc.","Completed","$25.00","$1.00","17LA58JSKRD4HDGLNJPI1P9B8DKPVHL"++            # amazon-orders.csv.rules++            # skip one header line+            skip 1++            # name the csv fields, and assign the transaction's date, amount and code.+            # Avoided the "status" and "amount" hledger field names to prevent confusion.+            fields date, _, toorfrom, name, amzstatus, amzamount, fees, code++            # how to parse the date+            date-format %b %-d, %Y++            # combine two fields to make the description+            description %toorfrom %name++            # save the status as a tag+            comment     status:%amzstatus++            # set the base account for all transactions+            account1    assets:amazon+            # leave amount1 blank so it can balance the other(s).+            # I'm assuming amzamount excludes the fees, don't remember++            # set a generic account2+            account2    expenses:misc+            amount2     %amzamount+            # and maybe refine it further:+            #include categorisation.rules++            # add a third posting for fees, but only if they are non-zero.+            if %fees [1-9]+             account3    expenses:fees+             amount3     %fees++            $ hledger -f amazon-orders.csv print+            2012-07-29 (16000000000000DGLNJPI1P9B8DKPVHL) To Foo.  ; status:Completed+                assets:amazon+                expenses:misc          $20.00++            2012-07-30 (17LA58JSKRD4HDGLNJPI1P9B8DKPVHL) To Adapteva, Inc.  ; status:Completed+                assets:amazon+                expenses:misc          $25.00+                expenses:fees           $1.00++   Paypal+     Here's a real-world rules file for (customised) Paypal CSV, with some  Pay-+     pal-specific rules, and a second rules file included:++            "Date","Time","TimeZone","Name","Type","Status","Currency","Gross","Fee","Net","From Email Address","To Email Address","Transaction ID","Item Title","Item ID","Reference Txn ID","Receipt ID","Balance","Note"+            "10/01/2019","03:46:20","PDT","Calm Radio","Subscription Payment","Completed","USD","-6.99","0.00","-6.99","simon@joyful.com","memberships@calmradio.com","60P57143A8206782E","MONTHLY - $1 for the first 2 Months: Me - Order 99309. Item total: $1.00 USD first 2 months, then $6.99 / Month","","I-R8YLY094FJYR","","-6.99",""+            "10/01/2019","03:46:20","PDT","","Bank Deposit to PP Account ","Pending","USD","6.99","0.00","6.99","","simon@joyful.com","0TU1544T080463733","","","60P57143A8206782E","","0.00",""+            "10/01/2019","08:57:01","PDT","Patreon","PreApproved Payment Bill User Payment","Completed","USD","-7.00","0.00","-7.00","simon@joyful.com","support@patreon.com","2722394R5F586712G","Patreon* Membership","","B-0PG93074E7M86381M","","-7.00",""+            "10/01/2019","08:57:01","PDT","","Bank Deposit to PP Account ","Pending","USD","7.00","0.00","7.00","","simon@joyful.com","71854087RG994194F","Patreon* Membership","","2722394R5F586712G","","0.00",""+            "10/19/2019","03:02:12","PDT","Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.","Subscription Payment","Completed","USD","-2.00","0.00","-2.00","simon@joyful.com","tle@wikimedia.org","K9U43044RY432050M","Monthly donation to the Wikimedia Foundation","","I-R5C3YUS3285L","","-2.00",""+            "10/19/2019","03:02:12","PDT","","Bank Deposit to PP Account ","Pending","USD","2.00","0.00","2.00","","simon@joyful.com","3XJ107139A851061F","","","K9U43044RY432050M","","0.00",""+            "10/22/2019","05:07:06","PDT","Noble Benefactor","Subscription Payment","Completed","USD","10.00","-0.59","9.41","noble@bene.fac.tor","simon@joyful.com","6L8L1662YP1334033","Joyful Systems","","I-KC9VBGY2GWDB","","9.41",""++            # paypal-custom.csv.rules++            # Tips:+            # Export from Activity -> Statements -> Custom -> Activity download+            # Suggested transaction type: "Balance affecting"+            # Paypal's default fields in 2018 were:+            # "Date","Time","TimeZone","Name","Type","Status","Currency","Gross","Fee","Net","From Email Address","To Email Address","Transaction ID","Shipping Address","Address Status","Item Title","Item ID","Shipping and Handling Amount","Insurance Amount","Sales Tax","Option 1 Name","Option 1 Value","Option 2 Name","Option 2 Value","Reference Txn ID","Invoice Number","Custom Number","Quantity","Receipt ID","Balance","Address Line 1","Address Line 2/District/Neighborhood","Town/City","State/Province/Region/County/Territory/Prefecture/Republic","Zip/Postal Code","Country","Contact Phone Number","Subject","Note","Country Code","Balance Impact"+            # This rules file assumes the following more detailed fields, configured in "Customize report fields":+            # "Date","Time","TimeZone","Name","Type","Status","Currency","Gross","Fee","Net","From Email Address","To Email Address","Transaction ID","Item Title","Item ID","Reference Txn ID","Receipt ID","Balance","Note"++            fields date, time, timezone, description_, type, status_, currency, grossamount, feeamount, netamount, fromemail, toemail, code, itemtitle, itemid, referencetxnid, receiptid, balance, note++            skip  1++            date-format  %-m/%-d/%Y++            # ignore some paypal events+            if+            In Progress+            Temporary Hold+            Update to+             skip++            # add more fields to the description+            description %description_ %itemtitle++            # save some other fields as tags+            comment  itemid:%itemid, fromemail:%fromemail, toemail:%toemail, time:%time, type:%type, status:%status_++            # convert to short currency symbols+            if %currency USD+             currency $+            if %currency EUR+             currency E+            if %currency GBP+             currency P++            # generate postings++            # the first posting will be the money leaving/entering my paypal account+            # (negative means leaving my account, in all amount fields)+            account1 assets:online:paypal+            amount1  %netamount++            # the second posting will be money sent to/received from other party+            # (account2 is set below)+            amount2  -%grossamount++            # if there's a fee, add a third posting for the money taken by paypal.+            if %feeamount [1-9]+             account3 expenses:banking:paypal+             amount3  -%feeamount+             comment3 business:++            # choose an account for the second posting++            # override the default account names:+            # if the amount is positive, it's income (a debit)+            if %grossamount ^[^-]+             account2 income:unknown+            # if negative, it's an expense (a credit)+            if %grossamount ^-+             account2 expenses:unknown++            # apply common rules for setting account2 & other tweaks+            include common.rules++            # apply some overrides specific to this csv++            # Transfers from/to bank. These are usually marked Pending,+            # which can be disregarded in this case.+            if+            Bank Account+            Bank Deposit to PP Account+             description %type for %referencetxnid %itemtitle+             account2 assets:bank:wf:pchecking+             account1 assets:online:paypal++            # Currency conversions+            if Currency Conversion+             account2 equity:currency conversion++            # common.rules++            if+            darcs+            noble benefactor+             account2 revenues:foss donations:darcshub+             comment2 business:++            if+            Calm Radio+             account2 expenses:online:apps++            if+            electronic frontier foundation+            Patreon+            wikimedia+            Advent of Code+             account2 expenses:dues++            if Google+             account2 expenses:online:apps+             description google | music++            $ hledger -f paypal-custom.csv  print+            2019-10-01 (60P57143A8206782E) Calm Radio MONTHLY - $1 for the first 2 Months: Me - Order 99309. Item total: $1.00 USD first 2 months, then $6.99 / Month  ; itemid:, fromemail:simon@joyful.com, toemail:memberships@calmradio.com, time:03:46:20, type:Subscription Payment, status:Completed+                assets:online:paypal          $-6.99 = $-6.99+                expenses:online:apps           $6.99++            2019-10-01 (0TU1544T080463733) Bank Deposit to PP Account for 60P57143A8206782E  ; itemid:, fromemail:, toemail:simon@joyful.com, time:03:46:20, type:Bank Deposit to PP Account, status:Pending+                assets:online:paypal               $6.99 = $0.00+                assets:bank:wf:pchecking          $-6.99++            2019-10-01 (2722394R5F586712G) Patreon Patreon* Membership  ; itemid:, fromemail:simon@joyful.com, toemail:support@patreon.com, time:08:57:01, type:PreApproved Payment Bill User Payment, status:Completed+                assets:online:paypal          $-7.00 = $-7.00+                expenses:dues                  $7.00++            2019-10-01 (71854087RG994194F) Bank Deposit to PP Account for 2722394R5F586712G Patreon* Membership  ; itemid:, fromemail:, toemail:simon@joyful.com, time:08:57:01, type:Bank Deposit to PP Account, status:Pending+                assets:online:paypal               $7.00 = $0.00+                assets:bank:wf:pchecking          $-7.00++            2019-10-19 (K9U43044RY432050M) Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Monthly donation to the Wikimedia Foundation  ; itemid:, fromemail:simon@joyful.com, toemail:tle@wikimedia.org, time:03:02:12, type:Subscription Payment, status:Completed+                assets:online:paypal             $-2.00 = $-2.00+                expenses:dues                     $2.00+                expenses:banking:paypal      ; business:++            2019-10-19 (3XJ107139A851061F) Bank Deposit to PP Account for K9U43044RY432050M  ; itemid:, fromemail:, toemail:simon@joyful.com, time:03:02:12, type:Bank Deposit to PP Account, status:Pending+                assets:online:paypal               $2.00 = $0.00+                assets:bank:wf:pchecking          $-2.00++            2019-10-22 (6L8L1662YP1334033) Noble Benefactor Joyful Systems  ; itemid:, fromemail:noble@bene.fac.tor, toemail:simon@joyful.com, time:05:07:06, type:Subscription Payment, status:Completed+                assets:online:paypal                       $9.41 = $9.41+                revenues:foss donations:darcshub         $-10.00  ; business:+                expenses:banking:paypal                    $0.59  ; business:++Timeclock+     hledger  can  read  time logs in the timeclock time logging format of time-+     clock.el.  As with Ledger, hledger's timeclock format is  a  subset/variant+     of timeclock.el's.++     hledger's  timeclock  format was updated in hledger 1.43 and 1.50.  If your+     old time logs are rejected, you should adapt them to  modern  hledger;  for+     now, you can restore the pre-1.43 behaviour with the --old-timeclock flag.++     Here the timeclock format in hledger 1.50+:++            # Comment lines like these, and blank lines, are ignored:+            # comment line+            ; comment line+            * comment line++            # Lines beginning with b, h, or capital O are also ignored, for compatibility:+            b SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+-ZZZZ][ TEXT]+            h SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+-ZZZZ][ TEXT]+            O SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+-ZZZZ][ TEXT]++            # Lines beginning with i or o are are clock-in / clock-out entries:+            i SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+-ZZZZ] ACCOUNT[  DESCRIPTION][;COMMENT]]+            o SIMPLEDATE HH:MM[:SS][+-ZZZZ][ ACCOUNT][;COMMENT]++     The  date is a hledger simple date (YYYY-MM-DD or similar).  The time parts+     must use two digits.  The seconds are optional.  A + or -  four-digit  time+     zone is accepted for compatibility, but currently ignored; times are always+     interpreted as a local time.++     In  clock-in  entries (i), the account name is required.  A transaction de-+     scription, separated from the account name by 2+ spaces,  is  optional.   A+     transaction comment, beginning with ;, is also optional.  (Indented follow-+     ing comment lines are also allowed, as in journal format.)++     In clock-out entries (o) have no description, but can have a comment if you+     wish.  A clock-in and clock-out pair form a "transaction" posting some num-+     ber of hours to an account - also known as a session.  Eg:++            i 2015/03/30 09:00:00 session1+            o 2015/03/30 10:00:00++            $ hledger -f a.timeclock print+            2015-03-30 * 09:00-10:00+                (session1)           1.00h++     Clock-ins  and  clock-outs are matched by their account/session name.  If a+     clock-out does not specify a name, the most  recent  unclosed  clock-in  is+     closed.  You can have multiple sessions active simultaneously.  Entries are+     processed  in  the  order they are parsed.  Sessions spanning more than one+     day are automatically split at day boundaries.++     Eg, the following time log:++            i 2015/03/30 09:00:00 some account  optional description after 2 spaces ; optional comment, tags:+            o 2015/03/30 09:20:00+            i 2015/03/31 22:21:45 another:account+            o 2015/04/01 02:00:34+            i 2015/04/02 12:00:00 another:account  ; this demonstrates multple sessions being clocked in+            i 2015/04/02 13:00:00 some account+            o 2015/04/02 14:00:00+            o 2015/04/02 15:00:00 another:account++     generates these transactions:++            $ hledger -f t.timeclock print+            2015-03-30 * optional description after 2 spaces   ; optional comment, tags:+                (some account)           0.33h++            2015-03-31 * 22:21-23:59+                (another:account)           1.64h++            2015-04-01 * 00:00-02:00+                (another:account)           2.01h++            2015-04-02 * 12:00-15:00  ; this demonstrates multiple sessions being clocked in+                (another:account)           3.00h++            2015-04-02 * 13:00-14:00+                (some account)           1.00h++     Here is a sample.timeclock to download and some queries to try:++            $ hledger -f sample.timeclock balance                               # current time balances+            $ hledger -f sample.timeclock register -p 2009/3                    # sessions in march 2009+            $ hledger -f sample.timeclock register -p weekly --depth 1 --empty  # time summary by week++     To generate time logs, ie to clock in and clock out, you could:++     * use these shell aliases at the command line:++              alias ti='echo i `date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"` $* >>$TIMELOG'+              alias to='echo o `date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"` >>$TIMELOG'++     * or Emacs's built-in timeclock.el, or  the  extended  timeclock-x.el,  and+       perhaps the extras in ledgerutils.el++     * or  use  the  old  ti and to scripts in the ledger 2.x repository.  These+       rely on a "timeclock" executable which I think is just the ledger 2  exe-+       cutable renamed.++Timedot+     timedot  format  is hledger's human-friendly time logging format.  Compared+     to timeclock format, it is more  convenient  for  quick,  approximate,  and+     retroactive  time logging, and more human-readable (you can see at a glance+     where time was spent).  A quick example:++            2023-05-01+            hom:errands          .... ....  ; two hours; the space is ignored+            fos:hledger:timedot  ..         ; half an hour+            per:admin:finance               ; no time spent yet++     hledger reads this as a transaction on this  day  with  three  (unbalanced)+     postings,  where  each  dot  represents "0.25".  No commodity symbol is as-+     sumed, but we typically interpret it as hours.++            $ hledger -f a.timedot print   # .timedot file extension (or timedot: prefix) is required+            2023-05-01 *+                (hom:errands)                    2.00  ; two hours+                (fos:hledger:timedot)            0.50  ; half an hour+                (per:admin:finance)                 0++     A timedot file contains a series of transactions  (usually  one  per  day).+     Each begins with a simple date (Y-M-D, Y/M/D, or Y.M.D), optionally be fol-+     lowed  on  the same line by a transaction description, and/or a transaction+     comment following a semicolon.++     After the date line are zero or more time postings, consisting of:++     * An account name - any hledger-style account name, optionally indented.++     * Two or more spaces - required if there is an amount (as in  journal  for-+       mat).++     * A timedot amount, which can be++       * empty (representing zero)++       * a number, optionally followed by a unit s, m, h, d, w, mo, or y, repre-+         senting a precise number of seconds, minutes, hours, days weeks, months+         or  years  (hours  is  assumed  by default), which will be converted to+         hours according to 60s = 1m, 60m = 1h, 24h = 1d, 7d = 1w,  30d  =  1mo,+         365d = 1y.++       * one  or  more  dots (period characters), each representing 0.25.  These+         are the dots in "timedot".  Spaces are ignored  and  can  be  used  for+         grouping/alignment.++       * Added  in  1.32 one or more letters.  These are like dots but they also+         generate a tag t: (short for "type") with the letter as its value,  and+         a  separate posting for each of the values.  This provides a second di-+         mension of categorisation, viewable in reports with --pivot t.++     * An optional comment following a semicolon (a hledger-style  posting  com-+       ment).++     There  is  some flexibility to help with keeping time log data and notes in+     the same file:++     * Blank lines and lines beginning with # or ; are ignored.++     * After the first date line, lines which do not contain a double space  are+       parsed  as  postings  with zero amount.  (hledger's register reports will+       show these if you add -E).++     * Before the first date line, lines beginning with * (eg org headings)  are+       ignored.   And  from  the  first date line onward, Emacs org mode heading+       prefixes at the start of lines (one or more *'s followed by a space) will+       be ignored.  This means the time log can also be a org outline.++     Timedot files don't support directives like journal  files.   So  a  common+     pattern  is to have a main journal file (eg time.journal) that contains any+     needed directives, and then includes the timedot file  (include  time.time-+     dot).++   Timedot examples+     Numbers:++            2016/2/3+            inc:client1   4+            fos:hledger   3h+            biz:research  60m++     Dots:++            # on this day, 6h was spent on client work, 1.5h on haskell FOSS work, etc.+            2016/2/1+            inc:client1   .... .... .... .... .... ....+            fos:haskell   .... ..+            biz:research  .++            2016/2/2+            inc:client1   .... ....+            biz:research  .++            $ hledger -f a.timedot print date:2016/2/2+            2016-02-02 *+                (inc:client1)          2.00++            2016-02-02 *+                (biz:research)          0.25++            $ hledger -f a.timedot bal --daily --tree+            Balance changes in 2016-02-01-2016-02-03:++                        ||  2016-02-01d  2016-02-02d  2016-02-03d+            ============++========================================+             biz        ||         0.25         0.25         1.00+               research ||         0.25         0.25         1.00+             fos        ||         1.50            0         3.00+               haskell  ||         1.50            0            0+               hledger  ||            0            0         3.00+             inc        ||         6.00         2.00         4.00+               client1  ||         6.00         2.00         4.00+            ------------++----------------------------------------+                        ||         7.75         2.25         8.00++     Letters:++            # Activity types:+            #  c cleanup/catchup/repair+            #  e enhancement+            #  s support+            #  l learning/research++            2023-11-01+            work:adm  ccecces++            $ hledger -f a.timedot print+            2023-11-01+                (work:adm)  1     ; t:c+                (work:adm)  0.5   ; t:e+                (work:adm)  0.25  ; t:s++            $ hledger -f a.timedot bal+                            1.75  work:adm+            --------------------+                            1.75++            $ hledger -f a.timedot bal --pivot t+                            1.00  c+                            0.50  e+                            0.25  s+            --------------------+                            1.75++     Org:++            * 2023 Work Diary+            ** Q1+            *** 2023-02-29+            **** DONE+            0700 yoga+            **** UNPLANNED+            **** BEGUN+            hom:chores+             cleaning  ...+             water plants+              outdoor - one full watering can+              indoor - light watering+            **** TODO+            adm:planning: trip+            *** LATER++     Using . as account name separator:++            2016/2/4+            fos.hledger.timedot  4h+            fos.ledger           ..++            $ hledger -f a.timedot --alias '/\./=:' bal -t+                            4.50  fos+                            4.00    hledger:timedot+                            0.50    ledger+            --------------------+                            4.50++PART 3: REPORTING CONCEPTS+Time periods+   Report start & end date+     Most  hledger reports will by default show the full time period represented+     by the journal.  The report start date will be the earliest transaction  or+     posting date, and the report end date will be the latest transaction, post-+     ing, or market price date.++     Often  you  will  want  to see a shorter period, such as the current month.+     You can specify a start and/or end date with the -b/--begin,  -e/--end,  or+     -p/--period  options,  or  a date: query argument, described below.  All of+     these accept the smart date syntax, also described below.++     End dates are exclusive; specify the day after the last day you want to see+     in the report.++     When dates are specified by multiple options, the last (right-most)  option+     wins.  And when date: queries and date options are combined, the report pe-+     riod will be their intersection.++     Examples:++     -b 2016/3/17+            beginning on St.  Patrick's day 2016++     -e 12/1+            ending at the start of December 1st in the current year++     -p 'this month'+            during the current month++     -p thismonth+            same as above, spaces are optional++     -b 2023+            beginning on the first day of 2023++     date:2023.. or date:2023-+            same as above++     -b 2024 -e 2025 -p '2000 to 2030' date:2020-01 date:2020 :+     during  January 2020 (the smallest common period, with the -p overriding -b+     and -e)++   Smart dates+     In hledger's user interfaces (though not in the journal file), you can  op-+     tionally  use "smart date" syntax.  Smart dates can be written with english+     words, can be relative, and can have parts omitted.  Missing parts are  in-+     ferred as 1, when needed.  Smart dates can be interpreted as dates or peri-+     ods depending on the context.++     Examples:++     2004-01-01, 2004/10/1, 2004.9.1, 20240504, 2024Q1 :+     Exact  dates.   The  year must have at least four digits, the month must be+     1-12, the day must be 1-31, the separator can be - or / or  .  or  nothing.+     The q can be upper or lower case and the quarter number must be 1-4.++     2004-10+            start of month++     2004q3+            start of third quarter of 2004++     q3     start of third quarter of current year++     2004   start of year++     10/1 or oct or october+            October 1st in current year++     21     21st day in current month++     yesterday, today, tomorrow+            -1, 0, 1 days from today++     last/this/next day/week/month/quarter/year+            -1, 0, 1 periods from the current period++     last/this/next tuesday+            the previous occurrence of the named day, or the next occurrence af-+            ter today++     last/this/next february+            the  previous  occurrence of 1st of the named month, or the next oc-+            currence after the current month++     in n days/weeks/months/quarters/years+            n periods from the current period++     n days/weeks/months/quarters/years ahead+            n periods from the current period++     n days/weeks/months/quarters/years ago+            -n periods from the current period++     20181201+            8 digit YYYYMMDD with valid year month and day++     201812+            6 digit YYYYMM with valid year and month++     Dates with no separators are allowed but might give surprising  results  if+     mistyped:++     * 20181301  (YYYYMMDD  with  an  invalid month) is parsed as an eight-digit+       year++     * 20181232 (YYYYMMDD with an invalid day) gives a parse error++     * 201801012 (a valid YYYYMMDD followed by additional digits) gives a  parse+       error++     The meaning of relative dates depends on today's date.  If you need to test+     or  reproduce old reports, you can use the --today option to override that.+     (Except for periodic transaction rules, which are not affected by --today.)++   Report intervals+     A report interval can be specified so that reports like  register,  balance+     or  activity  become multi-period, showing each subperiod as a separate row+     or column.++     The following standard intervals can be enabled with command-line flags:++     * -D/--daily++     * -W/--weekly++     * -M/--monthly++     * -Q/--quarterly++     * -Y/--yearly++     More complex intervals can be specified using -p/--period, described below.++   Date adjustments+   Start date adjustment+     If you let hledger infer a report's start date, it will adjust the date  to+     the  previous natural boundary of the report interval, for convenient peri-+     odic reports.  (If you don't want that, specify a start date.)++     For example, if the journal's first transaction is on january 10th,++     * hledger register (no report interval) will start the  report  on  january+       10th.++     * hledger  register  --monthly  will start the report on the previous month+       boundary, january 1st.++     * hledger register --monthly --begin 1/5 will start the report  on  january+       5th [1].++     Also  if  you  are  generating  transactions  or budget goals with periodic+     transaction rules, their start date may be adjusted in a  similar  way  (in+     certain situations).++   End date adjustment+     A  report's end date is always adjusted to include a whole number of inter-+     vals, so that the last subperiod has the same length as the others.++     For example, if the journal's last transaction is on february 20th,++     * hledger register will end the report on february 20th.++     * hledger register --monthly will end the report at the end of february.++     * hledger register --monthly --end 2/14 also will end the report at the end+       of february (overriding the requested end date).++     * hledger register --monthly --begin 1/5 --end 2/14 will end the report  on+       march 4th [1].++     [1] Since hledger 1.29.++   Period headings+     With  non-standard subperiods, hledger will show "STARTDATE..ENDDATE" head-+     ings.  With standard subperiods (ie, starting on a natural interval  bound-+     ary),  you'll  see  more  compact  headings,  which are usually preferable.+     (Though month names will be in english, currently.)++     So if you are specifying a start date and you want compact headings: choose+     a start of year for yearly reports, a start of quarter  for  quarterly  re-+     ports, a start of month for monthly reports, etc.  (Remember, you can write+     eg  -b  2024 or 1/1 as a shortcut for a start of year, or 2024-04 or 202404+     or Apr for a start of month or quarter.)++     For weekly reports, choose a date that's a Monday.  (You can try  different+     dates until you see the short headings, or write eg -b '3 weeks ago'.)++   Period expressions+     The  -p/--period  option  specifies a period expression, which is a compact+     way of expressing a start date, end date, and/or report interval.++     Here's a period expression with a start and end date (specifying the  first+     quarter of 2009):++     -p "from 2009/1/1 to 2009/4/1"++     Several  keywords like "from" and "to" are supported for readability; these+     are optional.  "to" can also be written as ".." or  "-".   The  spaces  are+     also optional, as long as you don't run two dates together.  So the follow-+     ing are equivalent to the above:++     -p "2009/1/1 2009/4/1"+     -p2009/1/1to2009/4/1+     -p2009/1/1..2009/4/1++     Dates  are  smart  dates,  so  if  the current year is 2009, these are also+     equivalent to the above:++     -p "1/1 4/1"+     -p "jan-apr"+     -p "this year to 4/1"++     If you specify only one date, the missing start or end  date  will  be  the+     earliest or latest transaction date in the journal:++     -p "from 2009/1/1"   everything after january 1,+                          2009+     -p "since 2009/1"    the  same,  since is a syn-+                          onym+     -p "from 2009"       the same+     -p "to 2009"         everything  before  january+                          1, 2009++     You can also specify a period by writing a single partial or full date:++     -p "2009"        the year 2009; equivalent to "2009/1/1 to 2010/1/1"+     -p "2009/1"      the  month  of january 2009; equivalent to "2009/1/1 to+                      2009/2/1"+     -p "2009/1/1"    the first day  of  2009;  equivalent  to  "2009/1/1  to+                      2009/1/2"++     or by using the "Q" quarter-year syntax (case insensitive):++     -p "2009Q1"       first  quarter  of  2009,  equivalent  to  "2009/1/1 to+                       2009/4/1"+     -p "q4"           fourth quarter of the current year++   Period expressions with a report interval+     A period expression can also begin with a report interval,  separated  from+     the start/end dates (if any) by a space or the word in:++     -p "weekly from 2009/1/1 to 2009/4/1"+     -p "monthly in 2008"+     -p "quarterly"++   More complex report intervals+     Some  more  complex  intervals  can be specified within period expressions,+     such as:++     * biweekly (every two weeks)++     * fortnightly++     * bimonthly (every two months)++     * every day|week|month|quarter|year++     * every N days|weeks|months|quarters|years++     Weekly on a custom day:++     * every Nth day of week (th, nd, rd, or st are all accepted after the  num-+       ber)++     * every WEEKDAYNAME (full or three-letter english weekday name, case insen-+       sitive)++     Monthly on a custom day:++     * every  Nth day [of month] (31st day will be adjusted to each month's last+       day)++     * every Nth WEEKDAYNAME [of month]++     Yearly on a custom month and day:++     * every MM/DD [of year] (month number and day of month number)++     * every MONTHNAME DDth [of year] (full or three-letter english month  name,+       case insensitive, and day of month number)++     * every DDth MONTHNAME [of year] (equivalent to the above)++     Examples:++     -p "bimonthly from 2008"+     -p "every 2 weeks"+     -p  "every  5  months  from+     2009/03"+     -p "every 2nd day of week"    periods will go from Tue to Tue+     -p "every Tue"                same+     -p "every 15th day"           period boundaries will be on 15th  of  each+                                   month+     -p "every 2nd Monday"         period  boundaries will be on second Monday+                                   of each month+     -p "every 11/05"              yearly periods with boundaries  on  5th  of+                                   November+     -p "every 5th November"       same+     -p "every Nov 5th"            same++     Show  historical balances at end of the 15th day of each month (N is an end+     date, exclusive as always):++            $ hledger balance -H -p "every 16th day"++     Group postings from the start of wednesday to end of the following  tuesday+     (N is both (inclusive) start date and (exclusive) end date):++            $ hledger register checking -p "every 3rd day of week"++   Multiple weekday intervals+     This special form is also supported:++     * every  WEEKDAYNAME,WEEKDAYNAME,...  (full or three-letter english weekday+       names, case insensitive)++     Also, weekday and weekendday  are  shorthand  for  mon,tue,wed,thu,fri  and+     sat,sun.++     This  is  mainly  intended  for  use  with --forecast, to generate periodic+     transactions on arbitrary days of the week.  It may be less useful with -p,+     since it divides each week into subperiods of unequal length, which is  un-+     usual.  (Related: #1632)++     Examples:++     -p          "every   dates  will  be  Mon,  Wed,  Fri;  periods  will  be+     mon,wed,fri"         Mon-Tue, Wed-Thu, Fri-Sun+     -p "every weekday"   dates  will be Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri; periods will+                          be Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri-Sun+     -p "every weekend-   dates will be Sat, Sun; periods will be Sat, Sun-Fri+     day"++Depth+     With the --depth NUM option (short form, usually preferred: -NUM),  reports+     will  show accounts only to the specified depth, hiding deeper subaccounts.+     Use this when you want a summary with less detail.  This flag has the  same+     effect  as  a  depth:  query  argument.   So  all  of these are equivalent:+     depth:2, --depth=2, -2.++     You can also provide custom depths for specific accounts,  by  providing  a+     REGEX=NUM  argument instead of just NUM (since 1.41).  For example, --depth+     assets=2 (or depth:assets=2) will collapse accounts  matching  the  regular+     expression  "assets" to depth 2.  So assets:bank:savings would be collapsed+     to assets:bank, but liabilities:bank:credit card would not be affected.++     If REGEX contains spaces or other special characters, enclose it in  quotes+     in the usual way.  Eg: --depth 'credit card=2'++   Combining depth options+     If  a  command  line  contains multiple general depth options, the last one+     wins.  (Useful for overriding a depth specified by scripts.)++     Or a command may contain a combination of general and custom depth options.+     In this case, the most specifically (deepest) matching option  wins.   Some+     examples:++     * --depth  assets=3  --depth  expenses=2  --depth 1 would collapse accounts+       containing "assets" to depth 3, accounts containing "expenses"  to  depth+       2, and all other accounts to depth 1.++     * --depth  assets=1 --depth savings=2 would collapse assets:bank:savings to+       depth 2 (not depth 1; because "savings" matches a deeper part of the  ac-+       count name than "assets").++     Note  currently, to override a custom depth option --depth REGEX=NUM with a+     later option, the later option must use the same REGEX.