hledger/hledger-lib/doc/hledger_journal.5

.\"t

.TH "hledger_journal" "5" "October 2016" "hledger 1.0" "hledger User Manuals"



.SH NAME
.PP
Journal \- hledger\[aq]s default file format, representing a General
Journal
.SH DESCRIPTION
.PP
hledger\[aq]s usual data source is a plain text file containing journal
entries in hledger journal format.
This file represents a standard accounting general journal.
I use file names ending in \f[C]\&.journal\f[], but that\[aq]s not
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 a compatible subset, mostly, of
ledger\[aq]s journal format, so hledger can work with compatible ledger
journal files as well.
It\[aq]s safe, and encouraged, to run both hledger and ledger on the
same journal file, eg to validate the results you\[aq]re getting.
.PP
You can use hledger without learning any more about this file; just use
the add or web commands to create and update it.
Many users, though, also edit the journal file directly with a text
editor, perhaps assisted by the helper modes for emacs or vim.
.PP
Here\[aq]s an example:
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
;\ A\ sample\ journal\ file.\ This\ is\ a\ comment.

2008/01/01\ income\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ ;\ <\-\ transaction\[aq]s\ first\ line\ starts\ in\ column\ 0,\ contains\ date\ and\ description
\ \ \ \ assets:bank:checking\ \ $1\ \ \ \ ;\ <\-\ posting\ lines\ start\ with\ whitespace,\ each\ contains\ an\ account\ name
\ \ \ \ income:salary\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ $\-1\ \ \ \ ;\ \ \ \ followed\ by\ at\ least\ two\ spaces\ and\ an\ amount

2008/06/01\ gift
\ \ \ \ assets:bank:checking\ \ $1\ \ \ \ ;\ <\-\ at\ least\ two\ postings\ in\ a\ transaction
\ \ \ \ income:gifts\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ $\-1\ \ \ \ ;\ <\-\ their\ amounts\ must\ balance\ to\ 0

2008/06/02\ save
\ \ \ \ assets:bank:saving\ \ \ \ $1
\ \ \ \ assets:bank:checking\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ ;\ <\-\ one\ amount\ may\ be\ omitted;\ here\ $\-1\ is\ inferred

2008/06/03\ eat\ &\ shop\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ ;\ <\-\ description\ can\ be\ anything
\ \ \ \ expenses:food\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ $1
\ \ \ \ expenses:supplies\ \ \ \ \ $1\ \ \ \ ;\ <\-\ this\ transaction\ debits\ two\ expense\ accounts
\ \ \ \ assets:cash\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ ;\ <\-\ $\-2\ inferred

2008/12/31\ *\ pay\ off\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ ;\ <\-\ an\ optional\ *\ or\ !\ after\ the\ date\ means\ "cleared"\ (or\ anything\ you\ want)
\ \ \ \ liabilities:debts\ \ \ \ \ $1
\ \ \ \ assets:bank:checking
\f[]
.fi
.SH FILE FORMAT
.SS Transactions
.PP
Transactions are represented by journal entries.
Each begins with a simple date in column 0, followed by three optional
fields with spaces between them:
.IP \[bu] 2
a status flag, which can be empty or \f[C]!\f[] or \f[C]*\f[] (meaning
"uncleared", "pending" and "cleared", or whatever you want)
.IP \[bu] 2
a transaction code (eg a check number),
.IP \[bu] 2
and/or a description
.PP
then some number of postings, of some amount to some account.
Each posting is on its own line, consisting of:
.IP \[bu] 2
indentation of one or more spaces (or tabs)
.IP \[bu] 2
optionally, a \f[C]!\f[] or \f[C]*\f[] status flag followed by a space
.IP \[bu] 2
an account name, optionally containing single spaces
.IP \[bu] 2
optionally, two or more spaces or tabs followed by an amount
.PP
Usually there are two or more postings, though one or none is also
possible.
The posting amounts within a transaction must always balance, ie add up
to 0.
Optionally one amount can be left blank, in which case it will be
inferred.
.SS Dates
.SS Simple dates
.PP
Within a journal file, transaction dates use Y/M/D (or Y\-M\-D or Y.M.D)
Leading zeros are 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 default
year directive, or the current date when the command is run.
Some examples: \f[C]2010/01/31\f[], \f[C]1/31\f[],
\f[C]2010\-01\-31\f[], \f[C]2010.1.31\f[].
.SS Secondary dates
.PP
Real\-life transactions sometimes involve more than one date \- eg the
date you write a cheque, and the date it clears in your bank.
When you want to model this, eg for more accurate balances, you can
specify individual posting dates, which I recommend.
Or, you can use the secondary dates (aka auxiliary/effective dates)
feature, supported for compatibility with Ledger.
.PP
A secondary date can be written after the primary date, separated by an
equals sign.
The primary date, on the left, is used by default; the secondary date,
on the right, is used when the \f[C]\-\-date2\f[] flag is specified
(\f[C]\-\-aux\-date\f[] or \f[C]\-\-effective\f[] also work).
.PP
The meaning of secondary dates is up to you, but it\[aq]s best to follow
a consistent rule.
Eg write the bank\[aq]s clearing date as primary, and when needed, the
date the transaction was initiated as secondary.
.PP
Here\[aq]s an example.
Note that a secondary date will use the year of the primary date if
unspecified.
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
2010/2/23=2/19\ movie\ ticket
\ \ expenses:cinema\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ $10
\ \ assets:checking
\f[]
.fi
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
$\ hledger\ register\ checking
2010/02/23\ movie\ ticket\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ assets:checking\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ $\-10\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ $\-10
\f[]
.fi
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
$\ hledger\ register\ checking\ \-\-date2
2010/02/19\ movie\ ticket\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ assets:checking\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ $\-10\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ $\-10
\f[]
.fi
.PP
Secondary dates require some effort; you must use them consistently in
your journal entries and remember whether to use or not use the
\f[C]\-\-date2\f[] flag for your reports.
They are included in hledger for Ledger compatibility, but posting dates
are a more powerful and less confusing alternative.
.SS Posting dates
.PP
You can give individual postings a different date from their parent
transaction, by adding a posting comment containing a tag (see below)
like \f[C]date:DATE\f[].
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
.nf
\f[C]
2015/5/30
\ \ \ \ expenses:food\ \ \ \ \ $10\ \ \ ;\ food\ purchased\ on\ saturday\ 5/30
\ \ \ \ assets:checking\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ ;\ bank\ cleared\ it\ on\ monday,\ date:6/1
\f[]
.fi
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
$\ hledger\ \-f\ t.j\ register\ food
2015/05/30\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ expenses:food\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ $10\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ $10
\f[]
.fi
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
$\ hledger\ \-f\ t.j\ register\ checking
2015/06/01\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ assets:checking\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ $\-10\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ $\-10
\f[]
.fi
.PP
DATE should be a simple date; if the year is not specified it will use
the year of the transaction\[aq]s date.
You can set the secondary date similarly, with \f[C]date2:DATE2\f[].
The \f[C]date:\f[] or \f[C]date2:\f[] tags must have a valid simple date
value if they are present, eg a \f[C]date:\f[] tag with no value is not