++Queries+     Many hledger commands accept query arguments, which  restrict  their  scope+     and  let  you  report  on  a  precise  subset of your data.  Here's a quick+     overview of hledger's queries:++     * By default, a query argument is treated as a  case-insensitive  substring+       pattern for matching account names.  Eg:++       dining groceries+       car:fuel++     * Patterns  containing  spaces or other special characters must be enclosed+       in single or double quotes:++       'personal care'++     * Patterns  are  actually  regular  expressions,  so  you  can  add  regexp+       metacharacters  for  more  precision (or you may need to backslash-escape+       certain characters; see "Regular expressions" above):++       '^expenses\b'+       'food$'+       'fuel|repair'+       'accounts (payable|receivable)'++     * To match something other than the account name, you can add a query  type+       prefix, such as:++       date:202312-+       status:+       desc:amazon+       cur:USD+       cur:\\$+       amt:'>0'+       acct:groceries  (but  acct:  is  the  default, so we usually don't bother+       writing it)++     * To negate a query, add a not: prefix:++       not:status:'*'+       not:desc:'opening|closing'+       not:cur:USD++     * Multiple query terms can be  combined,  as  space-separated  queries  Eg:+       hledger print date:2022 desc:amazon desc:amzn (show transactions dated in+       2022 whose description contains "amazon" or "amzn").++     * Or  more  flexibly as boolean queries.  Eg: hledger print expr:'date:2022+       and (desc:amazon or desc:amzn) and not date:202210'++     All hledger commands use the same query language,  but  different  commands+     may  interpret  the query in different ways.  We haven't described the com-+     mands yet (that's coming in PART 4: COMMANDS below) but here's the gist  of+     it:++     * Transaction-oriented  commands (print, aregister, close, import, descrip-+       tions..)  try to match transactions (including  the  transaction's  post-+       ings).++     * Posting-oriented  commands (register, balance, balancesheet, incomestate-+       ment, accounts..)  try to match postings.  Postings inherit their  trans-+       action's  attributes  for  querying  purposes, so transaction fields like+       date or description can still be referenced in a posting query.++     * A few commands match in more specific ways.  (Eg aregister, which  has  a+       special first argument.)++   Query types+     Here are the query types available:++   acct: query+     acct:REGEX, or just REGEX+     Match account names containing this case insensitive regular expression.+     This  is  the  default  query  type, so we usually don't bother writing the+     "acct:" prefix.++   amt: query+     amt:N, amt:'<N', amt:'<=N', amt:'>N', amt:'>=N'+     Match postings with a single-commodity  amount  equal  to,  less  than,  or+     greater  than  N. (Postings with multi-commodity amounts are not tested and+     will always match.)  amt: needs quotes to hide the less  than/greater  than+     sign from the command line shell.++     The  comparison has two modes: if N is preceded by a + or - sign (or is 0),+     the two signed numbers are compared.  Otherwise,  the  absolute  magnitudes+     are compared, ignoring sign.++     Keep in mind that amt: matches posting amounts, not account balances.++   code: query+     code:REGEX+     Match by transaction code (eg check number).++   cur: query+     cur:REGEX+     Match postings or transactions including any amounts whose currency/commod-+     ity  symbol  is fully matched by REGEX.  (Contrary to hledger's usual infix+     matching.  To do infix matching, write .*REGEX.*.)  Note, to match  special+     characters  which  are  regex-significant,  you need to escape them with \.+     And for characters which are significant to your  shell  you  will  usually+     need  one  more level of escaping.  Eg to match the dollar sign: cur:\\$ or+     cur:'\$'++   desc: query+     desc:REGEX+     Match transaction descriptions.++   date: query+     date:PERIODEXPR+     Match dates (or with the --date2 flag, secondary dates) within  the  speci-+     fied period.  PERIODEXPR is a period expression.  Examples:+     date:2016, date:thismonth, date:2/1-2/15, date:2021-07-27..nextquarter.++     PERIODEXPR  may  include  a  report  interval (since 1.52).  On the command+     line, this is equivalent to specifying a report  interval  with  a  command+     line  option.   In other contexts (hledger-ui, hledger-web), the report in-+     terval may be ignored.++   date2: query+     date2:PERIODEXPR+     If you use secondary dates: this matches secondary dates within the  speci-+     fied period.  It is not affected by the --date2 flag.  A report interval in+     PERIODEXPR will be ignored.++   depth: query+     depth:[REGEXP=]N+     Match  (or  display, depending on command) accounts at or above this depth,+     optionally only for accounts matching a provided regular  expression.   See+     Depth for detailed rules.++   note: query+     note:REGEX+     Match  transaction  notes  (the  part of the description right of |, or the+     whole description if there's no |).++   payee: query+     payee:REGEX+     Match transaction payee/payer names (the part of the description left of |,+     or the whole description if there's no |).++   real: query+     real:, real:0+     Match real or virtual postings respectively.++   status: query+     status:, status:!, status:*+     Match unmarked, pending, or cleared transactions respectively.++   type: query+     type:TYPECODES+     Match by account type (see Declaring accounts > Account types).   TYPECODES+     is  one  or more of the single-letter account type codes ALERXCVG, case in-+     sensitive.  Note type:A, type:E, and type:R will also match  their  respec-+     tive subtypes C (Cash), V (Conversion), and G (Gain).  Certain kinds of ac-+     count alias can disrupt account types, see Rewriting accounts > Aliases and+     account types.++   tag: query+     tag:NAMEREGEX[=VALREGEX]+     Match by tag name, and optionally also by tag value.  Note:++     * Both  regular  expressions  do  infix  matching.   If you need a complete+       match, use ^ and $.+     Eg: tag:'^fullname$', tag:'^fullname$=^fullvalue$++     * To match values, ignoring names, do tag:.=VALREGEX++     * Accounts also inherit the tags of their parent accounts.++     * Postings also inherit the tags of their account and their transaction .++     * Transactions also acquire the tags of their postings.++   Negative queries+   not: query+     not:QUERY+     You can prepend not: to a query to negate the match.+     Eg: not:equity, not:desc:apple+     (Also, a trick: not:not:...  can  sometimes  solve  query  problems  conve-+     niently.)++   Space-separated queries+     When  given  multiple  space-separated  query  terms,  most commands select+     things which match:++     * any of the description terms AND++     * any of the account terms AND++     * any of the status terms AND++     * all the other terms.++     The print command is a little different, showing transactions which:++     * match any of the description terms AND++     * have any postings matching any of the positive account terms AND++     * have no postings matching any of the negative account terms AND++     * match all the other terms.++   Boolean queries+     You can write more complicated "boolean"  query  expressions,  enclosed  in+     quotes  and  prefixed  with  expr:.  These can combine subqueries with NOT,+     AND, OR operators (case insensitive), and parentheses for grouping.  Eg, to+     show transactions involving both cash and expense accounts:++            hledger print expr:'cash AND expenses'++     The prefix and enclosing quotes are required, so don't write hledger  print+     cash  AND expenses.  That would be a space-separated query showing transac-+     tions involving accounts with any of "cash",  "and",  "expenses"  in  their+     names.++     You can write space-separated queries inside a boolean query, and they will+     combine as described above, but it might be confusing and best avoided.  Eg+     these  are  equivalent, showing transactions involving cash or expenses ac-+     counts:++            hledger print expr:'cash expenses'+            hledger print cash expenses++     There is a restriction with date: queries: they may not be used  inside  OR+     expressions.++     Actually,  there  are  three types of boolean query: expr: for general use,+     and any: and all: variants which can be useful with print.++   expr: query+     expr:'QUERYEXPR'+     For example, expr:'date:lastmonth AND NOT  (food  OR  rent)'  means  "match+     things  which  are  dated in the last month and do not have food or rent in+     the account name".++     When using expr:  with  transaction-oriented  commands  like  print,  post-+     ing-oriented  query  terms  like acct: and amt: are considered to match the+     transaction if they match any of its postings.+     So, hledger print expr:'cash and amt:>0' means "show transactions with  (at+     least  one posting involving a cash account) and (at least one posting with+     a positive amount)".++   any: query+     any:'QUERYEXPR'+     Like expr:, but when used with transaction-oriented commands like print, it+     matches the transaction only if a posting can be matched by all  of  QUERY-+     EXPR.+     So,  hledger  print any:'cash and amt:>0' means "show transactions where at+     least one posting posts a positive amount to a cash account".++   all: query+     all:'QUERYEXPR'+     Like expr:, but when used with transaction-oriented commands like print, it+     matches the transaction only if all postings are matched by all  of  QUERY-+     EXPR (and there is at least one posting).+     So,  hledger  print all:'cash and amt:0' means "show transactions where all+     postings involve a cash account and have a zero amount".+     Or, hledger print all:'cash or checking'  means  "show  transactions  which+     touch only cash and/or checking accounts".++   Queries and command options+     Some  queries  can  also  be  expressed as command-line options: depth:2 is+     equivalent to --depth 2, date:2023 is equivalent to -p 2023, etc.  When you+     mix command options and query arguments, generally the resulting  query  is+     their intersection.++   Queries and account aliases+     When  account  names  are rewritten with --alias or alias, acct: will match+     either the old or the new account name.++   Queries and valuation+     When amounts are converted to other commodities in cost or  value  reports,+     cur:  and  amt: match the old commodity symbol and the old amount quantity,+     not the new ones.  (Except in hledger 1.22, #1625.)++Pivoting+     Normally, hledger groups amounts  and  displays  their  totals  by  account+     (name).   With  --pivot PIVOTEXPR, some other field's (or multiple fields')+     value is used as a synthetic account name, causing different  grouping  and+     display.  PIVOTEXPR can be++     * any  of these standard transaction or posting fields (their value is sub-+       stituted): status, code, desc, payee, note, acct, comm/cur, amt, cost++     * or a tag name++     * or any combination of these, colon-separated.++     Some special cases:++     * Colons appearing in PIVOTEXPR or in a pivoted tag value will generate ac-+       count hierarchy.++     * When pivoting a posting that has multiple values for  a  tag,  the  tag's+       first value will be used as the pivoted value.++     * When   a   posting   has  multiple  commodities,  the  pivoted  value  of+       "comm"/"cur" will be "".  Also when an unrecognised tag name or field  is+       provided,  its  pivoted value will be "".  (If this causes confusing out-+       put, consider excluding those postings from the report.)++     Examples:++            2016/02/16 Yearly Dues Payment+                assets:bank account                 2 EUR+                income:dues                        -2 EUR  ; member: John Doe, kind: Lifetime++     Normal balance report showing account names:++            $ hledger balance+                           2 EUR  assets:bank account+                          -2 EUR  income:dues+            --------------------+                               0++     Pivoted balance report, using member: tag values instead:++            $ hledger balance --pivot member+                           2 EUR+                          -2 EUR  John Doe+            --------------------+                               0++     One way to show only amounts with a member: value (using a query):++            $ hledger balance --pivot member tag:member=.+                          -2 EUR  John Doe+            --------------------+                          -2 EUR++     Another way (the acct: query matches against the pivoted "account name"):++            $ hledger balance --pivot member acct:.+                          -2 EUR  John Doe+            --------------------+                          -2 EUR++     Hierarchical reports can be generated with multiple pivot values:++            $ hledger balance Income:Dues --pivot kind:member+                          -2 EUR  Lifetime:John Doe+            --------------------+                          -2 EUR++Generating data+     hledger can enrich the data provided to it, or generate new data, in a num-+     ber of ways.  Mostly, this is done only if you request it:++     * Missing amounts or missing costs in transactions are  inferred  automati-+       cally when possible.++     * The  --infer-equity  flag  infers missing conversion equity postings from+       @/@@ costs.++     * The --infer-costs flag infers missing costs from conversion equity  post-+       ings.++     * The --infer-market-prices flag infers P price directives from costs.++     * The --auto flag adds extra postings to transactions matched by auto post-+       ing rules.++     * The  --forecast  option  generates transactions from periodic transaction+       rules.++     * The balance --budget report infers budget goals from periodic transaction+       rules.++     * Commands like close, rewrite, and hledger-interest generate  transactions+       or postings.++     * CSV  data is converted to transactions by applying CSV conversion rules..+       etc.++     Such generated data is temporary, existing only at report  time.   You  can+     convert  it  to  permanent  recorded  data  by, eg, capturing the output of+     hledger print and saving it in your journal file.  This  can  sometimes  be+     useful as a data entry aid.++     If  you are curious what data is being generated and why, run hledger print+     -x --verbose-tags.  -x/--explicit shows inferred amounts and --verbose-tags+     adds tags like  generated-transaction  (from  periodic  rules)  and  gener-+     ated-posting,  modified  (from  auto  posting  rules).  Similar hidden tags+     (with an underscore prefix) are always present, also,  so  you  can  always+     match such data with queries like tag:generated or tag:modified.++Forecasting+     Forecasting,  or speculative future reporting, can be useful for estimating+     future balances, or for exploring different future scenarios.++     The simplest and most flexible way to do it with  hledger  is  to  manually+     record  a  bunch  of  future-dated transactions.  You could keep these in a+     separate future.journal and include that with -f only when you want to  see+     them.++   --forecast+     There is another way: with the --forecast option, hledger can generate tem-+     porary  "forecast  transactions" for reporting purposes, according to peri-+     odic transaction rules defined in the journal.  Each rule can generate mul-+     tiple recurring transactions, so by changing one rule you can  change  many+     forecasted transactions.++     Forecast  transactions  usually  start after ordinary transactions end.  By+     default, they begin after your latest-dated ordinary transaction, or today,+     whichever is later, and they end six months from today.  (The  exact  rules+     are a little more complicated, and are given below.)++     This is the "forecast period", which need not be the same as the report pe-+     riod.   You can override it - eg to forecast farther into the future, or to+     force forecast transactions to overlap your ordinary transactions - by giv-+     ing the --forecast  option  a  period  expression  argument,  like  --fore-+     cast=..2099 or --forecast=2023-02-15...  Note that the = is required.++   Inspecting forecast transactions+     print  is  the  best  command  for  inspecting and troubleshooting forecast+     transactions.  Eg:++            ~ monthly from 2022-12-20    rent+                assets:bank:checking+                expenses:rent           $1000++            $ hledger print --forecast --today=2023/4/21+            2023-05-20 rent+                ; generated-transaction: ~ monthly from 2022-12-20+                assets:bank:checking+                expenses:rent                  $1000++            2023-06-20 rent+                ; generated-transaction: ~ monthly from 2022-12-20+                assets:bank:checking+                expenses:rent                  $1000++            2023-07-20 rent+                ; generated-transaction: ~ monthly from 2022-12-20+                assets:bank:checking+                expenses:rent                  $1000++            2023-08-20 rent+                ; generated-transaction: ~ monthly from 2022-12-20+                assets:bank:checking+                expenses:rent                  $1000++            2023-09-20 rent+                ; generated-transaction: ~ monthly from 2022-12-20+                assets:bank:checking+                expenses:rent                  $1000++     Here there are no ordinary transactions, so the forecasted transactions be-+     gin on the first occurrence after today's date.  (You  won't  normally  use+     --today; it's just to make these examples reproducible.)++   Forecast reports+     Forecast transactions affect all reports, as you would expect.  Eg:++            $ hledger areg rent --forecast --today=2023/4/21+            Transactions in expenses:rent and subaccounts:+            2023-05-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $1000+            2023-06-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $2000+            2023-07-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $3000+            2023-08-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $4000+            2023-09-20 rent                 as:ba:checking               $1000         $5000++            $ hledger bal -M expenses --forecast --today=2023/4/21+            Balance changes in 2023-05-01..2023-09-30:++                           ||   May    Jun    Jul    Aug    Sep+            ===============++===================================+             expenses:rent || $1000  $1000  $1000  $1000  $1000+            ---------------++-----------------------------------+                           || $1000  $1000  $1000  $1000  $1000++   Forecast tags+     Forecast  transactions  generated  by --forecast have a hidden tag, _gener-+     ated-transaction.  So if you ever need to match forecast transactions,  you+     could use tag:_generated-transaction (or just tag:generated) in a query.++     For  troubleshooting,  you  can add the --verbose-tags flag.  Then, visible+     generated-transaction tags will be added also, so you can  view  them  with+     the print command.  Their value indicates which periodic rule was responsi-+     ble.++   Forecast period, in detail+     Forecast start/end dates are chosen so as to do something useful by default+     in  almost all situations, while also being flexible.  Here are (with luck)+     the exact rules, to help with troubleshooting:++     The forecast period starts on:++     * the later of++       * the start date in the periodic transaction rule++       * the start date in --forecast's argument++     * otherwise (if those are not available): the later of++       * the report start date specified with -b/-p/date:++       * the day after the latest ordinary transaction in the journal++     * otherwise (if none of these are available): today.++     The forecast period ends on:++     * the earlier of++       * the end date in the periodic transaction rule++       * the end date in --forecast's argument++     * otherwise: the report end date specified with -e/-p/date:++     * otherwise: 180 days (~6 months) from today.++   Forecast troubleshooting+     When --forecast is not doing what you expect,  one  of  these  tips  should+     help:++     * Remember to use the --forecast option.++     * Remember to have at least one periodic transaction rule in your journal.++     * Test with print --forecast.++     * Check  for  typos  or  too-restrictive  start/end  dates in your periodic+       transaction rule.++     * Leave at least 2 spaces between the rule's period expression and descrip-+       tion fields.++     * Check  for  future-dated  ordinary  transactions  suppressing  forecasted+       transactions.++     * Try  setting  explicit  report  start and/or end dates with -b, -e, -p or+       date:++     * Try adding the -E flag to encourage display of empty periods/zero  trans-+       actions.++     * Try  setting  explicit  forecast  start  and/or  end  dates  with --fore-+       cast=START..END++     * Consult Forecast period, in detail, above.++     * Check inside the engine: add --debug=2 (eg).++Budgeting+     With the balance command's --budget report, each periodic transaction  rule+     generates  recurring  budget goals in specified accounts, and goals and ac-+     tual performance can be compared.  See the balance command's doc below.++     You can generate budget goals and forecast transactions at the  same  time,+     from  the  same  or  different  periodic  transaction rules: hledger bal -M+     --budget --forecast ...++     See also: Budgeting and Forecasting.++Amount formatting+   Commodity display style+     For the amounts in each commodity, hledger  chooses  a  consistent  display+     style (symbol placement, decimal mark and digit group marks, number of dec-+     imal digits) to use in most reports.  This is inferred as follows:++     First, if there's a D directive declaring a default commodity, that commod-+     ity  symbol  and  amount  format is applied to all no-symbol amounts in the+     journal.++     Then each commodity's display style is determined from its commodity direc-+     tive.  We recommend always declaring commodities with commodity directives,+     since they help ensure consistent display styles and precisions, and  bring+     other benefits such as error checking for commodity symbols.  Here's an ex-+     ample:++            # Set display styles (and decimal marks, for parsing, if there is no decimal-mark directive)+            # for the $, EUR, INR and no-symbol commodities:+            commodity $1,000.00+            commodity EUR 1.000,00+            commodity INR 9,99,99,999.00+            commodity 1 000 000.9455++     But  for  convenience, if a commodity directive is not present, hledger in-+     fers a commodity's display styles from its amounts as they are  written  in+     the  journal  (excluding  cost  amounts and amounts in periodic transaction+     rules or auto posting rules).  It uses++     * the symbol placement and decimal mark of the first amount seen++     * the digit group marks of the first amount with digit group marks++     * and the maximum number of decimal digits seen across all amounts.++     And as fallback if no applicable amounts are found, it would use a  default+     style,  like  $1000.00 (symbol on the left with no space, period as decimal+     mark, and two decimal digits).++     Finally, commodity styles can be  overridden  by  the  -c/--commodity-style+     command line option.++   Rounding+     Amounts  are  stored  internally  as decimal numbers with up to 255 decimal+     places.  They are displayed with their original journal precisions by print+     and print-like reports, and rounded to their display precision (the  number+     of  decimal  digits  specified by the commodity display style) by other re-+     ports.  When rounding, hledger uses banker's rounding  (it  rounds  to  the+     nearest  even digit).  So eg 0.5 displayed with zero decimal digits appears+     as "0".++   Trailing decimal marks+     If you're wondering why your print report sometimes shows trailing  decimal+     marks,  with no decimal digits; it does this when showing amounts that have+     digit group marks but no decimal digits, to  disambiguate  them  and  allow+     them to be re-parsed reliably (see Decimal marks).  Eg:++            commodity $1,000.00++            2023-01-02+                (a)      $1000++            $ hledger print+            2023-01-02+                (a)        $1,000.++     If  this  is  a  problem (eg when exporting to Ledger), you can avoid it by+     disabling digit group marks, eg with -c/--commodity (for each affected com-+     modity):++            $ hledger print -c '$1000.00'+            2023-01-02+                (a)          $1000++     or by forcing print to always show decimal digits, with --round:++            $ hledger print -c '$1,000.00' --round=soft+            2023-01-02+                (a)      $1,000.00++   Amount parseability+     More generally, hledger output falls into  three  rough  categories,  which+     format amounts a little bit differently to suit different consumers:++     1.   "hledger-readable  output" - should be readable by hledger (and by hu-+     mans)++     * This is produced by reports that show full journal  entries:  print,  im-+       port, close, rewrite etc.++     * It shows amounts with their original journal precisions, which may not be+       consistent from one amount to the next.++     * It  adds  a  trailing decimal mark when needed to avoid showing ambiguous+       amounts.++     * It can be parsed reliably (by hledger and ledger2beancount at least,  but+       perhaps not by Ledger..)++     2.  "human-readable output" - usually for humans++     * This is produced by all other reports.++     * It  shows amounts with standard display precisions, which will be consis-+       tent within each commodity.++     * It shows ambiguous amounts unmodified.++     * It can be parsed reliably in the context of a known report (when you know+       decimals are consistently not being shown, you can assume a  single  mark+       is a digit group mark).++     3.  "machine-readable output" - usually for other software++     * This  is  produced  by  all  reports when an output format like csv, tsv,+       json, or sql is selected.++     * It shows amounts as 1 or 2 do, but without digit group marks.++     * It can be parsed reliably (if needed, the decimal  mark  can  be  changed+       with -c/--commodity-style).++Cost reporting+     In  some transactions - for example a currency conversion, or a purchase or+     sale of stock - one commodity is exchanged for another.  In these  transac-+     tions  there  is  a  conversion rate, also called the cost (when buying) or+     selling price (when selling).  (In hledger docs we just say "cost"  generi-+     cally  for convenience.)  With the -B/--cost flag, hledger can show amounts+     "at cost", converted to the cost's commodity.++   Recording costs+     We'll explore several  ways  of  recording  transactions  involving  costs.+     These are also summarised at hledger Cookbook > Cost notation.++     Costs can be recorded explicitly in the journal, using the @ UNITCOST or @@+     TOTALCOST notation described in Journal > Costs:++     Variant 1++            2022-01-01+              assets:dollars    $-135+              assets:euros       a100 @ $1.35   ; $1.35 per euro (unit cost)++     Variant 2++            2022-01-01+              assets:dollars    $-135+              assets:euros       a100 @@ $135   ; $135 total cost++     Typically,  writing the unit cost (variant 1) is preferable; it can be more+     effort, requiring more attention to decimal  digits;  but  it  reveals  the+     per-unit cost basis, and makes stock sales easier.++     Costs  can  also  be left implicit, and hledger will infer the cost that is+     consistent with a balanced transaction:++     Variant 3++            2022-01-01+              assets:dollars    $-135+              assets:euros       a100++     Here, hledger will attach a @@ a100 cost to the first amount (you  can  see+     it with hledger print -x).  This form looks convenient, but there are down-+     sides:++     * It  sacrifices  some  error  checking.   For example, if you accidentally+       wrote a10 instead of a100, hledger would not be able to detect  the  mis-+       take.++     * It  is sensitive to the order of postings - if they were reversed, a dif-+       ferent entry would be inferred and reports would be different.++     * The per-unit cost basis is not easy to read.++     So generally this kind of entry is not recommended.  You can make sure  you+     have  none  of these by using -s (strict mode), or by running hledger check+     balanced.++   Reporting at cost+     Now when you add the -B/--cost  flag  to  reports  ("B"  is  from  Ledger's+     -B/--basis/--cost  flag),  any amounts which have been annotated with costs+     will be converted to their cost's commodity (in  the  report  output).   Ie+     they will be displayed "at cost" or "at sale price".++     Some things to note:++     * Costs  are attached to specific posting amounts in specific transactions,+       and once recorded they do not change.  This contrasts with market prices,+       which are ambient and fluctuating.++     * Conversion to cost is performed before conversion to  market  value  (de-+       scribed below).++   Equity conversion postings+     There  is a problem with the entries above - they are not conventional Dou-+     ble Entry Bookkeeping (DEB) notation, and because of the  "magical"  trans-+     formation of one commodity into another, they cause an imbalance in the Ac-+     counting  Equation.  This shows up as a non-zero grand total in balance re-+     ports like hledger bse.++     For most hledger users, this doesn't matter in practice and can  safely  be+     ignored !  But if you'd like to learn more, keep reading.++     Conventional  DEB  uses  an  extra  pair  of equity postings to balance the+     transaction.  Of course you can do this in hledger as well:++     Variant 4++            2022-01-01+                assets:dollars      $-135+                assets:euros         a100+                equity:conversion    $135+                equity:conversion   a-100++     Now the transaction is perfectly balanced according to  standard  DEB,  and+     hledger bse's total will not be disrupted.++     And, hledger can still infer the cost for cost reporting, but it's not done+     by default - you must add the --infer-costs flag like so:++            $ hledger print --infer-costs+            2022-01-01 one hundred euros purchased at $1.35 each+                assets:dollars       $-135 @@ a100+                assets:euros                  a100+                equity:conversion             $135+                equity:conversion            a-100++            $ hledger bal --infer-costs -B+                           a-100  assets:dollars+                            a100  assets:euros+            --------------------+                               0++     Here are some downsides of this kind of entry:++     * The per-unit cost basis is not easy to read.++     * Instead of -B you must remember to type -B --infer-costs.++     * --infer-costs  works  only where hledger can identify the two equity:con-+       version postings and match them up with the two non-equity postings.   So+       writing  the journal entry in a particular format becomes more important.+       More on this below.++   Inferring equity conversion postings+     Can we go in the other direction ?  Yes, if you have  transactions  written+     with the @/@@ cost notation, hledger can infer the missing equity postings,+     if you add the --infer-equity flag.  Eg:++            2022-01-01+              assets:dollars  -$135+              assets:euros     a100 @ $1.35++            $ hledger print --infer-equity+            2022-01-01+                assets:dollars                    $-135+                assets:euros               a100 @ $1.35+                equity:conversion:$-a:a           a-100+                equity:conversion:$-a:$         $135.00++     The equity account names will be "equity:conversion:A-B:A" and "equity:con-+     version:A-B:B"  where  A is the alphabetically first commodity symbol.  You+     can customise the "equity:conversion" part by declaring an account with the+     V/Conversion account type.++     Note you will need to add account declarations for these to  your  journal,+     if  you use check accounts or check --strict.  (And unlike normal postings,+     generated equity postings do not inherit tags from account declarations.)++   Combining costs and equity conversion postings+     Finally, you can use both the @/@@ cost notation and equity postings at the+     same time.  This in theory gives the best of all worlds  -  preserving  the+     accounting  equation, revealing the per-unit cost basis, and providing more+     flexibility in how you write the entry:++     Variant 5++            2022-01-01 one hundred euros purchased at $1.35 each+                assets:dollars      $-135+                equity:conversion    $135+                equity:conversion   a-100+                assets:euros         a100 @ $1.35++     All the other variants above can (usually) be rewritten to this final  form+     with:++            $ hledger print -x --infer-costs --infer-equity++     Downsides:++     * The  precise  format  of  the  journal  entry becomes more important.  If+       hledger can't detect and match up the cost and equity postings,  it  will+       give a transaction balancing error.++     * The add command does not yet accept this kind of entry (#2056).++     * This is the most verbose form.++   Requirements for detecting equity conversion postings+     --infer-costs has certain requirements (unlike --infer-equity, which always+     works).  It will infer costs only in transactions with:++     * Two  non-equity  postings, in different commodities.  Their order is sig-+       nificant: the cost will be added to the first of them.++     * Two postings to equity conversion accounts, next to  one  another,  which+       balance  the  two  non-equity postings.  This balancing is checked to the+       same precision (number of decimal places) used in  the  conversion  post-+       ing's amount.  Equity conversion accounts are:++       * any  accounts  declared with account type V/Conversion, or their subac-+         counts++       * otherwise,  accounts  named  equity:conversion,  equity:trade,  or  eq-+         uity:trading, or their subaccounts.++     And  multiple such four-posting groups can coexist within a single transac-+     tion.  When --infer-costs fails, it does not infer a cost in that  transac-+     tion, and does not raise an error (ie, it infers costs where it can).++     Reading variant 5 journal entries, combining cost notation and equity post-+     ings,  has  all  the  same requirements.  When reading such an entry fails,+     hledger raises an "unbalanced transaction" error.++   Infer cost and equity by default ?+     Should --infer-costs and --infer-equity be enabled by default ?  Try  using+     them always, eg with a shell alias:++            alias h="hledger --infer-equity --infer-costs"++     and let us know what problems you find.