allowed.
.PP
Ledger\[aq]s earlier, more compact bracketed date syntax is also
supported: \f[C][DATE]\f[], \f[C][DATE=DATE2]\f[] or \f[C][=DATE2]\f[].
hledger will attempt to parse any square\-bracketed sequence of the
\f[C]0123456789/\-.=\f[] characters in this way.
With this syntax, DATE infers its year from the transaction and DATE2
infers its year from DATE.
.SS Account names
.PP
Account names typically have several parts separated by a full colon,
from which hledger derives a hierarchical chart of accounts.
They can be anything you like, but in finance there are traditionally
five top\-level accounts: \f[C]assets\f[], \f[C]liabilities\f[],
\f[C]income\f[], \f[C]expenses\f[], and \f[C]equity\f[].
.PP
Account names may contain single spaces, eg:
\f[C]assets:accounts\ receivable\f[].
Because of this, they must always be followed by \f[B]two or more
spaces\f[] (or newline).
.PP
Account names can be aliased.
.SS Amounts
.PP
After the account name, there is usually an amount.
Important: between account name and amount, there must be \f[B]two or
more spaces\f[].
.PP
Amounts consist of a number and (usually) a currency symbol or commodity
name.
Some examples:
.PP
\f[C]2.00001\f[]
.PD 0
.P
.PD
\f[C]$1\f[]
.PD 0
.P
.PD
\f[C]4000\ AAPL\f[]
.PD 0
.P
.PD
\f[C]3\ "green\ apples"\f[]
.PD 0
.P
.PD
\f[C]\-$1,000,000.00\f[]
.PD 0
.P
.PD
\f[C]INR\ 9,99,99,999.00\f[]
.PD 0
.P
.PD
\f[C]EUR\ \-2.000.000,00\f[]
.PP
As you can see, the amount format is somewhat flexible:
.IP \[bu] 2
amounts are a number (the "quantity") and optionally a currency
symbol/commodity name (the "commodity").
.IP \[bu] 2
the commodity is a symbol, word, or phrase, on the left or right, with
or without a separating space.
If the commodity contains numbers, spaces or non\-word punctuation it
must be enclosed in double quotes.
.IP \[bu] 2
negative amounts with a commodity on the left can have the minus sign
before or after it
.IP \[bu] 2
digit groups (thousands, or any other grouping) can be separated by
commas (in which case period is used for decimal point) or periods (in
which case comma is used for decimal point)
.PP
You can use any of these variations when recording data, but when
hledger displays amounts, it will choose a consistent format for each
commodity.
(Except for price amounts, which are always formatted as written).
The display format is chosen as follows:
.IP \[bu] 2
if there is a commodity directive specifying the format, that is used
.IP \[bu] 2
otherwise the format is inferred from the first posting amount in that
commodity in the journal, and the precision (number of decimal places)
will be the maximum from all posting amounts in that commmodity
.IP \[bu] 2
or if there are no such amounts in the journal, a default format is used
(like \f[C]$1000.00\f[]).
.PP
Price amounts and amounts in D directives usually don\[aq]t affect
amount format inference, but in some situations they can do so
indirectly.
(Eg when D\[aq]s default commodity is applied to a commodity\-less
amount, or when an amountless posting is balanced using a price\[aq]s
commodity, or when \-V is used.) If you find this causing problems, set
the desired format with a commodity directive.
.SS Virtual Postings
.PP
When you parenthesise the account name in a posting, we call that a
\f[I]virtual posting\f[], which means:
.IP \[bu] 2
it is ignored when checking that the transaction is balanced
.IP \[bu] 2
it is excluded from reports when the \f[C]\-\-real/\-R\f[] flag is used,
or the \f[C]real:1\f[] query.
.PP
You could use this, eg, to set an account\[aq]s opening balance without
needing to use the \f[C]equity:opening\ balances\f[] account:
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
1/1\ special\ unbalanced\ posting\ to\ set\ initial\ balance
\ \ (assets:checking)\ \ \ $1000
\f[]
.fi
.PP
When the account name is bracketed, we call it a \f[I]balanced virtual
posting\f[].
This is like an ordinary virtual posting except the balanced virtual
postings in a transaction must balance to 0, like the real postings (but
separately from them).
Balanced virtual postings are also excluded by \f[C]\-\-real/\-R\f[] or
\f[C]real:1\f[].
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
1/1\ buy\ food\ with\ cash,\ and\ update\ some\ budget\-tracking\ subaccounts\ elsewhere
\ \ expenses:food\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ $10
\ \ assets:cash\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ $\-10
\ \ [assets:checking:available]\ \ \ \ \ $10
\ \ [assets:checking:budget:food]\ \ $\-10
\f[]
.fi
.PP
Virtual postings have some legitimate uses, but those are few.
You can usually find an equivalent journal entry using real postings,
which is more correct and provides better error checking.
.SS Balance Assertions
.PP
hledger supports Ledger\-style balance assertions in journal files.
These look like \f[C]=EXPECTEDBALANCE\f[] following a posting\[aq]s
amount.
Eg in this example we assert the expected dollar balance in accounts a
and b after each posting:
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
2013/1/1
\ \ a\ \ \ $1\ \ =$1
\ \ b\ \ \ \ \ \ \ =$\-1

2013/1/2
\ \ a\ \ \ $1\ \ =$2
\ \ b\ \ $\-1\ \ =$\-2
\f[]
.fi
.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[C]\-\-ignore\-assertions\f[] flag, which can be useful for
troubleshooting or for reading Ledger files.
.SS Assertions and ordering
.PP
hledger sorts an account\[aq]s postings and assertions first by date and
then (for postings on the same day) by parse order.
Note this is different from Ledger, which sorts assertions only by parse
order.
(Also, Ledger assertions do not see the accumulated effect of repeated
postings to the same account within a transaction.)
.PP
So, hledger balance assertions keep working if you reorder
differently\-dated transactions within the journal.
But if you reorder same\-dated transactions or postings, assertions
might break and require updating.
This order dependence does bring an advantage: precise control over the
order of postings and assertions within a day, so you can assert
intra\-day balances.
.PP
With included files, things are a little more complicated.
Including preserves the ordering of postings and assertions.
If you have multiple postings to an account on the same day, split
across different files, and you also want to assert the account\[aq]s
balance on the same day, you\[aq]ll have to put the assertion in the
right file.
.SS Assertions and commodities
.PP
The asserted balance must be a simple single\-commodity amount, and in
fact the assertion checks only this commodity\[aq]s balance within the
(possibly multi\-commodity) account balance.
We could call this a partial balance assertion.
This is compatible with Ledger, and makes it possible to make assertions
about accounts containing multiple commodities.
.PP
To assert each commodity\[aq]s balance in such a multi\-commodity
account, you can add multiple postings (with amount 0 if necessary).
But note that no matter how many assertions you add, you can\[aq]t be
sure the account does not contain some unexpected commodity.
(We\[aq]ll add support for this kind of total balance assertion if
there\[aq]s demand.)
.SS Assertions and subaccounts
.PP
Balance assertions do not count the balance from subaccounts; they check
the posted account\[aq]s exclusive balance.
For example:
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
1/1
\ \ checking:fund\ \ \ 1\ =\ 1\ \ ;\ post\ to\ this\ subaccount,\ its\ balance\ is\ now\ 1
\ \ checking\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ 1\ =\ 1\ \ ;\ post\ to\ the\ parent\ account,\ its\ exclusive\ balance\ is\ now\ 1
\ \ equity
\f[]
.fi
.PP
The balance report\[aq]s flat mode shows these exclusive balances more
clearly:
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
$\ hledger\ bal\ checking\ \-\-flat
\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ 1\ \ checking
\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ 1\ \ checking:fund
\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-
\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ 2
\f[]
.fi
.SS Assertions and virtual postings
.PP
Balance assertions are checked against all postings, both real and
virtual.
They are not affected by the \f[C]\-\-real/\-R\f[] flag or
\f[C]real:\f[] query.
.SS Balance Assignments
.PP
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
.nf
\f[C]
;\ 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
\f[]
.fi
.PP
or when adjusting a balance to reality:
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
;\ no\ cash\ left;\ update\ balance,\ record\ any\ untracked\ spending\ as\ a\ generic\ expense
2016/1/15
\ \ assets:cash\ \ \ \ =\ $0
\ \ expenses:misc
\f[]
.fi
.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).
Note that using balance assignments makes your journal a little less
explicit; to know the exact amount posted, you have to run hledger or do
the calculations yourself, instead of just reading it.
.SS Prices
.SS Transaction prices
.PP
When recording a transaction, you can also record an amount\[aq]s price