++Value reporting+     hledger  can  also  show amounts "at market value", converted to some other+     commodity using the market price or conversion rate on a certain date.++     This is controlled by the --value=TYPE[,COMMODITY] option.  We also provide+     simpler -V and -X COMMODITY aliases for this, which are  often  sufficient.+     The  market prices are declared with a special P directive, and/or they can+     be inferred from the costs recorded in transactions,  by  using  the  --in-+     fer-market-prices flag.++   -X: Value in specified commodity+     The  -X  COMM  (or --exchange=COMM) option converts amounts to their market+     value in the specified commodity, using the market prices in effect on  the+     valuation date(s), if any.  (More on these in a minute.)++     Use this when you want to (eg) show everything in your base currency as far+     as  possible.  (Commodities for which no conversion rate can be found, will+     not be converted.)++     COMM should be the full commodity symbol or name.  Remember to  quote  spe-+     cial shell characters, if needed.  Some examples:++     * -Xa++     * -X$ (nothing after $, no quoting needed)++     * -X CNY (the space after -X is optional)++     * -X 'red apples'++     * -X 'r&r'++   -V: Value in default commodity(s)+     The  -V/--market  flag  is  a variant of -X where you don't have to specify+     COMM.  Instead it tries to guess a default  valuation  commodity  for  each+     original  commodity,  based on the market prices in effect on the valuation+     date(s).++     -V can often be a convenient shortcut for -X MYCURRENCY,  but  not  always;+     depending on your data it could guess multiple valuation commodities.  Usu-+     ally  you  want to convert to a single commodity, so it's better to use -X,+     unless you're sure -V is doing what you want.++   Valuation date+     Market prices can change from day to day.  hledger will use the prices on a+     particular valuation date (or on more than one date).  By  default  hledger+     uses "end" dates for valuation.  More specifically:++     * For single period reports (including normal print and register reports):++       * If an explicit report end date is specified, that is used.++       * Otherwise the latest transaction date or non-future P directive date is+         used.++     * For multiperiod reports, each period is valued on its last day.++     This  can  be customised with the --value option described below, which can+     select either "then", "end", "now", or "custom" dates.++   Finding market price+     To convert a commodity A to  its  market  value  in  another  commodity  B,+     hledger  looks  for  a suitable market price (exchange rate) as follows, in+     this order of preference:++     1. A declared market price or inferred  market  price:  A's  latest  market+        price in B on or before the valuation date as declared by a P directive,+        or (with the --infer-market-prices flag) inferred from costs.++     2. A  reverse  market  price:  the inverse of a declared or inferred market+        price from B to A.++     3. A forward chain of market prices: a synthetic price formed by  combining+        the  shortest  chain  of "forward" (only 1 above) market prices, leading+        from A to B.++     4. Any chain of market prices: a chain of any market prices, including both+        forward and reverse prices (1 and 2 above), leading from A to B.++     There is a limit to the length of these price chains;  if  hledger  reaches+     that  length  without finding a complete chain or exhausting all possibili-+     ties, it will give up (with a "gave up" message visible in  --debug=2  out-+     put).  That limit is currently 1000.++     Amounts for which no suitable market price can be found, are not converted.++   --infer-market-prices: market prices from transactions+     Normally,  market  value in hledger is fully controlled by, and requires, P+     directives in your journal.  Since adding  and  updating  those  can  be  a+     chore,  and since transactions usually take place at close to market value,+     why not use the recorded costs as additional market prices (as Ledger does)+     ?  Adding the --infer-market-prices flag to -V, -X or --value enables this.++     So for example, hledger bs -V --infer-market-prices will get market  prices+     both  from  P  directives and from transactions.  If both occur on the same+     day, the P directive takes precedence.++     There is a downside: value reports can sometimes  be  affected  in  confus-+     ing/undesired  ways  by your journal entries.  If this happens to you, read+     all of this Value reporting section carefully, and try  adding  --debug  or+     --debug=2 to troubleshoot.++     --infer-market-prices can infer market prices from:++     * multicommodity transactions with explicit prices (@/@@)++     * multicommodity  transactions with implicit prices (no @, two commodities,+       unbalanced).  (With these, the order of postings matters.  hledger  print+       -x can be useful for troubleshooting.)++     * multicommodity  transactions  with  equity  postings, if cost is inferred+       with --infer-costs.++     There is a limitation (bug) currently: when a valuation  commodity  is  not+     specified,  prices inferred with --infer-market-prices do not help select a+     default valuation commodity, as P prices would.  So  conversion  might  not+     happen  because  no  valuation  commodity was detected (--debug=2 will show+     this).  To be safe, specify the valuation commmodity, eg:++     * -X EUR --infer-market-prices, not -V --infer-market-prices++     * --value=then,EUR  --infer-market-prices,  not  --value=then  --infer-mar-+       ket-prices++     Signed  costs  and  market prices can be confusing.  For reference, here is+     the current behaviour, since hledger 1.25.  (If you think  it  should  work+     differently, see #1870.)++            2022-01-01 Positive Unit prices+                a        A 1+                b        B -1 @ A 1++            2022-01-01 Positive Total prices+                a        A 1+                b        B -1 @@ A 1+++            2022-01-02 Negative unit prices+                a        A 1+                b        B 1 @ A -1++            2022-01-02 Negative total prices+                a        A 1+                b        B 1 @@ A -1+++            2022-01-03 Double Negative unit prices+                a        A -1+                b        B -1 @ A -1++            2022-01-03 Double Negative total prices+                a        A -1+                b        B -1 @@ A -1++     All of the transactions above are considered balanced (and on each day, the+     two  transactions  are  considered equivalent).  Here are the market prices+     inferred for B:++            $ hledger -f- --infer-market-prices prices+            P 2022-01-01 B A 1+            P 2022-01-01 B A 1.0+            P 2022-01-02 B A -1+            P 2022-01-02 B A -1.0+            P 2022-01-03 B A -1+            P 2022-01-03 B A -1.0++   Valuation commodity+     When you specify a valuation commodity (-X COMM or --value TYPE,COMM):+     hledger will convert all amounts to COMM, wherever it can find  a  suitable+     market price (including by reversing or chaining prices).++     When you leave the valuation commodity unspecified (-V or --value TYPE):+     For  each  commodity A, hledger picks a default valuation commodity as fol-+     lows, in this order of preference:++     1. The price commodity from the latest P-declared market price for A on  or+        before valuation date.++     2. The price commodity from the latest P-declared market price for A on any+        date.   (Allows conversion to proceed when there are inferred prices be-+        fore the valuation date.)++     3. If there are no P directives at all (any  commodity  or  date)  and  the+        --infer-market-prices  flag is used: the price commodity from the latest+        transaction-inferred price for A on or before valuation date.++     This means:++     * If you have P directives, they determine which commodities -V  will  con-+       vert, and to what.++     * If  you  have  no  P  directives, and use the --infer-market-prices flag,+       costs determine it.++     Amounts for which no valuation commodity can be found are not converted.++   --value: Flexible valuation+     -V and -X are special cases of the more general --value option:++             --value=TYPE[,COMM]  TYPE is then, end, now or YYYY-MM-DD.+                                  COMM is an optional commodity symbol.+                                  Shows amounts converted to:+                                  - default valuation commodity (or COMM) using market prices at posting dates+                                  - default valuation commodity (or COMM) using market prices at period end(s)+                                  - default valuation commodity (or COMM) using current market prices+                                  - default valuation commodity (or COMM) using market prices at some date++     The TYPE part selects cost or value and valuation date:++     --value=then+            Convert amounts to their value in the default  valuation  commodity,+            using market prices on each posting's date.++     --value=end+            Convert  amounts  to their value in the default valuation commodity,+            using market prices on the last day of the report period (or if  un-+            specified,  the journal's end date); or in multiperiod reports, mar-+            ket prices on the last day of each subperiod.++     --value=now+            Convert amounts to their value in the  default  valuation  commodity+            using current market prices (as of when report is generated).++     --value=YYYY-MM-DD+            Convert  amounts  to  their value in the default valuation commodity+            using market prices on this date.++     To select a different valuation commodity, add the optional ,COMM  part:  a+     comma,  then  the target commodity's symbol.  Eg: --value=now,EUR.  hledger+     will do its best to convert amounts  to  this  commodity,  deducing  market+     prices as described above.++   Valuation examples+     Here are some quick examples of -V:++            ; one euro is worth this many dollars from nov 1+            P 2016/11/01 a $1.10++            ; purchase some euros on nov 3+            2016/11/3+                assets:euros        a100+                assets:checking++            ; the euro is worth fewer dollars by dec 21+            P 2016/12/21 a $1.03++     How many euros do I have ?++            $ hledger -f t.j bal -N euros+                            a100  assets:euros++     What are they worth at end of nov 3 ?++            $ hledger -f t.j bal -N euros -V -e 2016/11/4+                         $110.00  assets:euros++     What  are they worth after 2016/12/21 ?  (no report end date specified, de-+     faults to today)++            $ hledger -f t.j bal -N euros -V+                         $103.00  assets:euros++     Here are some examples showing the effect of --value, as seen with print:++            P 2000-01-01 A  1 B+            P 2000-02-01 A  2 B+            P 2000-03-01 A  3 B+            P 2000-04-01 A  4 B++            2000-01-01+              (a)      1 A @ 5 B++            2000-02-01+              (a)      1 A @ 6 B++            2000-03-01+              (a)      1 A @ 7 B++     Show the cost of each posting:++            $ hledger -f- print --cost+            2000-01-01+                (a)             5 B++            2000-02-01+                (a)             6 B++            2000-03-01+                (a)             7 B++     Show the value as of the last day of the report period (2000-02-29):++            $ hledger -f- print --value=end date:2000/01-2000/03+            2000-01-01+                (a)             2 B++            2000-02-01+                (a)             2 B++     With no report period specified, the latest transaction date or price  date+     is used as valuation date (2000-04-01):++            $ hledger -f- print --value=end+            2000-01-01+                (a)             3 B++            2000-02-01+                (a)             3 B++            2000-03-01+                (a)             3 B++     The value today is the same (the 2000-04-01 price is still in effect):++            $ hledger -f- print --value=now+            2000-01-01+                (a)             4 B++            2000-02-01+                (a)             4 B++            2000-03-01+                (a)             4 B++     Show the value on 2000/01/15:++            $ hledger -f- print --value=2000-01-15+            2000-01-01+                (a)             1 B++            2000-02-01+                (a)             1 B++            2000-03-01+                (a)             1 B++   Interaction of valuation and queries+     When  matching  postings based on queries in the presence of valuation, the+     following happens:++     1. The query is separated into two parts:++         1. the currency (cur:) or amount (amt:).++         2. all other parts.++     2. The postings are matched to the currency and  amount  queries  based  on+        pre-valued amounts.++     3. Valuation is applied to the postings.++     4. The  postings  are  matched  to  the  other  parts of the query based on+        post-valued amounts.++     Related: #1625++   Effect of valuation on reports+     Here is a reference for how valuation is supposed to affect  each  part  of+     hledger's  reports.   It  may  be useful when troubleshooting.  If you find+     problems, please report them, ideally with  a  reproducible  example.   Re-+     lated: #329, #1083.++     First, a quick glossary:++     cost   calculated using price(s) recorded in the transaction(s).++     value  market  value  using available market price declarations, or the un-+            changed amount if no conversion rate can be found.++     report start+            the first day of the report period specified with -b or -p or date:,+            otherwise today.++     report or journal start+            the first day of the report period specified with -b or -p or date:,+            otherwise the earliest transaction date in  the  journal,  otherwise+            today.++     report end+            the  last day of the report period specified with -e or -p or date:,+            otherwise today.++     report or journal end+            the last day of the report period specified with -e or -p or  date:,+            otherwise  the latest transaction date in the journal, otherwise to-+            day.++     report interval+            a flag (-D/-W/-M/-Q/-Y) or period expression that activates the  re-+            port's multi-period mode (whether showing one or many subperiods).++     Report      -B, --cost     -V, -X         --value=then         --value=end    --value=DATE,+     type                                                                          --value=now+     --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+     print+     posting     cost           value at re-   value at  posting    value at re-   value      at+     amounts                    port  end or   date                 port      or   DATE/today+                                today                               journal end+     balance     unchanged      unchanged      unchanged            unchanged      unchanged+     asser-+     tions/as-+     signments++     register+     starting    cost           value at re-   valued   at   day    value at re-   value      at+     balance                    port      or   each   historical    port      or   DATE/today+     (-H)                       journal end    posting was made     journal end+     starting    cost           value at day   valued   at   day    value at day   value      at+     balance                    before   re-   each   historical    before   re-   DATE/today+     (-H) with                  port      or   posting was made     port      or+     report                     journal                             journal+     interval                   start                               start+     posting     cost           value at re-   value at  posting    value at re-   value      at+     amounts                    port      or   date                 port      or   DATE/today+                                journal end                         journal end+     summary     summarised     value at pe-   sum  of  postings    value at pe-   value      at+     posting     cost           riod ends      in interval, val-    riod ends      DATE/today+     amounts                                   ued  at  interval+     with  re-                                 start+     port  in-+     terval+     running     sum/average    sum/average    sum/average    of    sum/average    sum/average+     total/av-   of displayed   of displayed   displayed values     of displayed   of  displayed+     erage       values         values                              values         values++     balance+     (bs, bse,+     cf, is)+     balance     sums      of   value at re-   value at  posting    value at re-   value      at+     changes     costs          port  end or   date                 port      or   DATE/today of+                                today     of                        journal  end   sums of post-+                                sums      of                        of  sums  of   ings+                                postings                            postings+     budget      like balance   like balance   like      balance    like    bal-   like  balance+     amounts     changes        changes        changes              ances          changes+     (--bud-+     get)+     grand to-   sum of  dis-   sum of  dis-   sum of  displayed    sum  of dis-   sum  of  dis-+     tal         played  val-   played  val-   valued               played  val-   played values+                 ues            ues                                 ues++     balance+     (bs, bse,+     cf,   is)+     with  re-+     port  in-+     terval+     starting    sums      of   value at re-   sums of values of    value at re-   sums of post-+     balances    costs     of   port   start   postings   before    port   start   ings   before+     (-H)        postings be-   of  sums  of   report  start  at    of  sums  of   report start+                 fore  report   all postings   respective  post-    all postings+                 start          before   re-   ing dates            before   re-+                                port start                          port start+     balance     sums      of   same      as   sums of values of    balance        value      at+     changes     costs     of   --value=end    postings  in  pe-    change    in   DATE/today of+     (bal, is,   postings  in                  riod  at  respec-    each period,   sums of post-+     bs          period                        tive      posting    valued    at   ings+     --change,                                 dates                period ends+     cf+     --change)+     end  bal-   sums      of   same      as   sums of values of    period   end   value      at+     ances       costs     of   --value=end    postings from be-    balances,      DATE/today of+     (bal  -H,   postings                      fore period start    valued    at   sums of post-+     is   --H,   from  before                  to period end  at    period ends    ings+     bs, cf)     report start                  respective  post-+                 to    period                  ing dates+                 end+     budget      like balance   like balance   like      balance    like    bal-   like  balance+     amounts     changes/end    changes/end    changes/end  bal-    ances          changes/end+     (--bud-     balances       balances       ances                               balances+     get)+     row   to-   sums,  aver-   sums,  aver-   sums, averages of    sums,  aver-   sums,   aver-+     tals, row   ages of dis-   ages of dis-   displayed values     ages of dis-   ages  of dis-+     averages    played  val-   played  val-                        played  val-   played values+     (-T, -A)    ues            ues                                 ues+     column      sums of dis-   sums of dis-   sums of displayed    sums of dis-   sums  of dis-+     totals      played  val-   played  val-   values               played  val-   played values+                 ues            ues                                 ues+     grand to-   sum, average   sum, average   sum,  average  of    sum, average   sum,  average+     tal,        of    column   of    column   column totals        of    column   of column to-+     grand av-   totals         totals                              totals         tals+     erage+++     --cumulative  is  omitted  to  save space, it works like -H but with a zero+     starting balance.++PART 4: COMMANDS+     Here are hledger's standard subcommands.  You can  list  these  by  running+     hledger.   If  you  have  installed more add-on commands, they also will be+     listed.++     In the following command docs, each command's specific options  are  shown.+     Most commands also support the general options described above, though some+     of  them  might  have  no effect.  (Usually if there's a sensible way for a+     general option to affect a command, it will.)  You can list all of  a  com-+     mand's options by running hledger CMD -h.++     Help commands++     * commands - show the hledger commands list (default)++     * demo - show small hledger demos in the terminal++     * help - show the hledger manual with info, man, or pager++     User interface commands++     * repl - run commands from an interactive prompt++     * run - run commands from a script++     * ui - (if installed) run hledger's terminal UI++     * web - (if installed) run hledger's web UI++     Data entry commands++     * add - add transactions using terminal prompts++     * import - add new transactions from other files, eg CSV files++     Basic report commands++     * accounts - show account names++     * codes - show transaction codes++     * commodities - show commodity/currency symbols++     * descriptions - show transaction descriptions++     * files - show input file paths++     * notes - show note parts of transaction descriptions++     * payees - show payee parts of transaction descriptions++     * prices - show market prices++     * stats - show journal statistics++     * tags - show tag names++     Standard report commands++     * print - show transactions or export journal data++     * aregister (areg) - show transactions in a particular account++     * register (reg) - show postings in one or more accounts & running total++     * balancesheet (bs) - show assets, liabilities and net worth++     * balancesheetequity (bse) - show assets, liabilities and equity++     * cashflow (cf) - show changes in liquid assets++     * incomestatement (is) - show revenues and expenses++     Advanced report commands++     * balance (bal) - show balance changes, end balances, budgets, gains..++     * roi - show return on investments++     Chart commands++     * activity - show bar charts of posting counts per period++     Data generation commands++     * close - generate balance-zeroing/restoring transactions++     * rewrite - generate auto postings, like print --auto++     Maintenance commands++     * check - check for various kinds of error in the data++     * diff - compare account transactions in two journal files++     * setup - check and show the status of the hledger installation++     * test - run self tests++     Next, these commands are described in detail.++Help commands+   commands+     Show the hledger commands list.++            Flags:+                 --builtin             show only builtin commands, not addons++   demo+     Play demos of hledger usage in the terminal, if asciinema is installed.++            Flags:+              -s --speed=SPEED         playback speed (1 is original speed, .5 is half, 2+                                       is double, etc (default: 2))++     Run this command with no argument to list the demos.  To play a demo, write+     its number or a prefix or substring of its title.  Tips:++     Make your terminal window large enough to see the demo clearly.++     Use  the  -s/--speed  SPEED option to set your preferred playback speed, eg+     -s4 to play at 4x original speed or -s.5 to play at half  speed.   The  de-+     fault speed is 2x.++     During  playback, several keys are available: SPACE to pause/unpause, .  to+     step forward (while paused), CTRL-c quit.++     Examples:++            $ hledger demo               # list available demos+            $ hledger demo 1             # play the first demo at default speed (2x)+            $ hledger demo install -s4   # play the "install" demo at 4x speed++     This command is experimental: there aren't many useful demos yet.++   help+     Show the hledger user manual with info, man, or a pager.  With a (case  in-+     sensitive) TOPIC argument, try to open it at that section heading.++            Flags:+              -i                       show the manual with info+              -m                       show the manual with man+              -p                       show the manual with $PAGER or less+                                       (less is always used if TOPIC is specified)++     This  command shows the hledger manual built in to your hledger executable.+     It can be useful when offline, or when you prefer the  terminal  to  a  web+     browser,  or  when  the  appropriate  hledger manual or viewers are not in-+     stalled properly on your system.++     By default it chooses the best viewer found in $PATH, trying in this order:+     info, man, $PAGER, less, more, stdout.  (If a TOPIC  is  specified,  $PAGER+     and  more  are  not tried.)  You can force the use of info, man, or a pager+     with the -i, -m, or -p flags.  If no viewer can be  found,  or  if  running+     non-interactively, it just prints the manual to stdout.++     When  using  info, TOPIC can match either the full heading or a prefix.  If+     your info --version is < 6, you'll need to upgrade it, eg  with  'brew  in-+     stall texinfo' on mac.++     When  using  man  or less, TOPIC must match the full heading.  For a prefix+     match, you can write 'TOPIC.*'.++     Examples++            $ hledger help -h                 # show the help command's usage+            $ hledger help                    # show the manual with info, man or $PAGER+            $ hledger help 'time periods'     # show the manual's "Time periods" topic+            $ hledger help 'time periods' -m  # use man, even if info is installed++User interface commands+   repl+     Start an interactive prompt, where you can run any of  hledger's  commands.+     Data files are parsed just once, so the commands run faster.++            Flags:+            no command-specific flags++     This command is experimental and could change in the future.++     hledger  repl starts a read-eval-print loop (REPL) where you can enter com-+     mands interactively.  As with the run command, each input file (or each in-+     put file/input options combination) is parsed just once, so  commands  will+     run more quickly than if you ran them individually at the command line.++     Also like run, the input file(s) specified for the repl command will be the+     default  input  for  all  interactive commands.  You can override this tem-+     porarily by specifying an -f option in particular commands.  But note  that+     commands will not see any changes made to input files (eg by add) until you+     exit and restart the REPL.++     The command syntax is the same as with run:++     * enter one hledger command at a time, without the usual hledger first word++     * empty lines and comment text from # to end of line are ignored++     * use single or double quotes to quote arguments when needed++     * type exit or quit or control-D to exit the REPL.++     While  it  is running, the REPL remembers your command history, and you can+     navigate in the usual ways:++     * Keypad or Emacs navigation keys to edit the current command line++     * UP/DOWN or control-P/control-N to step back/forward through history++     * control-R to search for a past command++     * TAB to complete file paths.++     Generally repl command lines should feel much like the normal hledger  CLI,+     but  you  may  find differences.  repl is a little stricter; eg it requires+     full command names or official  abbreviations  (as  seen  in  the  commands+     list).++     The commands and help commands, and the command help flags (CMD --tldr, CMD+     -h/--help, CMD --info, CMD --man), can be useful.++     You  can  type  control-C  to cancel a long-running command (but only once;+     typing it a second time will exit the REPL).++     And in most shells you can type control-Z to temporarily exit to the  shell+     (and then fg to return to the REPL).++   Examples+     Start the REPL and enter some commands:++            $ hledger repl+            Enter hledger commands. To exit, enter 'quit' or 'exit', or send EOF.+            % stats+            Main file           : .../2025.journal+            ...+            % stats -f 2024/2024.journal+            Main file           : .../2024.journal+            ...+            % stats+            Main file           : .../2025.journal+            ...++     or:++            $ hledger repl -f some.journal+            Enter hledger commands. To exit, enter 'quit' or 'exit', or send EOF.+            % bs+            ...+            % print -b 'last week'+            ...+            % bs -f other.journal+            ...++   run+     Run a sequence of hledger commands, provided as files or command line argu-+     ments.  Data files are parsed just once, so the commands run faster.++            Flags:+            no command-specific flags++     This command is experimental and could change in the future.++     You can use run in three ways:++     * hledger  run  --  CMD1  --  CMD2 -- CMD3 - read commands from the command+       line, separated by --++     * hledger run SCRIPTFILE1 SCRIPTFILE2 - read  commands  from  one  or  more+       files++     * cat SCRIPTFILE1 | hledger run - read commands from standard input.++     run  first  loads  the  input file(s) specified by LEDGER_FILE or by -f op-+     tions, in the usual way.  Then it runs each command in turn, each using the+     same input data.  But if you want a particular command to use different in-+     put, you can specify an -f option within that command.  This will  override+     (not add to) the default input, just for that command.++     Each  input  file (more precisely, each combination of input file and input+     options) is parsed only once.  This means that commands will  not  see  any+     changes made to these files, until the next run.  But the commands will run+     more quickly than if run individually (typically about twice as fast).++     Command  scripts,  whether in a file or written on the command line, have a+     simple syntax:++     * each line may contain a single hledger command and its arguments, without+       the usual hledger first word++     * empty lines are ignored++     * text from # to end of line is a comment, and ignored++     * you can use single or double quotes to quote arguments when needed, as on+       the command line++     * these extra commands are available: echo TEXT prints some text, and  exit+       or quit ends the run.++     On unix systems you can use #!/usr/bin/env hledger run in the first line of+     a  command  file to make it a runnable script.  If that gives an error, use+     #!/usr/bin/env -S hledger run.++     It's ok to use the run command recursively within a command script.++     You may find some differences in behaviour between run  command  lines  and+     normal  hledger  command  lines.   run is a little stricter; eg it requires+     full command names or official  abbreviations  (as  seen  in  the  commands+     list), and command options must be written after the command name.++   Examples+     Run commands from the command line:++            hledger -f some.journal run -- balance assets --depth 2 -- balance liabilities -f /some/other.journal --depth 3 --transpose -- stats++     This  would load some.journal, run balance assets --depth 2 on it, then run+     balance liabilities --depth 3 --transpose on /some/other.journal,  and  fi-+     nally run stats on some.journal++     Run commands from standard input:++            (echo "files"; echo "stats") | hledger -f some.journal run++     Run commands as a script:++            $ cat report+            #!/usr/bin/env -S hledger run -f some.journal++            echo "List of accounts in some.journal"+            accounts++            echo "Assets of some.journal"+            balance assets --depth 2++            echo "Liabilities from /some/other.journal"+            balance liabilities -f /some/other.journal --depth 3 --transpose++            echo "Commands from another.script, applied to another.journal"+            run -f another.journal another.script++            $ chmod +x report+            $ ./report+            List of accounts in some.journal+            ...++   ui+     Runs hledger-ui (if installed).++   web+     Runs hledger-web (if installed).++Data entry commands+   add+     Add new transactions to a journal file, with interactive prompting.++            Flags:+                 --no-new-accounts      don't allow creating new accounts++     Many hledger users edit their journals directly with a text editor, or gen-+     erate  them  from  CSV.   For more interactive data entry, there is the add+     command, which prompts interactively on the console for  new  transactions,+     and  appends them to the main journal file (which should be in journal for-+     mat).  Existing transactions are not changed.   This  is  one  of  the  few+     hledger commands that writes to the journal file (see also import).++     To  use  it,  just  run hledger add and follow the prompts.  You can add as+     many transactions as you like; when you are finished, enter . or press con-+     trol-d or control-c to exit.++     Features:++     * add tries to provide useful defaults, using the most similar (by descrip-+       tion) recent transaction (filtered by the query, if any) as a template.++     * You can also set the initial defaults with command line arguments.++     * Readline-style edit keys can be used during data entry.++     * The tab key will auto-complete whenever possible -  accounts,  payees/de-+       scriptions,  dates  (yesterday,  today,  tomorrow).  If the input area is+       empty, it will insert the default value.++     * A parenthesised transaction code may be entered following a date.++     * Comments and tags may be entered following a description or amount.++     * If you make a mistake, enter < at any prompt to go one step backward.++     * Input prompts are displayed in a different colour when the terminal  sup-+       ports it.++     Notes:++     * If  you  enter a number with no commodity symbol, and you have declared a+       default commodity with a D directive, you might expect add  to  add  this+       symbol for you.  It does not do this; we assume that if you are using a D+       directive  you prefer not to see the commodity symbol repeated on amounts+       in the journal.++     * add creates entries in journal format; it won't work  with  timeclock  or+       timedot files.++     * There  is  a known issue on Windows if this hledger version is built from+       stackage: the prompts will show ANSI junk  instead  of  colours  (#2410).