in another commodity.
This documents the exchange rate, cost (of a purchase), or selling price
(of a sale) that was in effect within this particular transaction (or
more precisely, within the particular posting).
These transaction prices are fixed, and do not change.
.PP
Such priced amounts can be displayed in their transaction price\[aq]s
commodity, by using the \f[C]\-\-cost/\-B\f[] flag (B for "cost Basis"),
supported by most hledger commands.
.PP
There are three ways to specify a transaction price:
.IP "1." 3
Write the unit price (aka exchange rate), as \f[C]\@\ UNITPRICE\f[]
after the amount:
.RS 4
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
2009/1/1
\ \ assets:foreign\ currency\ \ \ €100\ \@\ $1.35\ \ ;\ one\ hundred\ euros\ at\ $1.35\ each
\ \ assets:cash
\f[]
.fi
.RE
.IP "2." 3
Or write the total price, as \f[C]\@\@\ TOTALPRICE\f[] after the amount:
.RS 4
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
2009/1/1
\ \ assets:foreign\ currency\ \ \ €100\ \@\@\ $135\ \ ;\ one\ hundred\ euros\ at\ $135\ for\ the\ lot
\ \ assets:cash
\f[]
.fi
.RE
.IP "3." 3
Or let hledger infer the price so as to balance the transaction.
To permit this, you must fully specify all posting amounts, and their
sum must have a non\-zero amount in exactly two commodities:
.RS 4
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
2009/1/1
\ \ assets:foreign\ currency\ \ \ €100\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ ;\ one\ hundred\ euros
\ \ assets:cash\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ $\-135\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ ;\ exchanged\ for\ $135
\f[]
.fi
.RE
.PP
With any of the above examples we get:
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
$\ hledger\ print\ \-B
2009/01/01
\ \ \ \ assets:foreign\ currency\ \ \ \ \ \ \ $135.00
\ \ \ \ assets:cash\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ $\-135.00
\f[]
.fi
.PP
Example use for transaction prices: recording the effective conversion
rate of purchases made in a foreign currency.
.SS Market prices
.PP
Market prices are not tied to a particular transaction; they represent
historical exchange rates between two commodities, usually from some
public market which publishes such rates.
.PP
When market prices are known, the \f[C]\-V/\-\-value\f[] option will use
them to convert reported amounts to their market value as of the report
end date.
This option is currently available only with the balance command.
.PP
You record market prices (Ledger calls them historical prices) with a P
directive, in the journal or perhaps in a separate included file.
Market price directives have the format:
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
P\ DATE\ COMMODITYSYMBOL\ UNITPRICE
\f[]
.fi
.PP
For example, the following directives say that the euro\[aq]s exchange
rate was 1.35 US dollars during 2009, and $1.40 from 2010 onward (and
unknown before 2009).
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
P\ 2009/1/1\ €\ $1.35
P\ 2010/1/1\ €\ $1.40
\f[]
.fi
.PP
Example use for market prices: tracking the value of stocks.
.SS Comments
.PP
Lines in the journal beginning with a semicolon (\f[C];\f[]) or hash
(\f[C]#\f[]) or asterisk (\f[C]*\f[]) are comments, and will be ignored.
(Asterisk comments make it easy to treat your journal like an org\-mode
outline in emacs.)
.PP
Also, anything between \f[C]comment\f[] and \f[C]end\ comment\f[]
directives is a (multi\-line) comment.
If there is no \f[C]end\ comment\f[], the comment extends to the end of
the file.
.PP
You can attach comments to a transaction by writing them after the
description and/or indented on the following lines (before the
postings).
Similarly, you can attach comments to an individual posting by writing
them after the amount and/or indented on the following lines.
.PP
Some examples:
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
#\ a\ journal\ comment

;\ also\ a\ journal\ comment

comment
This\ is\ a\ multiline\ comment,
which\ continues\ until\ a\ line
where\ the\ "end\ comment"\ string
appears\ on\ its\ own.
end\ comment

2012/5/14\ something\ \ ;\ a\ transaction\ comment
\ \ \ \ ;\ the\ transaction\ comment,\ continued
\ \ \ \ posting1\ \ 1\ \ ;\ a\ comment\ for\ posting\ 1
\ \ \ \ posting2
\ \ \ \ ;\ a\ comment\ for\ posting\ 2
\ \ \ \ ;\ another\ comment\ line\ for\ posting\ 2
;\ a\ journal\ comment\ (because\ not\ indented)
\f[]
.fi
.SS Tags
.PP
A \f[I]tag\f[] is a word followed by a full colon inside a transaction
or posting comment.
You can write multiple tags, comma separated.
Eg: \f[C];\ a\ comment\ containing\ sometag:,\ anothertag:\f[].
You can search for tags with the \f[C]tag:\f[] query.
.PP
A tag can also have a value, which is any text between the colon and the
next comma or newline, excluding leading/trailing whitespace.
(So hledger tag values can not contain commas or newlines).
.PP
Tags in a transaction comment affect the transaction and all of its
postings, while tags in a posting comment affect only that posting.
For example, the following transaction has three tags (A, TAG2,
third\-tag) and the posting has four (A, TAG2, third\-tag,
posting\-tag):
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
1/1\ a\ transaction\ \ ;\ A:,\ TAG2:
\ \ \ \ ;\ third\-tag:\ a\ third\ transaction\ tag,\ this\ time\ with\ a\ value
\ \ \ \ (a)\ \ $1\ \ ;\ posting\-tag:
\f[]
.fi
.PP
Tags are like Ledger\[aq]s metadata feature, except hledger\[aq]s tag
values are simple strings.
.SS Directives
.SS Account aliases
.PP
You can define aliases which rewrite your account names (after reading
the journal, before generating reports).
hledger\[aq]s account aliases 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 or
combining two accounts into one
.IP \[bu] 2
customising reports
.PP
See also How to use account aliases.
.SS Basic aliases
.PP
To set an account alias, use the \f[C]alias\f[] directive in your
journal file.
This affects all subsequent journal entries in the current file or its
included files.
The spaces around the = are optional:
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
alias\ OLD\ =\ NEW
\f[]
.fi
.PP
Or, you can use the \f[C]\-\-alias\ \[aq]OLD=NEW\[aq]\f[] option on the
command line.
This affects all entries.
It\[aq]s useful for trying out aliases interactively.
.PP
OLD and NEW are full account names.
hledger will replace any occurrence of the old account name with the new
one.
Subaccounts are also affected.
Eg:
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
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"
\f[]
.fi
.SS Regex aliases
.PP
There is also a more powerful variant that uses a regular expression,
indicated by the forward slashes.
(This was the default behaviour in hledger 0.24\-0.25):
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
alias\ /REGEX/\ =\ REPLACEMENT
\f[]
.fi
.PP
or \f[C]\-\-alias\ \[aq]/REGEX/=REPLACEMENT\[aq]\f[].
.PP
REGEX is a case\-insensitive regular expression.
Anywhere it matches inside an account name, the matched part will be
replaced by REPLACEMENT.
If REGEX contains parenthesised match groups, these can be referenced by
the usual numeric backreferences in REPLACEMENT.
Note, currently regular expression aliases may cause noticeable
slow\-downs.
(And if you use Ledger on your hledger file, they will be ignored.) Eg:
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
alias\ /^(.+):bank:([^:]+)(.*)/\ =\ \\1:\\2\ \\3
#\ rewrites\ "assets:bank:wells\ fargo:checking"\ to\ \ "assets:wells\ fargo\ checking"
\f[]
.fi
.SS Multiple aliases
.PP
You can define as many aliases as you like using directives or
command\-line options.
Aliases are recursive \- each alias sees the result of applying previous
ones.
(This is different from Ledger, where aliases are non\-recursive by
default).
Aliases are applied in the following order:
.IP "1." 3
alias directives, most recently seen first (recent directives take
precedence over earlier ones; directives not yet seen are ignored)
.IP "2." 3
alias options, in the order they appear on the command line
.SS end aliases
.PP
You can clear (forget) all currently defined aliases with the
\f[C]end\ aliases\f[] directive:
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
end\ aliases
\f[]
.fi
.SS account directive
.PP
The \f[C]account\f[] directive predefines account names, as in Ledger
and Beancount.
This may be useful for your own documentation; hledger doesn\[aq]t make
use of it yet.
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
;\ account\ ACCT
;\ \ \ OPTIONAL\ COMMENTS/TAGS...

account\ assets:bank:checking
\ a\ comment
\ acct\-no:12345

account\ expenses:food

;\ etc.
\f[]
.fi
.SS apply account directive
.PP
You can specify a parent account which will be prepended to all accounts
within a section of the journal.
Use the \f[C]apply\ account\f[] and \f[C]end\ apply\ account\f[]
directives like so:
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
apply\ account\ home

2010/1/1
\ \ \ \ food\ \ \ \ $10
\ \ \ \ cash

end\ apply\ account
\f[]
.fi
.PP
which is equivalent to:
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
2010/01/01
\ \ \ \ home:food\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ $10
\ \ \ \ home:cash\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ $\-10
\f[]
.fi
.PP
If \f[C]end\ apply\ account\f[] is omitted, the effect lasts to the end
of the file.
Included files are also affected, eg:
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
apply\ account\ business
include\ biz.journal
end\ apply\ account
apply\ account\ personal
include\ personal.journal
\f[]
.fi
.PP
Prior to hledger 1.0, legacy \f[C]account\f[] and \f[C]end\f[] spellings
were also supported.
.SS Multi\-line comments
.PP
A line containing just \f[C]comment\f[] starts a multi\-line comment,
and a line containing just \f[C]end\ comment\f[] ends it.
See comments.
.SS commodity directive
.PP
The \f[C]commodity\f[] directive predefines commodities (currently this
is just informational), and also it may define the display format for
amounts in this commodity (overriding the automatically inferred
format).
.PP
It may be written on a single line, like this:
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
;\ commodity\ EXAMPLEAMOUNT