+       You  can  avoid  this  by  using  official hledger release binaries or by+       building it with haskeline >=0.8.4; or by running  add  with  --color=no,+       perhaps configured in your config file.++     Examples:++     * Record new transactions, saving to the default journal file:++       hledger add++     * Add  transactions to 2024.journal, but also load 2023.journal for comple-+       tions:++       hledger add --file 2024.journal --file 2023.journal++     * Provide answers for the first four prompts:++       hledger add today 'best buy' expenses:supplies '$20'++     There is a detailed tutorial at https://hledger.org/add.html.++   add and balance assertions+     Since hledger 1.43, you can add a balance assertion  by  writing  AMOUNT  =+     BALANCE when asked for an amount.  Eg 100 = 500.++     Also,  each  time you enter a new amount, hledger re-checks all balance as-+     sertions in the journal and rejects the new amount if it would make any  of+     them  fail.  You can run add with -I/--ignore-assertions to disable balance+     assertion checking.++   add and balance assignments+     Since hledger 1.51, you can add a balance assignment by writing  =  BALANCE+     (or  ==, =* etc) when asked for an amount.  The missing amount will be cal-+     culated automatically.++     add normally won't let you add a new posting which is dated earlier than an+     existing balance assignment.  (Because when add runs, existing balance  as-+     signments have already been calculated and converted to amounts and balance+     assertions.)  You can allow it by disabling balance assertion checking with+     -I.++   import+     Import new transactions from one or more data files to the main journal.++            Flags:+                 --catchup              just mark all transactions as already imported+                 --dry-run              just show the transactions to be imported++     This  command  detects new transactions in one or more data files specified+     as arguments, and appends them to the main journal.++     You can import from any input file format hledger supports, but CSV/SSV/TSV+     files, downloaded from financial institutions, are the most  common  import+     source.++     The import destination is the default journal file, or another specified in+     the usual way with $LEDGER_FILE or -f/--file.  It should be in journal for-+     mat.++     Examples:++            $ hledger import bank1-checking.csv bank1-savings.csv++            $ hledger import *.csv++   Import dry run+     It's  useful to preview the import by running first with --dry-run, to san-+     ity check the range of dates being imported, and to  check  the  effect  of+     your conversion rules if converting from CSV.  Eg:++            $ hledger import bank.csv --dry-run++     The dry run output is valid journal format, so hledger can re-parse it.  If+     the  output  is  large,  you could show just the uncategorised transactions+     like so:++            $ hledger import --dry-run bank.csv | hledger -f- -I print unknown++     You could also run this repeatedly to see the effect of edits to your  con-+     version rules:++            $ watchexec -- "hledger import --dry-run bank.csv | hledger -f- -I print unknown"++     Once  the  conversion and dates look good enough to import to your journal,+     perhaps with some manual fixups to follow, you would do the actual import:++            $ hledger import bank.csv++   Overlap detection+     Reading CSV files is built in to hledger, and not specific  to  import;  so+     you could also import by doing hledger -f bank.csv print >>$LEDGER_FILE.++     But import is easier and provides some advantages.  The main one is that it+     avoids  re-importing transactions it has seen on previous runs.  This means+     you don't have to worry about overlapping data in successive  downloads  of+     your  bank CSV; just download and import as often as you like, and only the+     new transactions will be imported each time.++     We don't call this "deduplication", as it's generally not possible to reli-+     ably detect duplicates in bank CSV.  Instead, import remembers  the  latest+     date  processed  previously  in each CSV file (saving it in a hidden file),+     and skips any records prior  to  that  date.   This  works  well  for  most+     real-world CSV, where:++     1. the data file name is stable (does not change) across imports++     2. the item dates are stable across imports++     3. the order of same-date items is stable across imports++     4. the newest items have the newest dates++     (Occasional violations of 2-4 are often harmless; you can reduce the chance+     of disruption by downloading and importing more often.)++     Overlap  detection  is automatic, and shouldn't require much attention from+     you, except perhaps at first import (see below).  But here's how it works:++     * For each FILE being imported from:++       1. hledger reads a file named .latest.FILE file in the same directory, if+          any.  This file contains the latest record  date  previously  imported+          from  FILE,  in YYYY-MM-DD format.  If multiple records with that date+          were imported, the date is repeated on N lines.++       2. hledger reads records from FILE.  If a latest date was found  in  step+          1, any records before that date, and the first N records on that date,+          are skipped.++     * After  a  successful  import  from  all  FILEs, without error and without+       --dry-run, hledger updates each FILE's .latest.FILE for next time.++     If this goes wrong, it's relatively easy to repair:++     * You'll notice it before import when you preview with import --dry-run.++     * Or after import when you try to reconcile your hledger  account  balances+       with your bank.++     * hledger print -f FILE.csv will show all recently downloaded transactions.+       Compare these with your journal.  Copy/paste if needed.++     * Update your conversion rules and print again, if needed.++     * You  can  manually  update  or  remove  the  .latest  file, or use import+       --catchup FILE.++     * Download and import more often, eg twice a week, at least while  you  are+       learning.   It's  easier  to review and troubleshoot when there are fewer+       transactions.++   First import+     The first time you import from a file, when no corresponding  .latest  file+     has been created yet, all of the records will be imported.++     But  perhaps you have been entering the data manually, so you know that all+     of these transactions are already recorded in the journal.   In  this  case+     you can run hledger import --catchup once.  This will create a .latest file+     containing  the  latest CSV record date, so that none of those records will+     be re-imported.++     Or, if you know that some but not all of the transactions are in the  jour-+     nal,  you  can  create the .latest file yourself.  Eg, let's say you previ-+     ously recorded foobank transactions up to 2024-10-31 in the journal.   Then+     in  the  directory  where  you'll be saving foobank.csv, you would create a+     .latest.foobank.csv file containing++            2024-10-31++     Or if you had three foobank transactions recorded with that date, you would+     repeat the date that many times:++            2024-10-31+            2024-10-31+            2024-10-31++     Then hledger import foobank.csv [--dry-run]  will  import  only  the  newer+     records.++   Importing balance assignments+     Journal entries added by import will have all posting amounts made explicit+     (like print -x).++     This  means that any balance assignments in the imported entries would need+     to be evaluated.  But this generally isn't possible, as the main file's ac-+     count balances are not visible during import.  So try to  avoid  generating+     balance  assignments  with your CSV rules, or importing from a journal that+     contains balance assignments.  (Balance assignments are best  avoided  any-+     way.)++     But  if  you must use them, eg because your CSV includes only balances: you+     can import with print, which leaves implicit amounts implicit.  (print  can+     also do overlap detection like import, with the --new flag):++            $ hledger print --new -f bank.csv >> $LEDGER_FILE++     (If  you  think  import should preserve implicit balances, please test that+     and send a pull request.)++   Import and commodity styles+     Amounts in entries added by import will be formatted according to the jour-+     nal's canonical commodity styles, as declared by  commodity  directives  or+     inferred from the journal's amounts.++     Related: CSV > Amount decimal places.++   Import archiving+     When  importing  from a CSV rules file (hledger import bank.rules), you can+     use the archive rule to enable automatic archiving of the data file.  After+     a successful import, the data file (specified by source) will be  moved  to+     an  archive  folder  (data/, next to the rules file, auto-created), and re-+     named similar to the rules file, with a date.  This can be useful for trou-+     bleshooting, detecting variations in your banks' CSV data, regenerating en-+     tries with improved rules, etc.++     The archive rule also causes import to handle source glob patterns  differ-+     ently:  when there are multiple matched files, it will pick the oldest, not+     the newest.++   Import special cases+   Deduplication+     Here are two kinds of "deduplication" which import  does  not  handle  (and+     should not, because these can happen legitimately in financial data):++     * Two  or more of the new CSV records are identical, and generate identical+       new journal entries.++     * A new CSV record generates a journal entry identical to one(s) already in+       the journal.++   Varying file name+     If you have a download whose file name varies, you could  rename  it  to  a+     fixed  name after each download.  Or you could use a CSV source rule with a+     suitable glob pattern, and import from the .rules file.++   Multiple versions+     Say you download bank.csv, import it, but forget to  delete  it  from  your+     downloads  folder.   The  next  time you download it, your web browser will+     save it as (eg) bank (2).csv.  The source rule's glob patterns are for just+     this situation: instead  of  specifying  source  bank.csv,  specify  source+     bank*.csv.   Then  hledger  -f  bank.rules CMD or hledger import bank.rules+     will automatically pick the newest matched file (bank (2).csv).++     Alternately, what if you download, but forget to  import  or  delete,  then+     download  again ?  Now each of bank.csv and bank (2).csv might contain data+     that's not in the other, and not in your journal.  In this case, it's  best+     to  import each of them in turn, oldest first (otherwise, overlap detection+     could cause new records to be skipped).  Enabling import archiving  ensures+     this.   Then  hledger import bank.rules; hledger import bank.rules will im-+     port and archive first bank.csv, then bank (2).csv.++Basic report commands+   accounts+     List the account names used or declared in the journal.++            Flags:+              -u --used                 list accounts used+              -d --declared             list accounts declared+                 --undeclared           list accounts used but not declared+                 --unused               list accounts declared but not used+                 --find                 list the first account matched by the first+                                        argument (a case-insensitive infix regexp)+                 --directives           show as account directives, for use in journals+                 --locations            also show where accounts were declared+                 --types                also show account types when known+              -l --flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list+                                        (default)+              -t --tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree+                 --drop=N               flat mode: omit N leading account name parts++     This command lists account names - all of them by default, or just the ones+     which have been used in transactions (-u/--used), or declared with  account+     directives (-d/--declared), or used but not declared (--undeclared), or de-+     clared  but not used (--unused), or just the first one matched by a pattern+     (--find, returning a non-zero exit code if it fails).++     You can add query arguments to select a subset of transactions or accounts.++     With --directives, it shows valid account directives which could be  pasted+     into a journal file.  This is useful together with --undeclared when updat-+     ing your account declarations to satisfy hledger check accounts.++     With  --locations, it also shows the file and line number of each account's+     declaration, if any, and the account's overall declaration order; these may+     be useful when troubleshooting account display order.++     With --types, it also shows each account's type, if it's known.   (See  De-+     claring accounts > Account types.)++     It  shows a flat list by default.  With --tree, it uses indentation to show+     the account hierarchy.  In flat mode you can add --drop N to omit the first+     few account name components.   Account  names  can  be  depth-clipped  with+     depth:N or --depth N or -N.++     Examples:++            $ hledger accounts+            assets:bank:checking+            assets:bank:saving+            assets:cash+            expenses:food+            expenses:supplies+            income:gifts+            income:salary+            liabilities:debts++            $ hledger accounts --undeclared --directives >> $LEDGER_FILE+            $ hledger check accounts++   codes+     List the codes seen in transactions, in the order parsed.++            Flags:+            no command-specific flags++     This  command prints the value of each transaction's code field, in the or-+     der transactions were parsed.  The transaction code is  an  optional  value+     written  in  parentheses  between  the  date and description, often used to+     store a cheque number, order number or similar.++     Transactions aren't required to have a code, and  missing  or  empty  codes+     will  not  be  shown  by  default.   With the -E/--empty flag, they will be+     printed as blank lines.++     You can add a query to select a subset of transactions.++     Examples:++            2022/1/1 (123) Supermarket+             Food       $5.00+             Checking++            2022/1/2 (124) Post Office+             Postage    $8.32+             Checking++            2022/1/3 Supermarket+             Food      $11.23+             Checking++            2022/1/4 (126) Post Office+             Postage    $3.21+             Checking++            $ hledger codes+            123+            124+            126++            $ hledger codes -E+            123+            124++            126++   commodities+     List the commodity symbols used or declared in the journal.++            Flags:+                 --used                 list commodities used+                 --declared             list commodities declared+                 --undeclared           list commodities used but not declared+                 --unused               list commodities declared but not used+                 --find                 list the first commodity matched by the first+                                        argument (a case-insensitive infix regexp)++     This command lists commodity symbols/names - all of  them  by  default,  or+     just  the ones which have been used in transactions or P directives, or de-+     clared with commodity directives, or used but not declared, or declared but+     not used, or just the first one matched by a pattern (with --find,  return-+     ing a non-zero exit code if it fails).++     You can add cur: query arguments to further limit the commodities.++   descriptions+     List the unique descriptions used in transactions.++            Flags:+            no command-specific flags++     This  command lists the unique descriptions that appear in transactions, in+     alphabetic order.  You can add a query to select a subset of transactions.++     Example:++            $ hledger descriptions+            Store Name+            Gas Station | Petrol+            Person A++   files+     List all files included in the journal.  With a REGEX argument,  only  file+     names matching the regular expression (case sensitive) are shown.++            Flags:+            no command-specific flags++   notes+     List the unique notes that appear in transactions.++            Flags:+            no command-specific flags++     This  command lists the unique notes that appear in transactions, in alpha-+     betic order.  You can add a query to select a subset of transactions.   The+     note  is the part of the transaction description after a | character (or if+     there is no |, the whole description).++     Example:++            $ hledger notes+            Petrol+            Snacks++   payees+     List the payee/payer names used or declared in the journal.++            Flags:+                 --used                 list payees used+                 --declared             list payees declared+                 --undeclared           list payees used but not declared+                 --unused               list payees declared but not used+                 --find                 list the first payee matched by the first+                                        argument (a case-insensitive infix regexp)++     This command lists unique payee/payer names - all of them  by  default,  or+     just the ones which have been used in transaction descriptions, or declared+     with  payee directives, or used but not declared, or declared but not used,+     or just the first one matched  by  a  pattern  (with  --find,  returning  a+     non-zero exit code if it fails).++     The  payee/payer name is the part of the transaction description before a |+     character (or if there is no |, the whole description).++     You can add query arguments to select a subset of transactions or payees.++     Example:++            $ hledger payees+            Store Name+            Gas Station+            Person A++   prices+     Print the market prices declared  with  P  directives.   With  --infer-mar-+     ket-prices,  also  show  any  additional  prices inferred from costs.  With+     --show-reverse, also show additional prices  inferred  by  reversing  known+     prices.++            Flags:+                 --show-reverse         also show the prices inferred by reversing known+                                        prices++     Price  amounts  are  always displayed with their full precision, except for+     reverse prices which are limited to 8 decimal digits.++     Prices can be filtered by a date:, cur: or amt: query.++     Generally if you run this  command  with  --infer-market-prices  --show-re-+     verse,  it will show the same prices used internally to calculate value re-+     ports.  But if in doubt, you can inspect  those  directly  by  running  the+     value report with --debug=2.++   stats+     Show journal and performance statistics.++            Flags:+              -1                        show a single line of output+              -v --verbose              show more detailed output+              -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE.++     The  stats  command  shows  summary information for the whole journal, or a+     matched part of it.  With a reporting interval, it shows a report for  each+     report period.++     It also shows some performance statistics:++     * how long the program ran for++     * the number of transactions processed per second++     * the peak live memory in use by the program to do its work++     * the peak allocated memory as seen by the program++     By  default,  the  output  is reasonably discreet; it reveals the main file+     name, your activity level, and the speed of your machine.++     With -v/--verbose, more details are shown: the full paths of all files, and+     the names of the commodities you work with.++     With -1, only one line of output is shown, in a machine-friendly  tab-sepa-+     rated format: the program version, the main journal file name, and the per-+     formance stats,++     The run time of stats is similar to that of a balance report.++     Example:++            $ hledger stats -f examples/1ktxns-1kaccts.journal+            Main file           : .../1ktxns-1kaccts.journal+            Included files      : 0+            Txns span           : 2000-01-01 to 2002-09-27 (1000 days)+            Last txn            : 2002-09-26 (7827 days ago)+            Txns                : 1000 (1.0 per day)+            Txns last 30 days   : 0 (0.0 per day)+            Txns last 7 days    : 0 (0.0 per day)+            Payees/descriptions : 1000+            Accounts            : 1000 (depth 10)+            Commodities         : 26+            Market prices       : 1000+            Runtime stats       : 0.12 s elapsed, 8266 txns/s, 4 MB live, 16 MB alloc++            $ hledger stats -1 -f examples/10ktxns-1kaccts.journal+            1.50.99-g0835a2485-20251119, mac-aarch64    10ktxns-1kaccts.journal 0.66 s elapsed  15244 txns/s    28 MB live  86 MB alloc++     This command supports the -o/--output-file option (but not -O/--output-for-+     mat).++   tags+     List the tag names used or declared in the journal, or their values.++            Flags:+                 --used                 list tags used+                 --declared             list tags declared+                 --undeclared           list tags used but not declared+                 --unused               list tags declared but not used+                 --find                 list the first tag whose name is matched by the+                                        first argument (a case-insensitive infix regexp)+                 --values               list tag values instead of tag names+                 --parsed               show them in the order they were parsed (mostly),+                                        including duplicates++     This  command  lists  tag  names - all of them by default, or just the ones+     which have been used on transactions/postings/accounts,  or  declared  with+     tag directives, or used but not declared, or declared but not used, or just+     the  first one matched by a pattern (with --find, returning a non-zero exit+     code if it fails).++     Note this command's non-standard first argument: it is  a  case-insensitive+     infix  regular  expression  for  matching  tag names, which limits the tags+     shown.  Any additional arguments are standard query arguments, which  limit+     the transactions, postings, or accounts providing tags.++     With --values, the tags' unique non-empty values are listed instead.++     With -E/--empty, blank/empty values are also shown.++     With --parsed, tags or values are shown in the order they were parsed, with+     duplicates  included.   (Except,  tags from account declarations are always+     shown first.)++     Remember that accounts also acquire tags from their parents; postings  also+     acquire  tags from their account and transaction; and transactions also ac-+     quire tags from their postings.++Standard report commands+   print+     Show full journal entries, representing transactions.++            Flags:+              -x --explicit             show all amounts explicitly+                 --invert               display all amounts with reversed sign+                 --locations            add tags showing file paths and line numbers+              -m --match=DESC           fuzzy search for one recent transaction with+                                        description closest to DESC+                 --new                  show only newer-dated transactions added in each+                                        file since last run+                 --round=TYPE           how much rounding or padding should be done when+                                        displaying amounts ?+                                        none - show original decimal digits,+                                               as in journal (default)+                                        soft - just add or remove decimal zeros+                                               to match precision+                                        hard - round posting amounts to precision+                                               (can unbalance transactions)+                                        all  - also round cost amounts to precision+                                               (can unbalance transactions)+                 --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate links to hledger-web,+                                        with this prefix. (Usually the base url shown by+                                        hledger-web; can also be relative.)+              -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:+                                        txt, beancount, csv, tsv, html, fods, json, sql.+              -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching+                                        one of the above formats selects that format.++     The print command displays full journal  entries  (transactions)  from  the+     journal file, sorted by date (or with --date2, by secondary date).++     Directives  and  inter-transaction comments are not shown, currently.  This+     means the print command is somewhat lossy, and if you are using it  to  re-+     format/regenerate  your  journal you should take care to also copy over the+     directives and inter-transaction comments.++     Eg:++            $ hledger print -f examples/sample.journal date:200806+            2008/06/01 gift+                assets:bank:checking            $1+                income:gifts                   $-1++            2008/06/02 save+                assets:bank:saving              $1+                assets:bank:checking           $-1++            2008/06/03 * eat & shop+                expenses:food                $1+                expenses:supplies            $1+                assets:cash                 $-2++   print amount explicitness+     Normally, whether posting amounts are implicit or  explicit  is  preserved.+     For  example,  when an amount is omitted in the journal, it will not appear+     in the output.  Similarly, if a conversion cost is implied but not written,+     it will not appear in the output.++     You can use the -x/--explicit flag to force explicit display of all amounts+     and costs.  This can be useful for troubleshooting or for making your jour-+     nal more readable and robust against data entry errors.  -x is also implied+     by using any of -B,-V,-X,--value.++     The -x/--explicit flag will  cause  any  postings  with  a  multi-commodity+     amount  (which can arise when a multi-commodity transaction has an implicit+     amount) to be split into multiple single-commodity  postings,  keeping  the+     output parseable.++   print alignment+     Amounts  are  shown  right-aligned within each transaction (but not aligned+     across all transactions; you can achieve that with ledger-mode in Emacs).++   print amount style+     Amounts will be displayed mostly in their commodity's display  style,  with+     standardised  symbol  placement, decimal mark, and digit group marks.  This+     does not apply to their decimal digits; print normally shows the same deci-+     mal digits that are recorded in each journal entry.++     You can override the decimal precisions with print's special --round option+     (since 1.32).  --round tries to show amounts with their commodities'  stan-+     dard decimal precisions, increasingly strongly:++     * --round=none show amounts with original precisions (default)++     * --round=soft add/remove decimal zeros in amounts (except costs)++     * --round=hard  round  amounts  (except costs), possibly hiding significant+       digits++     * --round=all round all amounts and costs++     soft is good for non-lossy cleanup,  displaying  more  consistent  decimals+     where possible, without making entries unbalanced.++     hard  or  all  can  be  good for stronger cleanup, when decimal rounding is+     wanted.  Note rounding can produce unbalanced journal entries, perhaps  re-+     quiring manual fixup.++   print parseability+     Normally,  print's  output is a valid hledger journal, which you can "pipe"+     to a second hledger command for further processing.  This is sometimes con-+     venient for achieving certain kinds of query (though less needed  now  that+     queries have become more powerful):++            # Show running total of food expenses paid from cash.+            # -f- reads from stdin. -I/--ignore-assertions is sometimes needed.+            $ hledger print assets:cash | hledger -f- -I reg expenses:food++     But  here  are  some  things  which  can cause print's output to become un-+     parseable:++     * --round (see above) can disrupt transaction balancing.++     * Account aliases or pivoting can disrupt  account  names,  balance  asser-+       tions, or balance assignments.++     * Value  reporting  also  can disrupt balance assertions or balance assign-+       ments.++     * Auto postings can generate too many amountless postings.++     * --infer-costs or --infer-equity can generate too-complex redundant costs.++     * Because print always shows transactions in date order, balance assertions+       involving non-date-ordered transactions (and same-day postings) could  be+       disrupted.++   print, other features+     With -B/--cost, amounts with costs are shown converted to cost.++     With --invert, posting amounts are shown with their sign flipped.  It could+     be  useful  if  you  have  accidentally recorded some transactions with the+     wrong signs.++     With --new, print shows only transactions it has not  seen  on  a  previous+     run.   This uses the same deduplication system as the import command.  (See+     import's docs for details.)++     With -m DESC/--match=DESC, print shows one  recent  transaction  whose  de-+     scription  is most similar to DESC.  DESC should contain at least two char-+     acters.  If there is no similar-enough match, no transaction will be  shown+     and the program exit code will be non-zero.++     With  --locations,  print  adds  the  source  file and line number to every+     transaction, as a tag.++   print output format+     This command also supports the output destination and output format options+     The output formats supported are txt, beancount (Added in 1.32),  csv,  tsv+     (Added in 1.32), json and sql.++     The  beancount format tries to produce Beancount-compatible output, as fol-+     lows:++     * Transaction and postings with unmarked status are  converted  to  cleared+       (*) status.++     * Transactions'  payee  and note are backslash-escaped and double-quote-es-+       caped and wrapped in double quotes.++     * Transaction tags are copied to Beancount #tag format.++     * Commodity symbols are converted to upper case, and a small number of cur-+       rency symbols like $ are converted to the corresponding currency names.++     * Account name parts are capitalised and  unsupported  characters  are  re-+       placed  with -.  If an account name part does not begin with a letter, or+       if the first part is not Assets,  Liabilities,  Equity,  Income,  or  Ex-+       penses,  an error is raised.  (Use --alias options to bring your accounts+       into compliance.)++     * An open directive is generated for each account  used,  on  the  earliest+       transaction date.++     Some limitations:++     * Balance assertions are removed.++     * Balance assignments become missing amounts.++     * Virtual and balanced virtual postings become regular postings.++     * Directives are not converted.++     Here's an example of print's CSV output:++            $ hledger print -Ocsv+            "txnidx","date","date2","status","code","description","comment","account","amount","commodity","credit","debit","posting-status","posting-comment"+            "1","2008/01/01","","","","income","","assets:bank:checking","1","$","","1","",""+            "1","2008/01/01","","","","income","","income:salary","-1","$","1","","",""+            "2","2008/06/01","","","","gift","","assets:bank:checking","1","$","","1","",""+            "2","2008/06/01","","","","gift","","income:gifts","-1","$","1","","",""+            "3","2008/06/02","","","","save","","assets:bank:saving","1","$","","1","",""+            "3","2008/06/02","","","","save","","assets:bank:checking","-1","$","1","","",""+            "4","2008/06/03","","*","","eat & shop","","expenses:food","1","$","","1","",""+            "4","2008/06/03","","*","","eat & shop","","expenses:supplies","1","$","","1","",""+            "4","2008/06/03","","*","","eat & shop","","assets:cash","-2","$","2","","",""+            "5","2008/12/31","","*","","pay off","","liabilities:debts","1","$","","1","",""+            "5","2008/12/31","","*","","pay off","","assets:bank:checking","-1","$","1","","",""++     * There is one CSV record per posting, with the parent transaction's fields+       repeated.++     * The "txnidx" (transaction index) field shows which postings belong to the+       same  transaction.   (This  number  might  change if transactions are re-+       ordered within the file, files are parsed/included in a different  order,+       etc.)++     * The  amount  is separated into "commodity" (the symbol) and "amount" (nu-+       meric quantity) fields.++     * The numeric amount is repeated in either the "credit" or "debit"  column,+       for  convenience.  (Those names are not accurate in the accounting sense;+       it just puts negative amounts under credit and zero  or  greater  amounts+       under debit.)++   aregister+     (areg)++     Show the transactions and running balances in one account, with each trans-+     action on one line.++            Flags:+                 --txn-dates            filter strictly by transaction date, not posting+                                        date. Warning: this can show a wrong running+                                        balance.+                 --no-elide             don't show only 2 commodities per amount+                 --cumulative           accumulation mode: show running total from report+                                        start date+              -H --historical           accumulation mode: show historical running+                                        total/balance (includes postings before report+                                        start date) (default)+                 --invert               display all amounts with reversed sign+                 --drop=N               omit N leading account name parts+                 --heading=YN           show heading row above table: yes (default) or no+              -w --width=N              set output width (default: terminal width). -wN,M+                                        sets description width as well.+                 --align-all            guarantee alignment across all lines (slower)+              -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:+                                        txt, html, csv, tsv, json.+              -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching+                                        one of the above formats selects that format.++     aregister  shows  the  overall  transactions affecting a particular account+     (and any subaccounts).  Each report line represents one transaction in this+     account.  Transactions before the report start date  are  included  in  the+     running  balance (--historical mode is the default).  You can suppress this+     behaviour using the --cumulative option.++     This is a more "real world",  bank-like  view  than  the  register  command+     (which shows individual postings, possibly from multiple accounts, not nec-+     essarily in historical mode).  As a quick rule of thumb:++     * aregister is best when reconciling real-world asset/liability accounts++     * register is best when reviewing individual revenues/expenses.++     Note  this  command's non-standard, and required, first argument; it speci-+     fies the account whose register will be shown.  You can write the account's+     name, or (to save  typing)  a  case-insensitive  infix  regular  expression+     matching  the name, which selects the alphabetically first matched account.+     (For example, if you  have  assets:personal  checking  and  assets:business+     checking, hledger areg checking would select assets:business checking.)++     Transactions  involving  subaccounts  of  this  account will also be shown.+     aregister ignores depth limits, so its final total will always match a his-+     torical balance report with similar arguments.++     Any additional arguments are standard query arguments, which will limit the+     transactions shown.  Note some queries will disturb  the  running  balance,+     causing it to be different from the account's real-world running balance.++     An example: this shows the transactions and historical running balance dur-+     ing july, in the first account whose name contains "checking":++            $ hledger areg checking date:jul++     Each aregister line item shows:++     * the  transaction's date (or the relevant posting's date if different, see+       below)++     * the names of all the other account(s) involved in this transaction (prob-+       ably abbreviated)++     * the total change to this account's balance from this transaction++     * the account's historical running balance after this transaction.++     Transactions making a net change of zero are not shown by default; add  the+     -E/--empty flag to show them.++     For  performance  reasons, column widths are chosen based on the first 1000+     lines; this means unusually wide values in later  lines  can  cause  visual+     discontinuities  as column widths are adjusted.  If you want to ensure per-+     fect alignment, at the cost of more time and memory,  use  the  --align-all+     flag.++     By  default,  aregister  shows a heading above the data.  However, when re-+     porting in a language different from English, it is  easier  to  omit  this+     heading  and  prepend your own one.  For this purpose, use the --heading=no+     option.++     This command also supports the output destination  and  output  format  op-+     tions.   The  output  formats  supported are txt, csv, tsv (Added in 1.32),+     html, fods (Added in 1.41) and json.++   aregister and posting dates+     aregister always shows one line (and date and amount) per transaction.  But+     sometimes transactions have postings with different dates.  Also,  not  all+     of  a  transaction's  postings may be within the report period.  To resolve+     this, aregister shows the earliest of the transaction's  date  and  posting+     dates  that  is in-period, and the sum of the in-period postings.  In other+     words it will show a combined line item with just the  earliest  date,  and+     the  running  balance will (temporarily, until the transaction's last post-+     ing) be inaccurate.  Use register -H if you  need  to  see  the  individual+     postings.++     There  is  also  a  --txn-dates flag, which filters strictly by transaction+     date, ignoring posting dates.  This too can  cause  an  inaccurate  running+     balance.++   register+     (reg)++     Show postings and their running total.++            Flags:+                 --cumulative           accumulation mode: show running total from report+                                        start date (default)+              -H --historical           accumulation mode: show historical running+                                        total/balance (includes postings before report+                                        start date)+              -A --average              show running average of posting amounts instead+                                        of total (implies --empty)+              -m --match=DESC           fuzzy search for one recent posting with+                                        description closest to DESC+              -r --related              show postings' siblings instead+                 --invert               display all amounts with reversed sign+                 --drop=N               omit N leading account name parts+                 --sort=FIELDS          sort by: date, desc, account, amount, absamount,+                                        or a comma-separated combination of these. For a+                                        descending sort, prefix with -. (Default: date)+              -w --width=N              set output width (default: terminal width). -wN,M+                                        sets description width as well.+                 --align-all            guarantee alignment across all lines (slower)+                 --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate links to hledger-web,+                                        with this prefix. (Usually the base url shown by+                                        hledger-web; can also be relative.)+              -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:+                                        txt, csv, tsv, html, fods, json.+              -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching+                                        one of the above formats selects that format.++     The  register  command  displays  matched postings, across all accounts, in+     date order, with their running total or running historical  balance.   (See+     also  the aregister command, which shows matched transactions in a specific+     account.)++     register normally shows line per posting,  but  note  that  multi-commodity+     amounts will occupy multiple lines (one line per commodity).++     It  is  typically  used with a query selecting a particular account, to see+     that account's activity:++            $ hledger register checking+            2008/01/01 income               assets:bank:checking            $1           $1+            2008/06/01 gift                 assets:bank:checking            $1           $2+            2008/06/02 save                 assets:bank:checking           $-1           $1+            2008/12/31 pay off              assets:bank:checking           $-1            0++     With --date2, it shows and sorts by secondary date instead.++     For performance reasons, column widths are chosen based on the  first  1000+     lines;  this  means  unusually  wide values in later lines can cause visual+     discontinuities as column widths are adjusted.  If you want to ensure  per-+     fect  alignment,  at  the cost of more time and memory, use the --align-all+     flag.++     The --historical/-H flag adds the balance from any undisplayed prior  post-+     ings to the running total.  This is useful when you want to see only recent+     activity, with a historically accurate running balance:++            $ hledger register checking -b 2008/6 --historical+            2008/06/01 gift                 assets:bank:checking            $1           $2+            2008/06/02 save                 assets:bank:checking           $-1           $1+            2008/12/31 pay off              assets:bank:checking           $-1            0++     The --depth option limits the amount of sub-account detail displayed.++     The --drop option will trim leading segments from account names.++     The  --average/-A  flag shows the running average posting amount instead of+     the running total (so, the final number displayed is the  average  for  the+     whole  report  period).   This flag implies --empty (see below).  It is af-+     fected by --historical.  It works best when showing just  one  account  and+     one commodity.++     The  --related/-r  flag shows the other postings in the transactions of the+     postings which would normally be shown.++     The --invert flag negates all amounts.  For example, it can be used  on  an+     income  account  where  amounts are normally displayed as negative numbers.+     It's also useful to show postings on the checking account together with the+     related account:++     The --sort=FIELDS flag sorts by the fields given, which can be any  of  ac-+     count,  amount,  absamount, date, or desc/description, optionally separated+     by commas.  For example, --sort account,amount will group all  transactions+     in  each  account, sorted by transaction amount.  Each field can be negated+     by a preceding -, so --sort -amount will  show  transactions  ordered  from+     smallest amount to largest amount.++            $ hledger register --related --invert assets:checking++     With  a reporting interval, register shows summary postings, one per inter-+     val, aggregating the postings to each account:++            $ hledger register --monthly income+            2008/01                 income:salary                          $-1          $-1+            2008/06                 income:gifts                           $-1          $-2++     Periods with no activity, and summary postings with a zero amount, are  not+     shown by default; use the --empty/-E flag to see them:++            $ hledger register --monthly income -E+            2008/01                 income:salary                          $-1          $-1+            2008/02                                                          0          $-1+            2008/03                                                          0          $-1+            2008/04                                                          0          $-1+            2008/05                                                          0          $-1+            2008/06                 income:gifts                           $-1          $-2+            2008/07                                                          0          $-2+            2008/08                                                          0          $-2+            2008/09                                                          0          $-2+            2008/10                                                          0          $-2+            2008/11                                                          0          $-2+            2008/12                                                          0          $-2++     Often,  you'll  want to see just one line per interval.  The --depth option+     helps with this, causing subaccounts to be aggregated:++            $ hledger register --monthly assets --depth 1+            2008/01                 assets                                  $1           $1+            2008/06                 assets                                 $-1            0+            2008/12                 assets                                 $-1          $-1++     Note when using report intervals, if you specify start/end dates these will+     be adjusted outward if necessary to contain a whole  number  of  intervals.+     This ensures that the first and last intervals are full length and compara-+     ble to the others in the report.++     If  you  have  a deeply nested account tree some reports might benefit from+     trimming leading segments from the account names using --drop.++            $ hledger register --monthly income --drop 1+            2008/01                 salary                                 $-1          $-1+            2008/06                 gifts                                  $-1          $-2++     With -m DESC/--match=DESC, register does a  fuzzy  search  for  one  recent+     posting  whose description is most similar to DESC.  DESC should contain at+     least two characters.  If there is no similar-enough match, no posting will+     be shown and the program exit code will be non-zero.++   Custom register output+     register normally uses the full terminal width (or 80 columns if  it  can't+     detect that).  You can override this with the --width/-w option.++     The description and account columns normally share the space equally (about+     half  of  (width  - 40) each).  You can adjust this by adding a description+     width as part of --width's argument, comma-separated: --width W,D .  Here's+     a diagram (won't display correctly in --help):++            <--------------------------------- width (W) ---------------------------------->+            date (10)  description (D)       account (W-41-D)     amount (12)   balance (12)+            DDDDDDDDDD dddddddddddddddddddd  aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa  AAAAAAAAAAAA  AAAAAAAAAAAA++     and some examples:++            $ hledger reg                     # use terminal width (or 80 on windows)+            $ hledger reg -w 100              # use width 100+            $ hledger reg -w 100,40           # set overall width 100, description width 40++     This command also supports the output destination and output format options+     The output formats supported are txt, csv, tsv (Added in 1.32), and json.++   balancesheet+     (bs)++     Show the end balances in asset and liability accounts.  Amounts  are  shown+     with normal positive sign, as in conventional financial statements.++            Flags:+                 --sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts+                                        (default)+                 --valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of+                                        period-end historical balances (caused by deposits,+                                        withdrawals, market price fluctuations)+                 --gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital+                                        gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost+                                        basis)+                 --count                calculation mode: show the count of postings+                 --change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column+                                        start to column end (in multicolumn reports)+                 --cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report+                                        start (specified by e.g. -b/--begin) to column end+              -H --historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from+                                        journal start to column end (includes postings+                                        before report start date) (default)+              -l --flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list+                                        (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,+                                        except where the account is depth-clipped.+              -t --tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts+                                        include subaccount amounts.+                 --drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts+                 --declared             include non-parent declared accounts (best used+                                        with -E)+              -A --average              show a row average column (in multicolumn+                                        reports)+              -T --row-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)+                 --summary-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,+                                        average) (in multicolumn reports)+              -N --no-total             omit the final total row+                 --no-elide             in tree mode, don't squash boring parent accounts+                 --format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)+              -S --sort-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name+              -% --percent              express values in percentage of each column's+                                        total+                 --layout=ARG           how to show multi-commodity amounts:+                                        'wide[,WIDTH]': all commodities on one line+                                        'tall'        : each commodity on a new line+                                        'bare'        : bare numbers, symbols in a column+                 --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate hyperlinks to+                                        hledger-web, with this prefix. (Usually the base+                                        url shown by hledger-web; can also be relative.)+              -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:+                                        txt, html, csv, tsv, json.+              -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching+                                        one of the above formats selects that format.++     This  command  displays a balance sheet, showing historical ending balances+     of asset and liability accounts.  (To see equity  as  well,  use  the  bal-+     ancesheetequity command.)++     Accounts declared with the Asset, Cash or Liability type are shown (see ac-+     count  types).  Or if no such accounts are declared, it shows top-level ac-+     counts named asset or liability (case  insensitive,  plurals  allowed)  and+     their subaccounts.++     Example:++            $ hledger balancesheet+            Balance Sheet 2008-12-31++                                || 2008-12-31+            ====================++============+             Assets             ||+            --------------------++------------+             assets:bank:saving ||         $1+             assets:cash        ||        $-2+            --------------------++------------+                                ||        $-1+            ====================++============+             Liabilities        ||+            --------------------++------------+             liabilities:debts  ||        $-1+            --------------------++------------+                                ||        $-1+            ====================++============+             Net:               ||          0++     This command is a higher-level variant of the balance command, and supports+     many of that command's features, such as multi-period reports.  It is simi-+     lar  to hledger balance -H assets liabilities, but with smarter account de-+     tection, and liabilities displayed with their sign flipped.++     This command also supports the output destination and output format options+     The output formats supported are txt, csv, tsv (Added in 1.32),  html,  and+     json.++   balancesheetequity+     (bse)++     This  command  displays a balance sheet, showing historical ending balances+     of asset, liability and equity accounts.  Amounts  are  shown  with  normal+     positive sign, as in conventional financial statements.++            Flags:+                 --sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts+                                        (default)+                 --valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of+                                        period-end historical balances (caused by deposits,+                                        withdrawals, market price fluctuations)+                 --gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital+                                        gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost+                                        basis)+                 --count                calculation mode: show the count of postings+                 --change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column+                                        start to column end (in multicolumn reports)+                 --cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report+                                        start (specified by e.g. -b/--begin) to column end+              -H --historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from+                                        journal start to column end (includes postings+                                        before report start date) (default)+              -l --flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list+                                        (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,+                                        except where the account is depth-clipped.+              -t --tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts+                                        include subaccount amounts.+                 --drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts+                 --declared             include non-parent declared accounts (best used+                                        with -E)+              -A --average              show a row average column (in multicolumn+                                        reports)+              -T --row-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)+                 --summary-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,+                                        average) (in multicolumn reports)+              -N --no-total             omit the final total row+                 --no-elide             in tree mode, don't squash boring parent accounts+                 --format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)+              -S --sort-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name+              -% --percent              express values in percentage of each column's+                                        total+                 --layout=ARG           how to show multi-commodity amounts:+                                        'wide[,WIDTH]': all commodities on one line+                                        'tall'        : each commodity on a new line+                                        'bare'        : bare numbers, symbols in a column+                 --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate hyperlinks to+                                        hledger-web, with this prefix. (Usually the base+                                        url shown by hledger-web; can also be relative.)+              -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:+                                        txt, html, csv, tsv, json.+              -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching+                                        one of the above formats selects that format.++     This  report shows accounts declared with the Asset, Cash, Liability or Eq-+     uity type (see account types).  Or if no such  accounts  are  declared,  it+     shows  top-level  accounts  named asset, liability or equity (case insensi-+     tive, plurals allowed) and their subaccounts.++     Example:++            $ hledger balancesheetequity+            Balance Sheet With Equity 2008-12-31++                                || 2008-12-31+            ====================++============+             Assets             ||+            --------------------++------------+             assets:bank:saving ||         $1+             assets:cash        ||        $-2+            --------------------++------------+                                ||        $-1+            ====================++============+             Liabilities        ||+            --------------------++------------+             liabilities:debts  ||        $-1+            --------------------++------------+                                ||        $-1+            ====================++============+             Equity             ||+            --------------------++------------+            --------------------++------------+                                ||          0+            ====================++============+             Net:               ||          0++     This command is a higher-level variant of the balance command, and supports+     many of that command's features, such as multi-period reports.  It is simi-+     lar to hledger balance -H assets liabilities equity, but with  smarter  ac-+     count detection, and liabilities/equity displayed with their sign flipped.++     This  report  is the easiest way to see if the accounting equation (A+L+E =+     0) is satisfied (after you have done a close --retain to merge revenues and+     expenses with equity, and perhaps added --infer-equity to balance your com-+     modity conversions).++     This command also supports the output destination and output format options+     The output formats supported are txt, csv, tsv, html, and json.++   cashflow+     (cf)++     This command displays a (simple) cashflow statement,  showing  the  inflows+     and  outflows  affecting  "cash"  (ie,  liquid, easily convertible) assets.+     Amounts are shown with normal positive sign, as in  conventional  financial+     statements.++            Flags:+                 --sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts+                                        (default)+                 --valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of+                                        period-end historical balances (caused by deposits,+                                        withdrawals, market price fluctuations)+                 --gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital+                                        gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost+                                        basis)+                 --count                calculation mode: show the count of postings+                 --change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column+                                        start to column end (in multicolumn reports)+                                        (default)+                 --cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report+                                        start (specified by e.g. -b/--begin) to column end+              -H --historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from+                                        journal start to column end (includes postings+                                        before report start date)+              -l --flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list+                                        (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,+                                        except where the account is depth-clipped.+              -t --tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts+                                        include subaccount amounts.+                 --drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts+                 --declared             include non-parent declared accounts (best used+                                        with -E)+              -A --average              show a row average column (in multicolumn+                                        reports)+              -T --row-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)+                 --summary-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,+                                        average) (in multicolumn reports)+              -N --no-total             omit the final total row+                 --no-elide             in tree mode, don't squash boring parent accounts+                 --format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)+              -S --sort-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name+              -% --percent              express values in percentage of each column's+                                        total+                 --layout=ARG           how to show multi-commodity amounts:+                                        'wide[,WIDTH]': all commodities on one line+                                        'tall'        : each commodity on a new line+                                        'bare'        : bare numbers, symbols in a column+                 --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate hyperlinks to+                                        hledger-web, with this prefix. (Usually the base+                                        url shown by hledger-web; can also be relative.)+              -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:+                                        txt, html, csv, tsv, json.+              -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching+                                        one of the above formats selects that format.++     This report shows accounts declared with the Cash type (see account types).+     Or if no such accounts are declared, it shows accounts++     * under a top-level account named asset (case insensitive, plural allowed)++     * whose name contains some variation of cash, bank, checking or saving.++     More precisely: all accounts matching this case insensitive regular expres-+     sion:++     ^assets?(:.+)?:(cash|bank|che(ck|que?)(ing)?|savings?|currentcash)(:|$)++     and their subaccounts.++     An example cashflow report:++            $ hledger cashflow+            Cashflow Statement 2008++                                || 2008+            ====================++======+             Cash flows         ||+            --------------------++------+             assets:bank:saving ||   $1+             assets:cash        ||  $-2+            --------------------++------+                                ||  $-1++     This command is a higher-level variant of the balance command, and supports+     many of that command's features, such as multi-period reports.  It is simi-+     lar  to hledger balance assets not:fixed not:investment not:receivable, but+     with smarter account detection.++     This command also supports the output destination and output format options+     The output formats supported are txt, csv, tsv (Added in 1.32),  html,  and+     json.++   incomestatement+     (is)++     Show  revenue  inflows  and  expense  outflows  during  the  report period.+     Amounts are shown with normal positive sign, as in  conventional  financial+     statements.++            Flags:+                 --sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts+                                        (default)+                 --valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of+                                        period-end historical balances (caused by deposits,+                                        withdrawals, market price fluctuations)+                 --gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital+                                        gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost+                                        basis)+                 --count                calculation mode: show the count of postings+                 --change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column+                                        start to column end (in multicolumn reports)+                                        (default)+                 --cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report+                                        start (specified by e.g. -b/--begin) to column end+              -H --historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from+                                        journal start to column end (includes postings+                                        before report start date)+              -l --flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list+                                        (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,+                                        except where the account is depth-clipped.+              -t --tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts+                                        include subaccount amounts.+                 --drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts+                 --declared             include non-parent declared accounts (best used+                                        with -E)+              -A --average              show a row average column (in multicolumn+                                        reports)+              -T --row-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)+                 --summary-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,+                                        average) (in multicolumn reports)+              -N --no-total             omit the final total row+                 --no-elide             in tree mode, don't squash boring parent accounts+                 --format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)+              -S --sort-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name+              -% --percent              express values in percentage of each column's+                                        total+                 --layout=ARG           how to show multi-commodity amounts:+                                        'wide[,WIDTH]': all commodities on one line+                                        'tall'        : each commodity on a new line+                                        'bare'        : bare numbers, symbols in a column+                 --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate hyperlinks to+                                        hledger-web, with this prefix. (Usually the base+                                        url shown by hledger-web; can also be relative.)+              -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:+                                        txt, html, csv, tsv, json.+              -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching+                                        one of the above formats selects that format.++     This  command  displays  an income statement, showing revenues and expenses+     during one or more periods.++     It shows accounts declared with the Revenue or Expense  type  (see  account+     types).   Or  if no such accounts are declared, it shows top-level accounts+     named revenue or income or expense (case insensitive, plurals allowed)  and+     their subaccounts.++     Example:++            $ hledger incomestatement+            Income Statement 2008++                               || 2008+            ===================++======+             Revenues          ||+            -------------------++------+             income:gifts      ||   $1+             income:salary     ||   $1+            -------------------++------+                               ||   $2+            ===================++======+             Expenses          ||+            -------------------++------+             expenses:food     ||   $1+             expenses:supplies ||   $1+            -------------------++------+                               ||   $2+            ===================++======+             Net:              ||    0++     This command is a higher-level variant of the balance command, and supports+     many of that command's features, such as multi-period reports.  It is simi-+     lar  to  hledger balance '(revenues|income)' expenses, but with smarter ac-+     count detection, and revenues/income displayed with their sign flipped.