;\ display\ AAAA\ amounts\ with\ the\ symbol\ on\ the\ right,\ space\-separated,
;\ using\ period\ as\ decimal\ point,\ with\ four\ decimal\ places,\ and
;\ separating\ thousands\ with\ comma.
commodity\ 1,000.0000\ AAAA
\f[]
.fi
.PP
or on multiple lines, using the "format" subdirective.
In this case the commodity symbol appears twice and should be the same
in both places:
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
;\ commodity\ SYMBOL
;\ \ \ format\ EXAMPLEAMOUNT

;\ 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\ 9,99,99,999.00
\f[]
.fi
.SS Default commodity
.PP
The D directive sets a default commodity (and display format), to be
used for amounts without a commodity symbol (ie, plain numbers).
(Note this differs from Ledger\[aq]s default commodity directive.) The
commodity and display format will be applied to all subsequent
commodity\-less amounts, or until the next D directive.
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
#\ commodity\-less\ amounts\ should\ be\ treated\ as\ dollars
#\ (and\ displayed\ with\ symbol\ on\ the\ left,\ thousands\ separators\ and\ two\ decimal\ places)
D\ $1,000.00

1/1
\ \ a\ \ \ \ \ 5\ \ \ \ #\ <\-\ commodity\-less\ amount,\ becomes\ $1
\ \ b
\f[]
.fi
.SS Default year
.PP
You can set a default year to be used for subsequent dates which
don\[aq]t specify a year.
This is a line beginning with \f[C]Y\f[] followed by the year.
Eg:
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
Y2009\ \ \ \ \ \ ;\ set\ default\ year\ to\ 2009

12/15\ \ \ \ \ \ ;\ equivalent\ to\ 2009/12/15
\ \ expenses\ \ 1
\ \ assets

Y2010\ \ \ \ \ \ ;\ 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
\f[]
.fi
.SS Including other files
.PP
You can pull in the content of additional journal files by writing an
include directive, like this:
.IP
.nf
\f[C]
include\ path/to/file.journal
\f[]
.fi
.PP
If the path does not begin with a slash, it is relative to the current
file.
Glob patterns (\f[C]*\f[]) are not currently supported.
.PP
The \f[C]include\f[] directive can only be used in journal files.
It can include journal, timeclock or timedot files, but not CSV files.
.SH EDITOR SUPPORT
.PP
Add\-on modes exist for various text editors, to make working with
journal files easier.
They add colour, navigation aids and helpful commands.
For hledger users who edit the journal file directly (the majority),
using one of these modes is quite recommended.
.PP
These were written with Ledger in mind, but also work with hledger
files:
.PP
.TS
tab(@);
lw(16.5n) lw(51.5n).
T{
Emacs
T}@T{
http://www.ledger\-cli.org/3.0/doc/ledger\-mode.html
T}
T{
Vim
T}@T{
https://github.com/ledger/ledger/wiki/Getting\-started
T}
T{
Sublime Text
T}@T{
https://github.com/ledger/ledger/wiki/Using\-Sublime\-Text
T}
T{
Textmate
T}@T{
https://github.com/ledger/ledger/wiki/Using\-TextMate\-2
T}
T{
Text Wrangler \ 
T}@T{
https://github.com/ledger/ledger/wiki/Editing\-Ledger\-files\-with\-TextWrangler
T}
.TE


.SH "REPORTING BUGS"
Report bugs at http://bugs.hledger.org
(or on the #hledger IRC channel or hledger mail list)

.SH AUTHORS
Simon Michael <simon@joyful.com> and contributors

.SH COPYRIGHT

Copyright (C) 2007-2016 Simon Michael.
.br
Released under GNU GPL v3 or later.

.SH SEE ALSO
hledger(1), hledger\-ui(1), hledger\-web(1), hledger\-api(1),
hledger_csv(5), hledger_journal(5), hledger_timeclock(5), hledger_timedot(5),
ledger(1)

http://hledger.org