++     This command also supports the output destination and output format options+     The output formats supported are txt, csv, tsv (Added in 1.32),  html,  and+     json.++Advanced report commands+   balance+     (bal)++     A  flexible, general purpose "summing" report that shows accounts with some+     kind of numeric data.  This can be balance changes  per  period,  end  bal-+     ances, budget performance, unrealised capital gains, etc.++            Flags:+                 --sum                  calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts+                                        (default)+                 --valuechange          calculation mode: show total change of value of+                                        period-end historical balances (caused by deposits,+                                        withdrawals, market price fluctuations)+                 --gain                 calculation mode: show unrealised capital+                                        gain/loss (historical balance value minus cost+                                        basis)+                 --budget[=DESCPAT]     calculation mode: show sum of posting amounts+                                        together with budget goals defined by periodic+                                        transactions. With a DESCPAT argument (must be+                                        separated by = not space),+                                        use only periodic transactions with matching+                                        description+                                        (case insensitive substring match).+                 --count                calculation mode: show the count of postings+                 --change               accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from column+                                        start to column end (in multicolumn reports,+                                        default)+                 --cumulative           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from report+                                        start (specified by e.g. -b/--begin) to column end+              -H --historical           accumulation mode: accumulate amounts from+                                        journal start to column end (includes postings+                                        before report start date)+              -l --flat                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a flat list+                                        (default). Amounts exclude subaccount amounts,+                                        except where the account is depth-clipped.+              -t --tree                 list/tree mode: show accounts as a tree. Amounts+                                        include subaccount amounts.+                 --drop=N               in list mode, omit N leading account name parts+                 --declared             include non-parent declared accounts (best used+                                        with -E)+              -A --average              show a row average column (in multicolumn+                                        reports)+              -T --row-total            show a row total column (in multicolumn reports)+                 --summary-only         display only row summaries (e.g. row total,+                                        average) (in multicolumn reports)+              -N --no-total             omit the final total row+                 --no-elide             in tree mode, don't squash boring parent accounts+                 --format=FORMATSTR     use this custom line format (in simple reports)+              -S --sort-amount          sort by amount instead of account code/name (in+                                        flat mode). With multiple columns, sorts by the row+                                        total, or by row average if that is displayed.+              -% --percent              express values in percentage of each column's+                                        total+              -r --related              show the other accounts transacted with, instead+                 --invert               display all amounts with reversed sign+                 --transpose            switch rows and columns (use vertical time axis)+                 --layout=ARG           how to lay out multi-commodity amounts and the+                                        overall table:+                                        'wide[,W]': commodities on same line, up to W wide+                                        'tall'    : commodities on separate lines+                                        'bare'    : commodity symbols in a separate column+                                        'tidy'    : each data field in its own column+                 --base-url=URLPREFIX   in html output, generate links to hledger-web,+                                        with this prefix. (Usually the base url shown by+                                        hledger-web; can also be relative.)+              -O --output-format=FMT    select the output format. Supported formats:+                                        txt, html, csv, tsv, json, fods.+              -o --output-file=FILE     write output to FILE. A file extension matching+                                        one of the above formats selects that format.++     balance is one of hledger's oldest and most versatile commands, for listing+     account  balances,  balance changes, values, value changes and more, during+     one time period or many.  Generally it shows a table, with rows  represent-+     ing accounts, and columns representing periods.++     Note  there  are  some  variants of the balance command with convenient de-+     faults, which are simpler to use: balancesheet,  balancesheetequity,  cash-+     flow and incomestatement.  When you need more control, then use balance.++   balance features+     Here's a quick overview of the balance command's features, followed by more+     detailed descriptions and examples.  Many of these work with the other bal-+     ance-like commands as well (bs, cf, is..).++     balance can show..++     * accounts as a list (-l) or a tree (-t)++     * optionally depth-limited (-[1-9])++     * sorted by declaration order and name, or by amount++     ..and their..++     * balance changes (the default)++     * or actual and planned balance changes (--budget)++     * or value of balance changes (-V)++     * or change of balance values (--valuechange)++     * or unrealised capital gain/loss (--gain)++     * or balance changes from sibling postings (--related/-r)++     * or postings count (--count)++     ..in..++     * one time period (the whole journal period by default)++     * or multiple periods (-D, -W, -M, -Q, -Y, -p INTERVAL)++     ..either..++     * per period (the default)++     * or accumulated since report start date (--cumulative)++     * or accumulated since account creation (--historical/-H)++     ..possibly converted to..++     * cost (--value=cost[,COMM]/--cost/-B)++     * or market value, as of transaction dates (--value=then[,COMM])++     * or at period ends (--value=end[,COMM])++     * or now (--value=now)++     * or at some other date (--value=YYYY-MM-DD)++     ..with..++     * totals (-T), averages (-A), percentages (-%), inverted sign (--invert)++     * rows and columns swapped (--transpose)++     * another field used as account name (--pivot)++     * custom-formatted line items (single-period reports only) (--format)++     * commodities displayed on the same line or multiple lines (--layout)++     This  command  supports  the  output destination and output format options,+     with output formats txt, csv, tsv (Added in 1.32), json, and  (multi-period+     reports  only:) html, fods (Added in 1.40).  In txt output in a colour-sup-+     porting terminal, negative amounts are shown in red.++   Simple balance report+     With no arguments, balance shows a list of all accounts and their change of+     balance - ie, the sum of posting amounts, both inflows and outflows -  dur-+     ing the entire period of the journal.  ("Simple" here means just one column+     of  numbers,  covering a single period.  You can also have multi-period re-+     ports, described later.)++     For real-world accounts, these numbers will normally be their  end  balance+     at the end of the journal period; more on this below.++     Accounts are sorted by declaration order if any, and then alphabetically by+     account name.  For instance (using examples/sample.journal):++            $ hledger -f examples/sample.journal bal+                              $1  assets:bank:saving+                             $-2  assets:cash+                              $1  expenses:food+                              $1  expenses:supplies+                             $-1  income:gifts+                             $-1  income:salary+                              $1  liabilities:debts+            --------------------+                               0++     Accounts  with  a zero balance (and no non-zero subaccounts, in tree mode -+     see below) are hidden by default.  Use -E/--empty to show  them  (revealing+     assets:bank:checking here):++            $ hledger -f examples/sample.journal bal  -E+                               0  assets:bank:checking+                              $1  assets:bank:saving+                             $-2  assets:cash+                              $1  expenses:food+                              $1  expenses:supplies+                             $-1  income:gifts+                             $-1  income:salary+                              $1  liabilities:debts+            --------------------+                               0++     The  total  of  the  amounts  displayed  is  shown as the last line, unless+     -N/--no-total is used.++   Balance report line format+     For single-period balance reports displayed in the terminal (only), you can+     use --format FMT to customise the format and content of each line.  Eg:++            $ hledger -f examples/sample.journal balance --format "%20(account) %12(total)"+                          assets          $-1+                     bank:saving           $1+                            cash          $-2+                        expenses           $2+                            food           $1+                        supplies           $1+                          income          $-2+                           gifts          $-1+                          salary          $-1+               liabilities:debts           $1+            ---------------------------------+                                            0++     The FMT format string specifies the formatting applied to each account/bal-+     ance pair.  It may contain any suitable text, with data fields interpolated+     like so:++     %[MIN][.MAX](FIELDNAME)++     * MIN pads with spaces to at least this width (optional)++     * MAX truncates at this width (optional)++     * FIELDNAME must be enclosed in parentheses, and can be one of:++       * depth_spacer - a number of spaces equal to the account's depth,  or  if+         MIN is specified, MIN * depth spaces.++       * account - the account's name++       * total - the account's balance/posted total, right justified++     Also,  FMT can begin with an optional prefix to control how multi-commodity+     amounts are rendered:++     * %_ - render on multiple lines, bottom-aligned (the default)++     * %^ - render on multiple lines, top-aligned++     * %, - render on one line, comma-separated++     There are some quirks.  Eg in one-line mode, %(depth_spacer) has no effect,+     instead %(account) has  indentation  built  in.    Experimentation  may  be+     needed to get pleasing results.++     Some example formats:++     * %(total) - the account's total++     * %-20.20(account) - the account's name, left justified, padded to 20 char-+       acters and clipped at 20 characters++     * %,%-50(account)  %25(total) - account name padded to 50 characters, total+       padded to 20 characters, with multiple commodities rendered on one line++     * %20(total)  %2(depth_spacer)%-(account) - the default format for the sin-+       gle-column balance report++   Filtered balance report+     You  can  show fewer accounts, a different time period, totals from cleared+     transactions only, etc.  by using query arguments or options to  limit  the+     postings being matched.  Eg:++            $ hledger -f examples/sample.journal bal --cleared assets date:200806+                             $-2  assets:cash+            --------------------+                             $-2++   List or tree mode+     By default, or with -l/--flat, accounts are shown as a flat list with their+     full names visible, as in the examples above.++     With  -t/--tree,  the  account hierarchy is shown, with subaccounts' "leaf"+     names indented below their parent:++            $ hledger -f examples/sample.journal balance+                             $-1  assets+                              $1    bank:saving+                             $-2    cash+                              $2  expenses+                              $1    food+                              $1    supplies+                             $-2  income+                             $-1    gifts+                             $-1    salary+                              $1  liabilities:debts+            --------------------+                               0++     Notes:++     * "Boring" accounts are combined with their  subaccount  for  more  compact+       output,  unless  --no-elide  is used.  Boring accounts have no balance of+       their own and just one subaccount (eg assets:bank and liabilities above).++     * All balances shown are "inclusive", ie including the  balances  from  all+       subaccounts.   Note  this  means some repetition in the output, which re-+       quires  explanation  when  sharing  reports  with   non-plaintextaccount-+       ing-users.   A tree mode report's final total is the sum of the top-level+       balances shown, not of all the balances shown.++     * Each group of sibling accounts (ie, under a common parent) is sorted sep-+       arately.++   Depth limiting+     With a depth:NUM query, or --depth NUM option, or just -NUM (eg:  -3)  bal-+     ance  reports  will  show  accounts only to the specified depth, hiding the+     deeper subaccounts.  This can be useful for getting an overview without too+     much detail.++     Account balances at the depth limit always include the  balances  from  any+     deeper subaccounts (even in list mode).  Eg, limiting to depth 1:++            $ hledger -f examples/sample.journal balance -1+                             $-1  assets+                              $2  expenses+                             $-2  income+                              $1  liabilities+            --------------------+                               0++   Dropping top-level accounts+     You  can  also  hide one or more top-level account name parts, using --drop+     NUM.  This can be useful for hiding repetitive top-level account names:++            $ hledger -f examples/sample.journal bal expenses --drop 1+                              $1  food+                              $1  supplies+            --------------------+                              $2++   Showing declared accounts+     With --declared, accounts which have been declared with an  account  direc-+     tive  will be included in the balance report, even if they have no transac-+     tions.  (Since they will have a zero balance, you will also need -E/--empty+     to see them.)++     More precisely, leaf declared accounts (with no subaccounts)  will  be  in-+     cluded, since those are usually the more useful in reports.++     The  idea  of this is to be able to see a useful "complete" balance report,+     even when you don't have transactions in all of your declared accounts yet.++   Sorting by amount+     With -S/--sort-amount, accounts with the largest (most  positive)  balances+     are shown first.  Eg: hledger bal expenses -MAS shows your biggest averaged+     monthly expenses first.  When more than one commodity is present, they will+     be  sorted by the alphabetically earliest commodity first, and then by sub-+     sequent commodities (if an amount is missing a commodity, it is treated  as+     0).++     Revenues  and  liability  balances  are  typically negative, however, so -S+     shows these in reverse order.  To work around this, you can add --invert to+     flip the signs.  Or you could use one of the higher-level  balance  reports+     (bs, is..), which flip the sign automatically (eg: hledger is -MAS).++   Percentages+     With -%/--percent, balance reports show each account's value expressed as a+     percentage of the (column) total.++     Note  it  is not useful to calculate percentages if the amounts in a column+     have mixed signs.  In this case, make a separate report for each sign, eg:++            $ hledger bal -% amt:`>0`+            $ hledger bal -% amt:`<0`++     Similarly, if the amounts in a column have mixed commodities, convert  them+     to  one commodity with -B, -V, -X or --value, or make a separate report for+     each commodity:++            $ hledger bal -% cur:\\$+            $ hledger bal -% cur:a++   Multi-period balance report+     With a report interval (set by the -D/--daily,  -W/--weekly,  -M/--monthly,+     -Q/--quarterly,  -Y/--yearly, or -p/--period flag), balance shows a tabular+     report, with columns representing successive time periods (and a title):++            $ hledger -f examples/sample.journal bal --quarterly income expenses -E+            Balance changes in 2008:++                               ||  2008q1  2008q2  2008q3  2008q4+            ===================++=================================+             expenses:food     ||       0      $1       0       0+             expenses:supplies ||       0      $1       0       0+             income:gifts      ||       0     $-1       0       0+             income:salary     ||     $-1       0       0       0+            -------------------++---------------------------------+                               ||     $-1      $1       0       0++     Notes:++     * The report's start/end dates will be expanded, if necessary, to fully en-+       compass the displayed subperiods (so that the first and  last  subperiods+       have the same duration as the others).++     * Leading  and  trailing  periods  (columns)  containing all zeroes are not+       shown, unless -E/--empty is used.++     * Accounts (rows) containing all zeroes are not shown, unless -E/--empty is+       used.++     * Amounts with many commodities  are  shown  in  abbreviated  form,  unless+       --no-elide is used.++     * Average  and/or  total  columns  can  be  added with the -A/--average and+       -T/--row-total flags.++     * The --transpose flag can be used to exchange rows and columns.++     * The --pivot FIELD option causes a different transaction field to be  used+       as "account name".  See PIVOTING.++     * The  --summary-only  flag  (--summary also works) hides all but the Total+       and Average  columns  (those  should  be  enabled  with  --row-total  and+       -A/--average).++     Multi-period  reports with many periods can be too wide for easy viewing in+     the terminal.  Here are some ways to handle that:++     * Hide the totals row with -N/--no-total++     * Filter to a single currency with cur:++     * Convert to a single currency with -V [--infer-market-price]++     * Use a more compact layout like --layout=bare++     * Maximize the terminal window++     * Reduce the terminal's font size++     * View with a pager like less, eg: hledger bal -D --color=yes | less -RS++     * Output as CSV and use a CSV viewer like visidata (hledger bal -D -O csv |+       vd -f csv), Emacs' csv-mode (M-x csv-mode, C-c  C-a),  or  a  spreadsheet+       (hledger bal -D -o a.csv && open a.csv)++     * Output  as HTML and view with a browser: hledger bal -D -o a.html && open+       a.html++   Balance change, end balance+     It's important to be clear on the meaning of the numbers shown  in  balance+     reports.  Here is some terminology we use:++     A  balance  change  is the net amount added to, or removed from, an account+     during some period.++     An end balance is the amount accumulated in an account as of some date (and+     some time, but hledger doesn't store that; assume end of day in your  time-+     zone).  It is the sum of previous balance changes.++     We  call  it  a  historical  end balance if it includes all balance changes+     since the account was created.  For a real world  account,  this  means  it+     will  match  the "historical record", eg the balances reported in your bank+     statements or bank web UI.  (If they are correct!)++     In general, balance changes are what you want to see  when  reviewing  rev-+     enues  and  expenses,  and historical end balances are what you want to see+     when reviewing or reconciling asset, liability and equity accounts.++     balance shows balance changes by default.  To see accurate  historical  end+     balances:++     1. Initialise account starting balances with an "opening balances" transac-+        tion  (a transfer from equity to the account), unless the journal covers+        the account's full lifetime.++     2. Include all of of the account's prior postings in  the  report,  by  not+        specifying  a  report  start date, or by using the -H/--historical flag.+        (-H causes report start date to be ignored when summing postings.)++   Balance report modes+     The balance command is quite flexible; here is the full detail  on  how  to+     control what it reports.  If the following seems complicated, don't worry -+     this  is  for advanced reporting, and it does take time and experimentation+     to get familiar with all the report modes.++     There are three important option groups:++     hledger balance [CALCULATIONMODE] [ACCUMULATIONMODE] [VALUATIONMODE] ...++   Calculation mode+     The basic calculation to perform for each table cell.  It is one of:++     * --sum : sum the posting amounts (default)++     * --budget : sum the amounts, but also show the  budget  goal  amount  (for+       each account/period)++     * --valuechange  :  show the change in period-end historical balance values+       (caused by deposits, withdrawals, and/or market price fluctuations)++     * --gain : show the unrealised capital gain/loss, (the current valued  bal-+       ance minus each amount's original cost)++     * --count : show the count of postings++   Accumulation mode+     How  amounts  should  accumulate across a report's subperiods/columns.  An-+     other way to say it: which time period's postings should contribute to each+     cell's calculation.  It is one of:++     * --change : calculate with postings from column start to  column  end,  ie+       "just  this  column".  Typically used to see revenues/expenses.  (default+       for balance, cashflow, incomestatement)++     * --cumulative : calculate with postings from report start to  column  end,+       ie  "previous  columns plus this column".  Typically used to show changes+       accumulated since the report's start date.  Not often used.++     * --historical/-H : calculate with postings from journal  start  to  column+       end,  ie  "all postings from before report start date until this column's+       end".  Typically used to see historical end balances  of  assets/liabili-+       ties/equity.  (default for balancesheet, balancesheetequity)++   Valuation mode+     Which  kind  of  value or cost conversion should be applied, if any, before+     displaying the report.  See Cost reporting and  Value  reporting  for  more+     about conversions.++     A valuation (or cost) mode can be selected with the --value option:++     * no conversion : don't convert to cost or value (default)++     * --value=cost[,COMM]  :  convert  amounts to cost (then optionally to some+       other commodity)++     * --value=then[,COMM] : convert amounts  to  market  value  on  transaction+       dates++     * --value=end[,COMM]  :  convert  amounts  to  market  value  on period end+       date(s)+     (default with --valuechange, --gain)++     * --value=now[,COMM] : convert amounts to market value on today's date++     * --value=YYYY-MM-DD[,COMM] : convert amounts to market  value  on  another+       date++     or  with  the  legacy  -B/-V/-X options, which are equivalent and easier to+     type:++     * -B/--cost : like --value=cost++     * -V/--market : like --value=end++     * -X COMM/--exchange COMM : like --value=end,COMM++     Note that --value can also convert to cost, as a convenience; but  actually+     --cost and --value are independent options, and could be used together.++   Combining balance report modes+     Most  combinations of these modes should produce reasonable reports, but if+     you find any that seem wrong or misleading, let us know.  The following re-+     strictions are applied:++     * --valuechange implies --value=end++     * --valuechange  makes  --change  the  default  when  used  with  the  bal-+       ancesheet/balancesheetequity commands++     * --cumulative or --historical disables --row-total/-T++     For  reference, here is what the combinations of accumulation and valuation+     show:++     Valua-     no valuation       --value= then       --value= end      --value=+     tion:>                                                              YYYY-MM-DD+     Accumu-                                                             /now+     lation:v+     -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+     --change   change in period   sum   of    post-   period-end        DATE-value  of+                                   ing-date   market   value of change   change  in pe-+                                   values in period    in period         riod+     --cumu-    change from  re-   sum   of    post-   period-end        DATE-value  of+     lative     port   start  to   ing-date   market   value of change   change    from+                period end         values  from  re-   from     report   report   start+                                   port start to pe-   start to period   to period end+                                   riod end            end+     --his-     change      from   sum   of    post-   period-end        DATE-value  of+     torical    journal start to   ing-date   market   value of change   change    from+     /-H        period end (his-   values from jour-   from    journal   journal  start+                torical end bal-   nal start to  pe-   start to period   to period end+                ance)              riod end            end++   Budget report+     The  --budget  report  is  like a regular balance report, but with two main+     differences:++     * Budget goals and performance percentages are also shown, in brackets++     * Accounts which don't have budget goals are hidden by default.++     This is useful for comparing planned and actual income, expenses, time  us-+     age, etc.++     Periodic  transaction  rules are used to define budget goals.  For example,+     here's a periodic rule defining monthly goals for bus travel and  food  ex-+     penses:++            ;; Budget+            ~ monthly+              (expenses:bus)              $30+              (expenses:food)            $400++     After recording some actual expenses,++            ;; Two months worth of expenses+            2017-11-01+              income                   $-1950+              expenses:bus                $35+              expenses:food:groceries    $310+              expenses:food:dining        $42+              expenses:movies             $38+              assets:bank:checking++            2017-12-01+              income                   $-2100+              expenses:bus                $53+              expenses:food:groceries    $380+              expenses:food:dining        $32+              expenses:gifts             $100+              assets:bank:checking++     we can see a budget report like this:++            $ hledger bal -M --budget+            Budget performance in 2017-11-01..2017-12-31:++                           ||                  Nov                   Dec+            ===============++============================================+             <unbudgeted>  || $-425                 $-565+             expenses      ||  $425 [ 99% of $430]   $565 [131% of $430]+             expenses:bus  ||   $35 [117% of  $30]    $53 [177% of  $30]+             expenses:food ||  $352 [ 88% of $400]   $412 [103% of $400]+            ---------------++--------------------------------------------+                           ||     0 [  0% of $430]      0 [  0% of $430]++     This  is "goal-based budgeting"; you define goals for accounts and periods,+     often recurring, and hledger shows performance relative to the goals.  This+     contrasts with "envelope budgeting", which is more detailed  and  strict  -+     useful  when cash is tight, but also quite a bit more work.  https://plain-+     textaccounting.org/Budgeting has more on this topic.++   Using the budget report+     Historically this report has been confusing and fragile.  hledger's version+     should be relatively robust and intuitive, but  you  may  still  find  sur-+     prises.  Here are more notes to help with learning and troubleshooting.++     * In  the  above  example, expenses:bus and expenses:food are shown because+       they have budget goals during the report period.++     * Their parent expenses is also shown, with budget  goals  aggregated  from+       the children.++     * The  subaccounts expenses:food:groceries and expenses:food:dining are not+       shown since they have no budget goal of their own, but they contribute to+       expenses:food's actual amount.++     * Unbudgeted accounts  expenses:movies  and  expenses:gifts  are  also  not+       shown, but they contribute to expenses's actual amount.++     * The other unbudgeted accounts income and assets:bank:checking are grouped+       as <unbudgeted>.++     * --depth or depth: can be used to limit report depth in the usual way (but+       will not reveal unbudgeted subaccounts).++     * Amounts are always inclusive of subaccounts (even in -l/--list mode).++     * Numbers displayed in a --budget report will not always agree with the to-+       tals,  because of hidden unbudgeted accounts; this is normal.  -E/--empty+       can be used to reveal the hidden accounts.++     * In the periodic rules used for setting budget goals, unbalanced  postings+       are convenient.++     * You can filter budget reports with the usual queries, eg to focus on par-+       ticular  accounts.   It's common to restrict them to just expenses.  (The+       <unbudgeted> account is occasionally hard to exclude; this is because  of+       date surprises, discussed below.)++     * When  you  have  multiple currencies, you may want to convert them to one+       (-X  COMM  --infer-market-prices)  and/or  show  just  one  at   a   time+       (cur:COMM).  If you do need to show multiple currencies at once, --layout+       bare can be helpful.++     * You can "roll over" amounts (actual and budgeted) to the next period with+       --cumulative.++     See also: https://hledger.org/budgeting.html.++   Budget date surprises+     With  small  data,  or when starting out, some of the generated budget goal+     transaction dates might fall outside the report periods.  Eg with the  fol-+     lowing  journal  and  report,  the  first  period  appears  to  have no ex-+     penses:food budget.  (Also the <unbudgeted> account should be  excluded  by+     the expenses query, but isn't.):++            ~ monthly in 2020+              (expenses:food)  $500++            2020-01-15+              expenses:food    $400+              assets:checking++            $ hledger bal --budget expenses+            Budget performance in 2020-01-15:++                           ||         2020-01-15+            ===============++====================+             <unbudgeted>  || $400+             expenses:food ||    0 [ 0% of $500]+            ---------------++--------------------+                           || $400 [80% of $500]++     In  this  case, the budget goal transactions are generated on first days of+     of month (this can be seen with hledger print --forecast tag:generated  ex-+     penses).   Whereas the report period defaults to just the 15th day of janu-+     ary (this can be seen from the report table's column headings).++     To fix this kind of thing, be more explicit about the report period (and/or+     the periodic rules' dates).  In this case, adding -b 2020 does the trick.++   Selecting budget goals+     By default, the budget report uses all available periodic transaction rules+     to generate goals.  This includes rules with a  different  report  interval+     from your report.  Eg if you have daily, weekly and monthly periodic rules,+     all of these will contribute to the goals in a monthly budget report.++     You  can  select a subset of periodic rules by providing an argument to the+     --budget flag.  --budget=DESCPAT will match all periodic  rules  whose  de-+     scription contains DESCPAT, a case-insensitive substring (not a regular ex-+     pression  or  query).  This means you can give your periodic rules descrip-+     tions (remember that two spaces are needed between  period  expression  and+     description),  and  then select from multiple budgets defined in your jour-+     nal.++   Budgeting vs forecasting+     --forecast and --budget both use the  periodic  transaction  rules  in  the+     journal to generate temporary transactions for reporting purposes.  However+     they  are  separate  features - though you can use both at the same time if+     you want.  Here are some differences between them:++     --forecast                               --budget+     --------------------------------------------------------------------------+     is a general option; it enables  fore-   is  a balance command option; it+     casting with all reports                 selects  the  balance   report's+                                              budget mode+     generates  visible  transactions which   generates invisible transactions+     appear in reports                        which produce goal amounts+     generates forecast  transactions  from   generates  budget  goal transac-+     after the last regular transaction, to   tions throughout the report  pe-+     the  end of the report period; or with   riod,  optionally  restricted by+     an argument --forecast=PERIODEXPR gen-   periods specified in  the  peri-+     erates them throughout  the  specified   odic transaction rules+     period,  both optionally restricted by+     periods  specified  in  the   periodic+     transaction rules+     uses all periodic rules                  uses all periodic rules; or with+                                              an   argument   --budget=DESCPAT+                                              uses just the rules  matched  by+                                              DESCPAT++   Balance report layout+     The --layout option affects how balance and the other balance-like commands+     show  multi-commodity  amounts and commodity symbols.  It can improve read-+     ability, for humans and/or machines (other software).  It has four possible+     values:++     * --layout=wide[,WIDTH]: commodities are shown on a single line, optionally+       elided to WIDTH++     * --layout=tall: each commodity is shown on a separate line++     * --layout=bare: commodity symbols are in their  own  column,  amounts  are+       bare numbers++     * --layout=tidy:  data  is  normalised to easily-consumed "tidy" form, with+       one row per data value.  (This one is currently  supported  only  by  the+       balance command.)++     Here are the --layout modes supported by each output format Only CSV output+     supports all of them:++     -      txt   csv   html   json   sql+     -------------------------------------+     wide   Y     Y     Y+     tall   Y     Y     Y+     bare   Y     Y     Y+     tidy         Y++     Examples:++   Wide layout+     With many commodities, reports can be very wide:++            $ hledger -f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade -3 -T -Y --layout=wide+            Balance changes in 2012-01-01..2014-12-31:++                              ||                                          2012                                                     2013                                             2014                                                      Total+            ==================++====================================================================================================================================================================================================================+             Assets:US:ETrade || 10.00 ITOT, 337.18 USD, 12.00 VEA, 106.00 VHT  70.00 GLD, 18.00 ITOT, -98.12 USD, 10.00 VEA, 18.00 VHT  -11.00 ITOT, 4881.44 USD, 14.00 VEA, 170.00 VHT  70.00 GLD, 17.00 ITOT, 5120.50 USD, 36.00 VEA, 294.00 VHT+            ------------------++--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+                              || 10.00 ITOT, 337.18 USD, 12.00 VEA, 106.00 VHT  70.00 GLD, 18.00 ITOT, -98.12 USD, 10.00 VEA, 18.00 VHT  -11.00 ITOT, 4881.44 USD, 14.00 VEA, 170.00 VHT  70.00 GLD, 17.00 ITOT, 5120.50 USD, 36.00 VEA, 294.00 VHT++     A width limit reduces the width, but some commodities will be hidden:++            $ hledger -f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade -3 -T -Y --layout=wide,32+            Balance changes in 2012-01-01..2014-12-31:++                              ||                             2012                             2013                   2014                            Total+            ==================++===========================================================================================================================+             Assets:US:ETrade || 10.00 ITOT, 337.18 USD, 2 more..  70.00 GLD, 18.00 ITOT, 3 more..  -11.00 ITOT, 3 more..  70.00 GLD, 17.00 ITOT, 3 more..+            ------------------++---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+                              || 10.00 ITOT, 337.18 USD, 2 more..  70.00 GLD, 18.00 ITOT, 3 more..  -11.00 ITOT, 3 more..  70.00 GLD, 17.00 ITOT, 3 more..++   Tall layout+     Each  commodity  gets a new line (may be different in each column), and ac-+     count names are repeated:++            $ hledger -f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade -3 -T -Y --layout=tall+            Balance changes in 2012-01-01..2014-12-31:++                              ||       2012        2013         2014        Total+            ==================++==================================================+             Assets:US:ETrade || 10.00 ITOT   70.00 GLD  -11.00 ITOT    70.00 GLD+             Assets:US:ETrade || 337.18 USD  18.00 ITOT  4881.44 USD   17.00 ITOT+             Assets:US:ETrade ||  12.00 VEA  -98.12 USD    14.00 VEA  5120.50 USD+             Assets:US:ETrade || 106.00 VHT   10.00 VEA   170.00 VHT    36.00 VEA+             Assets:US:ETrade ||              18.00 VHT                294.00 VHT+            ------------------++--------------------------------------------------+                              || 10.00 ITOT   70.00 GLD  -11.00 ITOT    70.00 GLD+                              || 337.18 USD  18.00 ITOT  4881.44 USD   17.00 ITOT+                              ||  12.00 VEA  -98.12 USD    14.00 VEA  5120.50 USD+                              || 106.00 VHT   10.00 VEA   170.00 VHT    36.00 VEA+                              ||              18.00 VHT                294.00 VHT++   Bare layout+     Commodity symbols are kept in one column, each commodity has its  own  row,+     amounts are bare numbers, account names are repeated:++            $ hledger -f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade -3 -T -Y --layout=bare+            Balance changes in 2012-01-01..2014-12-31:++                              || Commodity    2012    2013     2014    Total+            ==================++=============================================+             Assets:US:ETrade || GLD             0   70.00        0    70.00+             Assets:US:ETrade || ITOT        10.00   18.00   -11.00    17.00+             Assets:US:ETrade || USD        337.18  -98.12  4881.44  5120.50+             Assets:US:ETrade || VEA         12.00   10.00    14.00    36.00+             Assets:US:ETrade || VHT        106.00   18.00   170.00   294.00+            ------------------++---------------------------------------------+                              || GLD             0   70.00        0    70.00+                              || ITOT        10.00   18.00   -11.00    17.00+                              || USD        337.18  -98.12  4881.44  5120.50+                              || VEA         12.00   10.00    14.00    36.00+                              || VHT        106.00   18.00   170.00   294.00++     Bare  layout  also  affects  CSV output, which is useful for producing data+     that is easier to consume, eg for making charts:++            $ hledger -f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade -3 -O csv --layout=bare+            "account","commodity","balance"+            "Assets:US:ETrade","GLD","70.00"+            "Assets:US:ETrade","ITOT","17.00"+            "Assets:US:ETrade","USD","5120.50"+            "Assets:US:ETrade","VEA","36.00"+            "Assets:US:ETrade","VHT","294.00"+            "Total:","GLD","70.00"+            "Total:","ITOT","17.00"+            "Total:","USD","5120.50"+            "Total:","VEA","36.00"+            "Total:","VHT","294.00"++     Bare layout will sometimes display an extra row for the  no-symbol  commod-+     ity, because of zero amounts (hledger treats zeroes as commodity-less, usu-+     ally).   This  can  break  hledger-bar  confusingly (workaround: add a cur:+     query to exclude the no-symbol row).++   Tidy layout+     This       produces        normalised        "tidy        data"        (see+     https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/tidyr/vignettes/tidy-data.html)+     where  every  variable  has its own column and each row represents a single+     data point.  This is the easiest kind of data for other  software  to  con-+     sume:++            $ hledger -f examples/bcexample.hledger bal assets:us:etrade -3 -Y -O csv --layout=tidy+            "account","period","start_date","end_date","commodity","value"+            "Assets:US:ETrade","2012","2012-01-01","2012-12-31","GLD","0"+            "Assets:US:ETrade","2012","2012-01-01","2012-12-31","ITOT","10.00"+            "Assets:US:ETrade","2012","2012-01-01","2012-12-31","USD","337.18"+            "Assets:US:ETrade","2012","2012-01-01","2012-12-31","VEA","12.00"+            "Assets:US:ETrade","2012","2012-01-01","2012-12-31","VHT","106.00"+            "Assets:US:ETrade","2013","2013-01-01","2013-12-31","GLD","70.00"+            "Assets:US:ETrade","2013","2013-01-01","2013-12-31","ITOT","18.00"+            "Assets:US:ETrade","2013","2013-01-01","2013-12-31","USD","-98.12"+            "Assets:US:ETrade","2013","2013-01-01","2013-12-31","VEA","10.00"+            "Assets:US:ETrade","2013","2013-01-01","2013-12-31","VHT","18.00"+            "Assets:US:ETrade","2014","2014-01-01","2014-12-31","GLD","0"+            "Assets:US:ETrade","2014","2014-01-01","2014-12-31","ITOT","-11.00"+            "Assets:US:ETrade","2014","2014-01-01","2014-12-31","USD","4881.44"+            "Assets:US:ETrade","2014","2014-01-01","2014-12-31","VEA","14.00"+            "Assets:US:ETrade","2014","2014-01-01","2014-12-31","VHT","170.00"++   Balance report output+     As  noted  in Output format, if you choose HTML output (by using -O html or+     -o somefile.html), you can create a hledger.css file in the same  directory+     to customise the report's appearance.++     The  HTML  and FODS output formats can generate hyperlinks to a hledger-web+     register view for each account  and  period.   E.g.   if  your  hledger-web+     server is reachable at http://localhost:5000 then you might run the balance+     command  with  the  extra option --base-url=http://localhost:5000.  You can+     also produce relative links, like --base-url="some/path" or --base-url="".)++   Some useful balance reports+     Some frequently used balance options/reports are:++     * bal -M revenues expenses+     Show revenues/expenses in each month.  Also available as  the  incomestate-+     ment command.++     * bal -M -H assets liabilities+     Show historical asset/liability balances at each month end.  Also available+     as the balancesheet command.++     * bal -M -H assets liabilities equity+     Show  historical  asset/liability/equity  balances at each month end.  Also+     available as the balancesheetequity command.++     * bal -M assets not:receivable+     Show changes to liquid assets in each month.  Also available as  the  cash-+     flow command.++     Also:++     * bal -M expenses -2 -SA+     Show monthly expenses summarised to depth 2 and sorted by average amount.++     * bal -M --budget expenses+     Show monthly expenses and budget goals.++     * bal -M --valuechange investments+     Show monthly change in market value of investment assets.++     * bal  investments  --valuechange  -D date:lastweek amt:'>1000' -STA [--in-+       vert]+     Show top gainers [or losers] last week++   roi+     Shows the time-weighted (TWR) and money-weighted (IRR) rate  of  return  on+     your investments.++            Flags:+                 --cashflow                 show all amounts that were used to compute+                                            returns+                 --investment=QUERY         query to select your investment transactions+                 --profit-loss=QUERY --pnl  query to select profit-and-loss or+                                            appreciation/valuation transactions++     At  a  minimum,  you need to supply a query (which could be just an account+     name) to select your investment(s) with --inv, and another query  to  iden-+     tify your profit and loss transactions with --pnl.++     If  you  do not record changes in the value of your investment manually, or+     do not require computation of time-weighted return (TWR), --pnl could be an+     empty query (--pnl "" or --pnl STR where STR does not match any of your ac-+     counts).++     This command will compute and display the internalized rate of return (IRR,+     also known as money-weighted rate of return) and time-weighted rate of  re-+     turn  (TWR) for your investments for the time period requested.  IRR is al-+     ways annualized due to the way it is computed, but TWR is reported both  as+     a rate over the chosen reporting period and as an annual rate.++     Price  directives  will  be  taken  into  account if you supply appropriate+     --cost or --value flags (see VALUATION).++     Note, in some cases this report can fail, for these reasons:++     * Error (NotBracketed): No solution for  Internal  Rate  of  Return  (IRR).+       Possible  causes:  IRR is huge (>1000000%), balance of investment becomes+       negative at some point in time.++     * Error (SearchFailed): Failed to find solution for Internal Rate of Return+       (IRR).  Either search does not converge to a solution, or  converges  too+       slowly.++     Examples:++     * Using   roi   to   compute   total   return   of  investment  in  stocks:+       https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/blob/master/examples/invest-+       ing/roi-unrealised.ledger++     * Cookbook > Return on Investment: https://hledger.org/roi.html++   Spaces and special characters in --inv and --pnl+     Note that --inv and --pnl's argument is a query,  and  queries  could  have+     several space-separated terms (see QUERIES).++     To  indicate  that  all search terms form single command-line argument, you+     will need to put them in quotes (see Special characters):++            $ hledger roi --inv 'term1 term2 term3 ...'++     If any query terms contain spaces themselves, you will need an extra  level+     of nested quoting, eg:++            $ hledger roi --inv="'Assets:Test 1'" --pnl="'Equity:Unrealized Profit and Loss'"++   Semantics of --inv and --pnl+     Query  supplied  to --inv has to match all transactions that are related to+     your investment.  Transactions not matching --inv will be ignored.++     In these transactions, ROI will conside postings that  match  --inv  to  be+     "investment  postings"  and  other  postings  (not  matching --inv) will be+     sorted into two categories: "cash flow" and "profit and loss", as ROI needs+     to know which part of the investment value is your contributions and  which+     is due to the return on investment.++     * "Cash flow" is depositing or withdrawing money, buying or selling assets,+       or  otherwise  converting between your investment commodity and any other+       commodity.  Example:++              2019-01-01 Investing in Snake Oil+                assets:cash          -$100+                investment:snake oil++              2020-01-01 Selling my Snake Oil+                assets:cash           $10+                investment:snake oil  = 0++     * "Profit and loss" is change in the value of your investment:++              2019-06-01 Snake Oil falls in value+                investment:snake oil  = $57+                equity:unrealized profit or loss++     All non-investment postings are assumed to  be  "cash  flow",  unless  they+     match  --pnl query.  Changes in value of your investment due to "profit and+     loss" postings will be considered as part of your investment return.++     Example: if you use --inv snake --pnl equity:unrealized, then  postings  in+     the example below would be classifed as:++            2019-01-01 Snake Oil #1+              assets:cash          -$100   ; cash flow posting+              investment:snake oil         ; investment posting++            2019-03-01 Snake Oil #2+              equity:unrealized pnl  -$100 ; profit and loss posting+              snake oil                    ; investment posting++            2019-07-01 Snake Oil #3+              equity:unrealized pnl        ; profit and loss posting+              cash          -$100          ; cash flow posting+              snake oil     $50            ; investment posting++   IRR and TWR explained+     "ROI"  stands  for "return on investment".  Traditionally this was computed+     as a difference between current value of investment and its initial  value,+     expressed in percentage of the initial value.++     However, this approach is only practical in simple cases, where investments+     receives  no  in-flows  or  out-flows of money, and where rate of growth is+     fixed over time.  For more complex scenarios you  need  different  ways  to+     compute  rate  of  return, and this command implements two of them: IRR and+     TWR.++     Internal rate of return, or "IRR" (also called "money-weighted rate of  re-+     turn")  takes  into account effects of in-flows and out-flows, and the time+     between them.  Investment at a particular fixed interest rate is  going  to+     give  you  more interest than the same amount invested at the same interest+     rate, but made later in time.  If you are withdrawing from your investment,+     your future gains would be smaller (in absolute numbers),  and  will  be  a+     smaller percentage of your initial investment, so your IRR will be smaller.+     And  if you are adding to your investment, you will receive bigger absolute+     gains, which will be a bigger percentage of  your  initial  investment,  so+     your IRR will be larger.++     As mentioned before, in-flows and out-flows would be any cash that you per-+     sonally  put in or withdraw, and for the "roi" command, these are the post-+     ings that match the query in the--inv argument and NOT match the  query  in+     the--pnl argument.++     If  you manually record changes in the value of your investment as transac-+     tions that balance them against "profit and loss" (or  "unrealized  gains")+     account  or use price directives, then in order for IRR to compute the pre-+     cise effect of your in-flows and out-flows on the rate of return, you  will+     need  to  record the value of your investement on or close to the days when+     in- or out-flows occur.++     In technical terms, IRR uses  the  same  approach  as  computation  of  net+     present  value,  and  tries  to find a discount rate that makes net present+     value of all the cash flows of your investment to add  up  to  zero.   This+     could be hard to wrap your head around, especially if you haven't done dis-+     counted cash flow analysis before.  Implementation of IRR in hledger should+     produce results that match the =XIRR formula in Excel.++     Second  way to compute rate of return that roi command implements is called+     "time-weighted rate of return" or "TWR".  Like IRR, it will account for the+     effect of your in-flows and out-flows, but unlike IRR it will try  to  com-+     pute  the true rate of return of the underlying asset, compensating for the+     effect that deposits and withdrawas have on the apparent rate of growth  of+     your investment.++     TWR  represents your investment as an imaginary "unit fund" where in-flows/+     out-flows lead to buying or selling "units" of your investment and  changes+     in its value change the value of "investment unit".  Change in "unit price"+     over  the reporting period gives you rate of return of your investment, and+     make TWR less sensitive than IRR  to  the  effects  of  cash  in-flows  and+     out-flows.++     References:++     * Explanation of rate of return++     * Explanation of IRR++     * Explanation of TWR++     * IRR vs TWR++     * Examples  of  computing  IRR and TWR and discussion of the limitations of+       both metrics++Chart commands+   activity+     Show an ascii barchart of posting counts per interval.++            Flags:+            no command-specific flags++     The activity command displays an ascii histogram showing transaction counts+     by day, week, month or other reporting interval (by day  is  the  default).+     With query arguments, it counts only matched transactions.++     Examples:++            $ hledger activity --quarterly+            2008-01-01 **+            2008-04-01 *******+            2008-07-01+            2008-10-01 **++Data generation commands+   close+     (equity)++     close prints several kinds of "closing" and/or "opening" transactions, use-+     ful  in  various  situations: migrating balances to a new journal file, re-+     taining earnings into equity, consolidating balances, viewing  lot  costs..+     Like  print, it prints valid journal entries.  You can copy these into your+     journal file(s) when you are happy with how they look.++            Flags:+                 --clopen[=TAGVAL]      show closing and opening balances transactions,+                                        for AL accounts by default+                 --close[=TAGVAL]       show just a closing balances transaction+                 --open[=TAGVAL]        show just an opening balances transaction+                 --assert[=TAGVAL]      show a balance assertions transaction+                 --assign[=TAGVAL]      show a balance assignments transaction+                 --retain[=TAGVAL]      show a retain earnings transaction, for RX+                                        accounts by default+              -x --explicit             show all amounts explicitly+                 --show-costs           show amounts with different costs separately+                 --interleaved          show source and destination postings together+                 --assertion-type=TYPE  =, ==, =* or ==*+                 --close-desc=DESC      set closing transaction's description+                 --close-acct=ACCT      set closing transaction's destination account+                 --open-desc=DESC       set opening transaction's description+                 --open-acct=ACCT       set opening transaction's source account+                 --round=TYPE           how much rounding or padding should be done when+                                        displaying amounts ?+                                        none - show original decimal digits,+                                               as in journal (default)+                                        soft - just add or remove decimal zeros+                                               to match precision+                                        hard - round posting amounts to precision+                                               (can unbalance transactions)+                                        all  - also round cost amounts to precision+                                               (can unbalance transactions)++     close has six modes, selected by choosing one of the mode flags:  --clopen,+     --close  (default),  --open, --assert, --assign, or --retain.  They are all+     doing the same kind of operation, but with different defaults for different+     situations.++     The journal entries generated by close will have a clopen:  tag,  which  is+     helpful  when  you  want to exclude them from reports.  If the main journal+     file name contains a number, the tag's value will be that  base  file  name+     with  the  number incremented.  Eg if the journal file is 2025.journal, the+     tag will be clopen:2026.  Or you can set the tag value by providing an  ar-+     gument to the mode flag.  Eg --close=foo or --clopen=2025-main.++   close --clopen+     This  is useful if migrating balances to a new journal file at the start of+     a new year.  It prints a "closing balances" transaction that zeroes out ac-+     count balances (Asset and Liability accounts, by default), and an  opposite+     "opening  balances"  transaction  that restores them again.  Typically, you+     would run++            hledger close --clopen -e NEWYEAR >> $LEDGER_FILE++     and then move the opening transaction from the old file  to  the  new  file+     (and probably also update your LEDGER_FILE environment variable).++     Why  might  you  do  this ?  If your reports are fast, you may not need it.+     But at some point you will probably want to partition your  data  by  time,+     for performance or data integrity or regulatory reasons.  A new file or set+     of  files  per  year is common.  Then, having each file/fileset "bookended"+     with opening and closing balance transactions will allow you to freely pick+     and choose which files to read - just the current year, any past year,  any+     sequence  of years, or all of them - while showing correct account balances+     in each case.  The  earliest  opening  balances  transaction  sets  correct+     starting balances, and any later closing/opening pairs will harmlessly can-+     cel each other out.++     The  balances  will  be transferred to and from equity:opening/closing bal-+     ances by default.  You can  override  this  by  using  --close-acct  and/or+     --open-acct.++     You  can  select  a different set of accounts to close/open by providing an+     account query.  Eg to add Equity accounts, provide  arguments  like  assets+     liabilities  equity or type:ALE.  When migrating to a new file, you'll usu-+     ally want to bring along the AL or ALE accounts, but not  the  RX  accounts+     (Revenue, Expense).++     Assertions  will  be  added indicating and checking the new balances of the+     closed/opened accounts.++   close --close+     This prints just the closing balances transaction of --clopen.  It  is  the+     default if you don't specify a mode.++     More  customisation  options  are described below.  Among other things, you+     can use close --close to generate a transaction moving  the  balances  from+     any  set  of accounts, to a different account.  (If you need to move just a+     portion of the balance, see hledger-move.)++   close --open+     This prints just the opening balances transaction of --clopen.  (It is sim-+     ilar to Ledger's equity command.)++   close --assert+     This prints a transaction that asserts the account balances as they are  on+     the  end date (and adds an assert: tag).  It could be useful as documention+     and to guard against changes.++   close --assign+     This prints a transaction that assigns the account balances as they are  on+     the  end  date (and adds an "assign:" tag).  Unlike balance assertions, as-+     signments will post changes to balances as needed to  reach  the  specified+     amounts.++     This  is another way to set starting balances when migrating to a new file,+     and it will set them correctly even in the presence of earlier files  which+     do  not  have a closing balances transaction.  However, it can hide errors,+     and disturb the accounting equation, so --clopen is usually recommended.++   close --retain+     This is like --close, but it closes Revenue and Expense account balances by+     default.  They will be transferred to equity:retained earnings, or  another+     account specified with --close-acct.++     Revenues  and  expenses  correspond  to  changes in equity.  They are cate-+     gorised separately for reporting purposes, but traditionally at the end  of+     each  accounting  period,  businesses consolidate them into equity, This is+     called "retaining earnings", or "closing the books".++     In personal accounting, there's not much reason to do this, and most people+     don't.  (One reason to do it is to help the balancesheetequity report  show+     a  zero total, demonstrating that the accounting equation (A-L=E) is satis-+     fied.)++   close customisation+     In all modes, the following things can be overridden:++     * the accounts to be closed/opened, with account query arguments++     * the closing/opening dates, with -e OPENDATE++     * the balancing account, with --close-acct=ACCT and/or --open-acct=ACCT++     * the transaction descriptions, with --close-desc=DESC and --open-desc=DESC++     * the transactions' clopen tag value, with a TAGVAL argument for  the  mode+       flag (see above).++     By  default,  the  closing  date  is  yesterday, or the journal's end date,+     whichever is later; and the opening date is always one day after the  clos-+     ing  date.  You can change these by specifying a report end date; the clos-+     ing date will be the last day of the  report  period.   Eg  -e  2024  means+     "close on 2023-12-31, open on 2024-01-01".++     With  --x/--explicit, the balancing amount will be shown explicitly, and if+     it involves multiple commodities, a separate posting will be generated  for+     each of them (similar to print -x).++     With  --interleaved, each individual transfer is shown with source and des-+     tination postings next to each other (perhaps useful for troubleshooting).++     With --show-costs, balances' costs are also  shown,  with  different  costs+     kept  separate.   This may generate very large journal entries, if you have+     many currency conversions or investment transactions.   close  --show-costs+     is  currently  the best way to view investment lots with hledger.  (To move+     or dispose of lots, see the more capable hledger-move script.)++   close and balance assertions+     close adds balance assertions verifying that the accounts have  been  reset+     to  zero in a closing transaction or restored to their previous balances in+     an opening transaction.  These provide useful error checking, but  you  can+     ignore them temporarily with -I, or remove them if you prefer.++     Single-commodity, subaccount-exclusive balance assertions (=) are generated+     by default.  This can be changed with --assertion-type='==*' (eg).++     When running close you should probably avoid using -C, -R, status: (filter-+     ing  by status or realness) or --auto (generating postings), since the gen-+     erated balance assertions would then require these.++     Transactions with multiple dates  (eg  posting  dates)  spanning  the  file+     boundary also can disrupt the balance assertions:++            2023-12-30 a purchase made in december, cleared in january+                expenses:food          5+                assets:bank:checking  -5  ; date: 2023-01-02++     To  solve  this you can transfer the money to and from a temporary account,+     splitting the multi-day transaction into two single-day transactions:++            ; in 2022.journal:+            2022-12-30 a purchase made in december, cleared in january+                expenses:food          5+                equity:pending        -5++            ; in 2023.journal:+            2023-01-02 last year's transaction cleared+                equity:pending         5 = 0+                assets:bank:checking  -5++   close examples+   Retain earnings+     Record 2022's revenues/expenses as retained earnings on 2022-12-31, append-+     ing the generated transaction to the journal:++            $ hledger close --retain -f 2022.journal -p 2022 >> 2022.journal++     After this, to see 2022's revenues and expenses you must exclude the retain+     earnings transaction:++            $ hledger -f 2022.journal is not:desc:'retain earnings'++   Migrate balances to a new file+     Close assets/liabilities on 2022-12-31 and re-open them on 2023-01-01:++            $ hledger close --clopen -f 2022.journal -p 2022+            # copy/paste the closing transaction to the end of 2022.journal+            # copy/paste the opening transaction to the start of 2023.journal++     After this, to see 2022's end-of-year balances you must exclude the closing+     balances transaction:++            $ hledger -f 2022.journal bs not:desc:'closing balances'++     For more flexibility, it helps to tag closing and opening transactions with+     eg clopen:NEWYEAR, then you can ensure correct balances  by  excluding  all+     opening/closing transactions except the first, like so:++            $ hledger bs -Y -f 2021.j -f 2022.j -f 2023.j expr:'tag:clopen=2021 or not tag:clopen'+            $ hledger bs -Y -f 2021.j -f 2022.j           expr:'tag:clopen=2021 or not tag:clopen'+            $ hledger bs -Y -f 2022.j -f 2023.j           expr:'tag:clopen=2022 or not tag:clopen'+            $ hledger bs -Y -f 2021.j                     expr:'tag:clopen=2021 or not tag:clopen'+            $ hledger bs -Y -f 2022.j                     expr:'tag:clopen=2022 or not tag:clopen'+            $ hledger bs -Y -f 2023.j                     # unclosed file, no query needed++   More detailed close examples+     See examples/multi-year.++   rewrite+     Print  all  transactions,  rewriting  the postings of matched transactions.+     For now the only rewrite available  is  adding  new  postings,  like  print+     --auto.++            Flags:+                 --add-posting='ACCT  AMTEXPR'  add a posting to ACCT, which may be+                                                parenthesised. AMTEXPR is either a literal+                                                amount, or *N which means the transaction's+                                                first matched amount multiplied by N (a+                                                decimal number). Two spaces separate ACCT+                                                and AMTEXPR.+                 --diff                         generate diff suitable as an input for+                                                patch tool++     This is a start at a generic rewriter of transaction entries.  It reads the+     default  journal  and  prints the transactions, like print, but adds one or+     more specified postings to any transactions matching  QUERY.   The  posting+     amounts  can  be fixed, or a multiplier of the existing transaction's first+     posting amount.++     Examples:++            $ hledger-rewrite.hs ^income --add-posting '(liabilities:tax)  *.33  ; income tax' --add-posting '(reserve:gifts)  $100'+            $ hledger-rewrite.hs expenses:gifts --add-posting '(reserve:gifts)  *-1"'+            $ hledger-rewrite.hs -f rewrites.hledger++     rewrites.hledger may consist of entries like:++            = ^income amt:<0 date:2017+              (liabilities:tax)  *0.33  ; tax on income+              (reserve:grocery)  *0.25  ; reserve 25% for grocery+              (reserve:)  *0.25  ; reserve 25% for grocery++     Note the single quotes to protect the dollar sign from bash,  and  the  two+     spaces between account and amount.++     More:++            $ hledger rewrite [QUERY]        --add-posting "ACCT  AMTEXPR" ...+            $ hledger rewrite ^income        --add-posting '(liabilities:tax)  *.33'+            $ hledger rewrite expenses:gifts --add-posting '(budget:gifts)  *-1"'+            $ hledger rewrite ^income        --add-posting '(budget:foreign currency)  *0.25 JPY; diversify'++     Argument for --add-posting option is a usual posting of transaction with an+     exception  for amount specification.  More precisely, you can use '*' (star+     symbol) before the amount to indicate that that this is  a  factor  for  an+     amount  of  original  matched  posting.  If the amount includes a commodity+     name, the new posting amount will be in the new  commodity;  otherwise,  it+     will be in the matched posting amount's commodity.++   Re-write rules in a file+     During  the  run  this tool will execute so called "Automated Transactions"+     found in any journal it process.  I.e instead of specifying this operations+     in command line you can put them in a journal file.++            $ rewrite-rules.journal++     Make contents look like this:++            = ^income+                (liabilities:tax)  *.33++            = expenses:gifts+                budget:gifts  *-1+                assets:budget  *1++     Note that '=' (equality symbol) that is used instead of  date  in  transac-+     tions you usually write.  It indicates the query by which you want to match+     the posting to add new ones.++            $ hledger rewrite -f input.journal -f rewrite-rules.journal > rewritten-tidy-output.journal++     This is something similar to the commands pipeline:++            $ hledger rewrite -f input.journal '^income' --add-posting '(liabilities:tax)  *.33' \+              | hledger rewrite -f - expenses:gifts      --add-posting 'budget:gifts  *-1'       \+                                                            --add-posting 'assets:budget  *1'       \+              > rewritten-tidy-output.journal++     It  is important to understand that relative order of such entries in jour-+     nal is important.  You can re-use result of previously added postings.++   Diff output format+     To use this tool for batch modification of your journal files you may  find+     useful output in form of unified diff.++            $ hledger rewrite --diff -f examples/sample.journal '^income' --add-posting '(liabilities:tax)  *.33'++     Output might look like:++            --- /tmp/examples/sample.journal+            +++ /tmp/examples/sample.journal+            @@ -18,3 +18,4 @@+             2008/01/01 income+            -    assets:bank:checking  $1+            +    assets:bank:checking            $1+                 income:salary+            +    (liabilities:tax)                0+            @@ -22,3 +23,4 @@+             2008/06/01 gift+            -    assets:bank:checking  $1+            +    assets:bank:checking            $1+                 income:gifts+            +    (liabilities:tax)                0++     If  you'll  pass this through patch tool you'll get transactions containing+     the posting that matches your query be updated.  Note that  multiple  files+     might  be  update according to list of input files specified via --file op-+     tions and include directives inside of these files.++     Be careful.  Whole transaction being re-formatted in a style of output from+     hledger print.++     See also:++     https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/issues/99++   rewrite vs. print --auto+     This command predates print --auto, and currently does much the same thing,+     but with these differences:++     * with multiple files, rewrite lets rules in  any  file  affect  all  other+       files.   print  --auto uses standard directive scoping; rules affect only+       child files.++     * rewrite's query limits which  transactions  can  be  rewritten;  all  are+       printed.  print --auto's query limits which transactions are printed.++     * rewrite applies rules specified on command line or in the journal.  print+       --auto applies rules specified in the journal.++Maintenance commands+   check+     Check for various kinds of errors in your data.++            Flags:+            no command-specific flags++     hledger  provides  a number of built-in correctness checks to help validate+     your data and prevent errors.  Some are run automatically,  some  when  you+     enable  --strict  mode;  or  you can run any of them on demand by providing+     them as arguments to the check command.  check produces  no  output  and  a+     zero exit code if all is well.  Eg:++            hledger check                      # run basic checks+            hledger check -s                   # run basic and strict checks+            hledger check ordereddates payees  # run basic checks and two others++     If  you  are  an Emacs user, you can also configure flycheck-hledger to run+     these checks, providing instant feedback as you edit the journal.++     Here are the checks currently available.  They are generally checked in the+     order they are shown here, and only the first failure will be reported.++   Basic checks+     These important checks are performed by default, by almost all hledger com-+     mands:++     * parseable - data files are in a supported format, with no  syntax  errors+       and no invalid include directives.  This ensures that all files exist and+       are readable.++     * autobalanced  - all transactions are balanced, after automatically infer-+       ring missing amounts and conversion rates and then converting amounts  to+       cost.  This ensures that each transaction's journal entry is well formed.++     * assertions  - all balance assertions in the journal are passing.  Balance+       assertions are a strong defense against errors, catching  many  problems.+       This  check is on by default, but if it gets in your way, you can disable+       it temporarily with -I/--ignore-assertions, or as  a  default  by  adding+       that  flag  to  your config file.  (Then use -s/--strict or hledger check+       assertions when you want to enable it).++   Strict checks+     When the -s/--strict flag is used (AKA strict mode), all commands will per-+     form the following additional checks (and assertions, above).   These  pro-+     vide  extra  error-catching power to help you keep your data clean and cor-+     rect:++     * balanced - like autobalanced, but implicit conversions  between  commodi-+       ties  are not allowed; all conversion transactions must use cost notation+       or equity postings.  This prevents wrong conversions caused by typos.++     * commodities - all commodity symbols used must be declared.   This  guards+       against mistyping or omitting commodity symbols.++     * accounts  -  all  account names used must be declared.  This prevents the+       use of mis-spelled or outdated account names.++   Other checks+     These are not wanted by everyone, but can be run using the check command:++     * tags - all tags used must be declared.   This  prevents  mis-spelled  tag+       names.  Note hledger fairly often finds unintended tags in comments.++     * payees  -  all  payees  used in transactions must be declared.  This will+       force you to declare any new payee name before  using  it.   Most  people+       will probably find this a bit too strict.++     * ordereddates  -  within  each file, transactions must be ordered by date.+       This is a simple and effective  error  catcher.   It's  not  included  in+       strict mode, but you can add it by running hledger check -s ordereddates.+       If enabled, this check is performed before balance assertions.++     * recentassertions  -  all  accounts  with balance assertions must have one+       that's within the 7 days before their latest posting.  This will  encour-+       age  adding  balance assertions for your active asset/liability accounts,+       which in turn should encourage you to reconcile regularly with those real+       world balances - another strong defense against errors.   (hledger  close+       --assert  >>$LEDGER_FILE  is  a  convenient way to add new balance asser-+       tions.  Later these become quite redundant, and you might choose  to  re-+       move them to reduce clutter.)++     * uniqueleafnames  -  no  two  accounts may have the same last account name+       part (eg the checking in assets:bank:checking).  This  ensures  each  ac-+       count  can  be  matched by a unique short name, easier to remember and to+       type.++   Custom checks+     You can build your own custom checks with add-on command scripts.  See also+     Cookbook > Scripting.  Here are some examples from hledger/bin/:++     * hledger-check-tagfiles - all tag values containing / exist as file paths++     * hledger-check-fancyassertions - more complex balance assertions are pass-+       ing++   diff+     Compares a particular account's transactions in two input files.  It  shows+     any  transactions  to  this  account  which  are in one file but not in the+     other.++            Flags:+            no command-specific flags++     More precisely: for each posting affecting this  account  in  either  file,+     this  command  looks  for  a  corresponding posting in the other file which+     posts the same amount to the  same  account  (ignoring  date,  description,+     etc).++     Since it compares postings, not transactions, this also works when multiple+     bank transactions have been combined into a single journal entry.++     This  command is useful eg if you have downloaded an account's transactions+     from your bank (eg as CSV data): when hledger and your bank disagree  about+     the  account  balance,  you  can compare the bank data with your journal to+     find out the cause.++     Examples:++            $ hledger diff -f $LEDGER_FILE -f bank.csv assets:bank:giro+            These transactions are in the first file only:++            2014/01/01 Opening Balances+                assets:bank:giro              EUR ...+                ...+                equity:opening balances       EUR -...++            These transactions are in the second file only:++   setup+     Check the status of the hledger installation.++            Flags:+            no command-specific flags++     setup tests your hledger installation and prints a list of  results,  some-+     times  with  helpful  hints.  This is a good first command to run after in-+     stalling hledger.  Also after upgrading, or when something's  not  working,+     or just when you want a reminder of where things are.++     It  makes one network request to detect the latest hledger release version.+     It's ok if this fails or times out.  It will use ANSI color by default, un-+     less disabled by NO_COLOR or --color=n.  It does not use a pager or a  con-+     fig file.++     It  expects  that  the hledger version you are running is installed in your+     PATH.  If not, it will stop until you have done that (to keep  things  sim-+     ple).++     Example:++            $ hledger setup+            Checking your hledger setup..+            Legend: good, neutral, unknown, warning++            hledger+            * is a released version ?                   no  hledger 1.42.99-gbca4b39c5-20250425, mac-aarch64+            * is up to date ?                          yes  1.42.99 installed, latest is 1.42.1+            * is a native binary for this machine ?    yes  aarch64+            * is installed in PATH ?                   yes  /Users/simon/.local/bin/hledger+            * has a system text encoding configured ?  yes  UTF-8, data files should use this encoding+            * has a user config file ? (optional)       no+            * current directory has a local config ?   yes  /Users/simon/src/hledger/hledger.conf+            * the config file is readable ?            yes  /Users/simon/src/hledger/hledger.conf++            terminal+            * the NO_COLOR variable is defined ?        no+            * --color is configured by config file ?    no+            * hledger will use color by default ?      yes+            * the PAGER variable is defined ?          yes  less+            * --pager is configured by config file ?    no+            * hledger will use a pager when needed ?   yes  /opt/homebrew/bin/less+            * the LESS variable is defined ?           yes+            * the HLEDGER_LESS variable is defined ?    no+            * adjusting LESS variable for color etc. ? yes+            * --pretty is enabled by config file ?      no  tables will use ASCII characters+            * bash shell completions are installed ?     ?+            * zsh shell completions are installed ?      ?++            journal+            * the LEDGER_FILE variable is defined ?    yes  /Users/simon/finance/2025/2025.journal+            * a default journal file is readable ?     yes  /Users/simon/finance/2025/2025.journal+            * it includes additional files ?           yes  15+            * all commodities are declared ?           yes  10+            * all accounts are declared ?              yes  160+            * all accounts have types ?                 no  14 untyped+            * accounts of each type were detected ?    yes  ALERXCV+            * commodities/accounts are checked ?        no  use -s to check commodities/accounts+            * balance assertions are checked ?         yes  use -I to ignore assertions++   test+     Run built-in unit tests.++            Flags:+            no command-specific flags++     This  command  runs  the  unit  tests  built in to hledger and hledger-lib,+     printing the results on stdout.  If any test fails, the exit code  will  be+     non-zero.++     This  is mainly used by hledger developers, but you can also use it to san-+     ity-check the installed hledger executable on your platform.  All tests are+     expected to pass - if you ever see a failure, please report as a bug!++     Any arguments before a -- argument will be passed to the tasty test  runner+     as test-selecting -p patterns, and any arguments after -- will be passed to+     tasty unchanged.++     Examples:++            $ hledger test               # run all unit tests+            $ hledger test balance       # run tests with "balance" in their name+            $ hledger test -- -h         # show tasty's options++PART 5: COMMON TASKS+     Here are some quick examples of how to do some basic tasks with hledger.++   Getting help+     Here's how to list commands and view options and command docs:++            $ hledger                # show available commands+            $ hledger --help         # show common options+            $ hledger CMD --help     # show CMD's options, common options and CMD's documentation++     You can also view your hledger version's manual in several formats by using+     the help command.  Eg:++            $ hledger help           # show the hledger manual with info, man or $PAGER (best available)+            $ hledger help journal   # show the journal topic in the hledger manual+            $ hledger help --help    # find out more about the help command++     To    view    manuals   and   introductory   docs   on   the   web,   visit+     https://hledger.org.  Chat and mail list support  and  discussion  archives+     can be found at https://hledger.org/support.++   Constructing command lines+     hledger has a flexible command line interface.  We strive to keep it simple+     and  ergonomic, but if you run into one of the sharp edges described in OP-+     TIONS, here are some tips that might help:++     * command-specific options must go after the command (it's fine to put com-+       mon options there too: hledger CMD OPTS ARGS)++     * you can run addon commands via hledger (hledger ui  [ARGS])  or  directly+       (hledger-ui [ARGS])++     * enclose "problematic" arguments in single quotes++     * if needed, also add a backslash to hide regular expression metacharacters+       from the shell++     * to see how a misbehaving command line is being parsed, add --debug=2.++   Starting a journal file+     hledger   looks   for   your   accounting   data   in   a   journal   file,+     $HOME/.hledger.journal by default:++            $ hledger stats+            The hledger journal file "/Users/simon/.hledger.journal" was not found.+            Please create it first, eg with "hledger add" or a text editor.+            Or, specify an existing journal file with -f or LEDGER_FILE.++     You can override this by setting the LEDGER_FILE environment variable  (see+     below).   It's  a  good  practice to keep this important file under version+     control, and to start a new file each year.  So you could do something like+     this:++            $ mkdir ~/finance+            $ cd ~/finance+            $ git init+            Initialized empty Git repository in /Users/simon/finance/.git/+            $ touch 2023.journal+            $ echo "export LEDGER_FILE=$HOME/finance/2023.journal" >> ~/.profile+            $ source ~/.profile+            $ hledger stats+            Main file                : /Users/simon/finance/2023.journal+            Included files           :+            Transactions span        :  to  (0 days)+            Last transaction         : none+            Transactions             : 0 (0.0 per day)+            Transactions last 30 days: 0 (0.0 per day)+            Transactions last 7 days : 0 (0.0 per day)+            Payees/descriptions      : 0+            Accounts                 : 0 (depth 0)+            Commodities              : 0 ()+            Market prices            : 0 ()++   Setting LEDGER_FILE+   Set LEDGER_FILE on unix+     It depends on your shell, but running these commands in the  terminal  will+     work for many people; adapt if needed:++            $ echo 'export LEDGER_FILE=~/finance/main.journal' >> ~/.profile+            $ source ~/.profile++     When correctly configured:++     * env | grep LEDGER_FILE will show your new setting++     * and so should hledger setup and hledger files.++   Set LEDGER_FILE on mac+     In a terminal window, follow the unix procedure above.++     Also, this optional step may be helpful for GUI applications:++     1. Add an entry to ~/.MacOSX/environment.plist like++                {+                  "LEDGER_FILE" : "~/finance/main.journal"+                }++     2. Run  killall Dock in a terminal window (or restart the machine), to com-+        plete the change.++     When correctly configured for GUI applications:++     * apps started from the dock or a spotlight search, such as  a  GUI  Emacs,+       will be aware of the new LEDGER_FILE setting.++   Set LEDGER_FILE on Windows+     It  can  be easier to create a default file at C:\Users\USER\.hledger.jour-+     nal, and have it include your other files.  See I'm on Windows,  how  do  I+     keep my files in AppData?++     Otherwise: using the gui is easiest:++     1. In task bar, search for environment variables, and choose "Edit environ-+        ment variables for your account".++     2. Create  or  change  a LEDGER_FILE setting in the User variables pane.  A+        typical value would be C:\Users\USER\finance\main.journal.++     3. Click OK to complete the change.++     4. And open a new powershell  window.   (Existing  windows  won't  see  the+        change.)++     Or at the command line, you can do it this way:++     1. In   a   powershell   window,   run   [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVari-+        able("LEDGER_FILE",  "C:\User\USER\finance\main.journal",  [System.Envi-+        ronmentVariableTarget]::User)++     2. And  open  a  new  powershell  window.   (Existing windows won't see the+        change.)++     Warning, doing this from the Windows command  line  can  be  tricky;  other+     methods you may find online:++     * may not affect the current window++     * may not be persistent++     * may not work unless you are an administrator++     * may limit values to 1024 characters++     * may break dynamic references to other variables++     * may require a new-enough version of powershell++     * or may be intended for the older command window.++     * If  you still have trouble, see eg Setting Windows PowerShell environment+       variables or Adding path permanently to windows using powershell  doesn't+       appear to work.++     When correctly configured:++     * in a new powershell window, $env:LEDGER_FILE will show your new setting++     * and so should hledger setup and (once the file exists) hledger files.++   Setting opening balances+     Pick  a  starting  date  for  which  you  can  look up the balances of some+     real-world  assets  (bank  accounts,  wallet..)   and  liabilities  (credit+     cards..).++     To  avoid  a  lot of data entry, you may want to start with just one or two+     accounts, like your checking account or cash  wallet;  and  pick  a  recent+     starting  date,  like  today or the start of the week.  You can always come+     back later and add more accounts and older transactions, eg going  back  to+     january 1st.++     Add  an opening balances transaction to the journal, declaring the balances+     on this date.  Here are two ways to do it:++     * The first way: open the journal in any text editor and save an entry like+       this:++              2023-01-01 * opening balances+                  assets:bank:checking                $1000   = $1000+                  assets:bank:savings                 $2000   = $2000+                  assets:cash                          $100   = $100+                  liabilities:creditcard               $-50   = $-50+                  equity:opening/closing balances++       These are start-of-day balances, ie whatever was in the  account  at  the+       end of the previous day.++       The  * after the date is an optional status flag.  Here it means "cleared+       & confirmed".++       The currency symbols are optional, but usually a good idea as  you'll  be+       dealing with multiple currencies sooner or later.++       The  =  amounts  are  optional  balance assertions, providing extra error+       checking.++     * The second way: run hledger add and follow the prompts to record a  simi-+       lar transaction:++              $ hledger add+              Adding transactions to journal file /Users/simon/finance/2023.journal+              Any command line arguments will be used as defaults.+              Use tab key to complete, readline keys to edit, enter to accept defaults.+              An optional (CODE) may follow transaction dates.+              An optional ; COMMENT may follow descriptions or amounts.+              If you make a mistake, enter < at any prompt to go one step backward.+              To end a transaction, enter . when prompted.+              To quit, enter . at a date prompt or press control-d or control-c.+              Date [2023-02-07]: 2023-01-01+              Description: * opening balances+              Account 1: assets:bank:checking+              Amount  1: $1000+              Account 2: assets:bank:savings+              Amount  2 [$-1000]: $2000+              Account 3: assets:cash+              Amount  3 [$-3000]: $100+              Account 4: liabilities:creditcard+              Amount  4 [$-3100]: $-50+              Account 5: equity:opening/closing balances+              Amount  5 [$-3050]:+              Account 6 (or . or enter to finish this transaction): .+              2023-01-01 * opening balances+                  assets:bank:checking                      $1000+                  assets:bank:savings                       $2000+                  assets:cash                                $100+                  liabilities:creditcard                     $-50+                  equity:opening/closing balances          $-3050++              Save this transaction to the journal ? [y]:+              Saved.+              Starting the next transaction (. or ctrl-D/ctrl-C to quit)+              Date [2023-01-01]: .++     If  you're  using  version control, this could be a good time to commit the+     journal.  Eg:++            $ git commit -m 'initial balances' 2023.journal++   Recording transactions+     As you spend or receive money, you can record these transactions using  one+     of   the  methods  above  (text  editor,  hledger  add)  or  by  using  the+     hledger-iadd or hledger-web add-ons, or by using the import command to con-+     vert CSV data downloaded from your bank.++     Here are some simple transactions, see the  hledger_journal(5)  manual  and+     hledger.org for more ideas:++            2023/1/10 * gift received+              assets:cash   $20+              income:gifts++            2023.1.12 * farmers market+              expenses:food    $13+              assets:cash++            2023-01-15 paycheck+              income:salary+              assets:bank:checking    $1000++   Reconciling+     Periodically  you should reconcile - compare your hledger-reported balances+     against external sources of truth, like bank statements or your bank's web-+     site - to be sure that your ledger  accurately  represents  the  real-world+     balances  (and, that the real-world institutions have not made a mistake!).+     This gets easy and fast with (1) practice and (2) frequency.  If you do  it+     daily,  it can take 2-10 minutes.  If you let it pile up, expect it to take+     longer as you hunt down errors and discrepancies.++     A typical workflow:++     1. Reconcile cash.  Count what's in your wallet.  Compare with what hledger+        reports (hledger bal cash).  If they are different, try to remember  the+        missing  transaction,  or  look  for  the  error in the already-recorded+        transactions.  A register report can be helpful (hledger reg cash).   If+        you can't find the error, add an adjustment transaction.  Eg if you have+        $105 after the above, and can't explain the missing $2, it could be:++                2023-01-16 * adjust cash+                    assets:cash    $-2 = $105+                    expenses:misc++     2. Reconcile  checking.   Log  in  to your bank's website.  Compare today's+        (cleared) balance with hledger's cleared balance (hledger  bal  checking+        -C).   If they are different, track down the error or record the missing+        transaction(s) or add an adjustment transaction, similar to  the  above.+        Unlike  the  cash  case, you can usually compare the transaction history+        and running balance from your bank with the one reported by hledger  reg+        checking  -C.   This  will be easier if you generally record transaction+        dates quite similar to your bank's clearing dates.++     3. Repeat for other asset/liability accounts.++     Tip: instead of the register command, use hledger-ui to see a live-updating+     register while you edit the journal: hledger-ui --watch --register checking+     -C++     After reconciling, it could be a good time to mark the reconciled  transac-+     tions'  status  as  "cleared  and confirmed", if you want to track that, by+     adding the * marker.  Eg in the paycheck transaction above,  insert  *  be-+     tween 2023-01-15 and paycheck++     If you're using version control, this can be another good time to commit:++            $ git commit -m 'txns' 2023.journal++   Reporting+     Here are some basic reports.++     Show all transactions:++            $ hledger print+            2023-01-01 * opening balances+                assets:bank:checking                      $1000+                assets:bank:savings                       $2000+                assets:cash                                $100+                liabilities:creditcard                     $-50+                equity:opening/closing balances          $-3050++            2023-01-10 * gift received+                assets:cash              $20+                income:gifts++            2023-01-12 * farmers market+                expenses:food             $13+                assets:cash++            2023-01-15 * paycheck+                income:salary+                assets:bank:checking           $1000++            2023-01-16 * adjust cash+                assets:cash               $-2 = $105+                expenses:misc++     Show account names, and their hierarchy:++            $ hledger accounts --tree+            assets+              bank+                checking+                savings+              cash+            equity+              opening/closing balances+            expenses+              food+              misc+            income+              gifts+              salary+            liabilities+              creditcard++     Show all account totals:++            $ hledger balance+                           $4105  assets+                           $4000    bank+                           $2000      checking+                           $2000      savings+                            $105    cash+                          $-3050  equity:opening/closing balances+                             $15  expenses+                             $13    food+                              $2    misc+                          $-1020  income+                            $-20    gifts+                          $-1000    salary+                            $-50  liabilities:creditcard+            --------------------+                               0++     Show only asset and liability balances, as a flat list, limited to depth 2:++            $ hledger bal assets liabilities -2+                           $4000  assets:bank+                            $105  assets:cash+                            $-50  liabilities:creditcard+            --------------------+                           $4055++     Show the same thing without negative numbers, formatted as a simple balance+     sheet:++            $ hledger bs -2+            Balance Sheet 2023-01-16++                                    || 2023-01-16+            ========================++============+             Assets                 ||+            ------------------------++------------+             assets:bank            ||      $4000+             assets:cash            ||       $105+            ------------------------++------------+                                    ||      $4105+            ========================++============+             Liabilities            ||+            ------------------------++------------+             liabilities:creditcard ||        $50+            ------------------------++------------+                                    ||        $50+            ========================++============+             Net:                   ||      $4055++     The  final  total  is  your "net worth" on the end date.  (Or use bse for a+     full balance sheet with equity.)++     Show income and expense totals, formatted as an income statement:++            hledger is+            Income Statement 2023-01-01-2023-01-16++                           || 2023-01-01-2023-01-16+            ===============++=======================+             Revenues      ||+            ---------------++-----------------------+             income:gifts  ||                   $20+             income:salary ||                 $1000+            ---------------++-----------------------+                           ||                 $1020+            ===============++=======================+             Expenses      ||+            ---------------++-----------------------+             expenses:food ||                   $13+             expenses:misc ||                    $2+            ---------------++-----------------------+                           ||                   $15+            ===============++=======================+             Net:          ||                 $1005++     The final total is your net income during this period.++     Show transactions affecting your wallet, with running total:++            $ hledger register cash+            2023-01-01 opening balances     assets:cash                   $100          $100+            2023-01-10 gift received        assets:cash                    $20          $120+            2023-01-12 farmers market       assets:cash                   $-13          $107+            2023-01-16 adjust cash          assets:cash                    $-2          $105++     Show weekly posting counts as a bar chart:++            $ hledger activity -W+            2019-12-30 *****+            2023-01-06 ****+            2023-01-13 ****++   Migrating to a new file+     At the end of the year, you may want to continue  your  journal  in  a  new+     file, so that old transactions don't slow down or clutter your reports, and+     to  help  ensure  the  integrity of your accounting history.  See the close+     command.++     If using version control, don't forget to git add the new file.++BUGS+     We    welcome    bug    reports    in    the    hledger    issue    tracker+     (https://bugs.hledger.org),   or   on   the   hledger  chat  or  mail  list+     (https://hledger.org/support).++     Some known issues and limitations:++     hledger uses the system's text encoding when reading non-ascii text.  If no+     system encoding is configured, or if  the  data's  encoding  is  different,+     hledger will give an error.  (See Text encoding, Troubleshooting.)++     On  Microsoft  Windows,  depending  what  kind  of terminal window you use,+     non-ascii characters, ANSI text formatting, and/or the  add  command's  TAB+     key,  may not be fully supported.  (For best results, try a powershell win-+     dow.)++     When processing large data files, hledger uses more memory than Ledger.++   Troubleshooting+     Here are some common issues you might encounter when you run  hledger,  and+     how to resolve them (and remember also you can usually get quick Support):++     PATH issues: I get an error like "No command 'hledger' found"+     Depending  how  you  installed  hledger, the executables may not be in your+     shell's PATH.  Eg on unix systems, stack installs hledger  in  ~/.local/bin+     and  cabal  installs  it in ~/.cabal/bin.  You may need to add one of these+     directories to your shell's PATH, and/or open a new terminal window.++     LEDGER_FILE issues: I configured LEDGER_FILE but hledger is not using it++     * LEDGER_FILE should be a real environment variable, not just a shell vari-+       able.  Eg on unix, the command env | grep  LEDGER_FILE  should  show  it.+       You may need to use export (see https://stackoverflow.com/a/7411509).  On+       Windows, $env:LEDGER_FILE should show it.++     * You  may need to force your shell to see the new configuration.  A simple+       way is to close your terminal window and open a new one.++     Text decoding issues: I get errors like "Illegal byte sequence" or "Invalid+     or incomplete multibyte or wide character" or "commitAndReleaseBuffer:  in-+     valid argument (invalid character)"+     hledger  usually  needs  its input to be decodable with the system locale's+     text encoding.  See Text encoding and Install: Text encoding.++     COMPATIBILITY ISSUES: hledger gives an error with my Ledger file+     Not all of Ledger's journal file syntax or feature set is  supported.   See+     hledger and Ledger for full details.++++AUTHORS+     Simon Michael <simon@joyful.com> and contributors.+     See http://hledger.org/CREDITS.html+++COPYRIGHT+     Copyright 2007-2023 Simon Michael and contributors.+++LICENSE+     Released under GNU GPL v3 or later.+++SEE ALSO+     hledger(1), hledger-ui(1), hledger-web(1), ledger(1)++hledger-1.52                       March 2026                         HLEDGER(1)
hledger.cabal view
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@ cabal-version: 2.2 --- This file has been generated from package.yaml by hpack version 0.38.1.+-- This file has been generated from package.yaml by hpack version 0.39.1. -- -- see: https://github.com/sol/hpack  name:           hledger-version:        1.51.2+version:        1.52 synopsis:       Command-line interface for the hledger accounting system description:    The command-line interface for the hledger accounting system.                 Its basic function is to read a plain text file describing@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@   hs-source-dirs:       ./   ghc-options: -Wall -Wno-incomplete-uni-patterns -Wno-missing-signatures -Wno-orphans -Wno-type-defaults -Wno-unused-do-bind -optP-Wno-nonportable-include-path-  cpp-options: -DVERSION="1.51.2"+  cpp-options: -DVERSION="1.52"   build-depends:       Decimal >=0.5.1     , Diff >=0.2@@ -167,8 +167,8 @@     , filepath     , githash >=0.1.6.2     , hashable >=1.2.4-    , haskeline >=0.8.4.0-    , hledger-lib >=1.51.2 && <1.52+    , haskeline >=0.6+    , hledger-lib ==1.52.*     , http-client     , http-types     , lucid@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@   hs-source-dirs:       app   ghc-options: -Wall -Wno-incomplete-uni-patterns -Wno-missing-signatures -Wno-orphans -Wno-type-defaults -Wno-unused-do-bind -optP-Wno-nonportable-include-path -threaded -with-rtsopts=-T-  cpp-options: -DVERSION="1.51.2"+  cpp-options: -DVERSION="1.52"   build-depends:       Decimal >=0.5.1     , aeson >=1 && <2.3@@ -222,9 +222,9 @@     , extra >=1.7.11     , filepath     , githash >=0.1.6.2-    , haskeline >=0.8.4.0+    , haskeline >=0.6     , hledger-    , hledger-lib >=1.51.2 && <1.52+    , hledger-lib ==1.52.*     , http-client     , http-types     , math-functions >=0.3.3.0@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@   hs-source-dirs:       test   ghc-options: -Wall -Wno-incomplete-uni-patterns -Wno-missing-signatures -Wno-orphans -Wno-type-defaults -Wno-unused-do-bind -optP-Wno-nonportable-include-path-  cpp-options: -DVERSION="1.51.2"+  cpp-options: -DVERSION="1.52"   build-depends:       Decimal >=0.5.1     , aeson >=1 && <2.3@@ -273,9 +273,9 @@     , extra >=1.7.11     , filepath     , githash >=0.1.6.2-    , haskeline >=0.8.4.0+    , haskeline >=0.6     , hledger-    , hledger-lib >=1.51.2 && <1.52+    , hledger-lib ==1.52.*     , http-client     , http-types     , math-functions >=0.3.3.0@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@   hs-source-dirs:       bench   ghc-options: -Wall -Wno-incomplete-uni-patterns -Wno-missing-signatures -Wno-orphans -Wno-type-defaults -Wno-unused-do-bind -optP-Wno-nonportable-include-path-  cpp-options: -DVERSION="1.51.2"+  cpp-options: -DVERSION="1.52"   build-depends:       Decimal >=0.5.1     , aeson >=1 && <2.3@@ -325,9 +325,9 @@     , extra >=1.7.11     , filepath     , githash >=0.1.6.2-    , haskeline >=0.8.4.0+    , haskeline >=0.6     , hledger-    , hledger-lib >=1.51.2 && <1.52+    , hledger-lib ==1.52.*     , html     , http-client     , http-types