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+\input texinfo  @c -*-texinfo-*-
+
+@setfilename ledger3.info
+@settitle Ledger: Command-Line Accounting
+
+@dircategory User Applications
+@copying
+Copyright (c) 2003-2010, John Wiegley.  All rights reserved.
+
+Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are
+met:
+
+- Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
+  notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+
+- Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
+  notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
+  documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+
+- Neither the name of New Artisans LLC nor the names of its
+  contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from
+  this software without specific prior written permission.
+
+THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
+"AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
+LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR
+A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT
+OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
+SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT
+LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE,
+DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY
+THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
+(INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
+OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+@end copying
+
+@documentencoding UTF-8
+
+@iftex
+@finalout
+@end iftex
+
+
+@titlepage
+@title LEDGER: Command-Line Accounting
+@subtitle For Version 3.0 of LEDGER
+@subtitle Draft Manual 2011-10-03
+@author John Wiegley
+@end titlepage
+
+@direntry
+* Ledger3: (ledger).           Command-Line Accounting
+@end direntry
+
+@contents
+
+@ifnottex
+@node Top, Copying, (dir), (dir)
+@top Overview
+LEDGER is a command line accounting tool that provides double-entry
+accounting based on a text journal.  It provides no bells or whistles,
+and returns the user to the days before user interfaces were even a
+twinkling in their father's CRT.
+@c @insertcopying
+@end ifnottex
+
+@menu
+* Copying::                     
+* Introduction to Ledger::      
+* Ledger Tutorial ::            
+* Principles of Accounting::    
+* Keeping a Journal::           
+* Command-line Syntax::         
+* Basic Reporting Commands::    
+* Budgeting and Forecasting::   
+* Value Expressions::           
+* Format Strings::              
+* Journal File Format::         
+* Extending with Python::       
+* Example Data File::           
+* Miscellaneous Notes::         
+@end menu
+
+@node Copying, Introduction to Ledger, Top, Top
+@chapter Copying
+@insertcopying
+
+@node Introduction to Ledger, Ledger Tutorial , Copying, Top
+@chapter Introduction to Ledger
+@menu
+* Fat-free Accounting::         
+* Building the Program::        
+* Getting Help::                
+@end menu
+
+@node Fat-free Accounting, Building the Program, Introduction to Ledger, Introduction to Ledger
+@section Fat-free Accounting
+LEDGER is an accounting tool with the moxie to exist.  It provides no
+bells or whistles, and returns the user to the days before user
+interfaces were even a twinkling in their father's CRT.
+
+What it does offer is a double-entry accounting journal with all the
+flexibility and muscle of its modern day cousins, without any of the
+fat.  Think of it as the Bran Muffin of accounting tools.
+
+To use it, you need to start keeping a journal.  This is the basis of
+all accounting, and if you haven't started yet, now is the time to
+learn.  The little booklet that comes with your checkbook is a journal,
+so we'll describe double-entry accounting in terms of that.  If you use
+another GUI accounting program like GNUCash, the vast majority of its
+functionality is geared towards helping you keep a journal.
+
+A checkbook journal records debits (subtractions, or withdrawals) and
+credits (additions, or deposits) with reference to a single account:
+the checking account.  Where the money comes from, and where it goes
+to, are described in the payee field, where you write the person or
+company's name.  The ultimate aim of keeping a checkbook journal is to
+know how much money is available to spend.  That's really the aim of
+all journals.
+
+What computers add is the ability to walk through these postings,
+and tell you things about your spending habits; to let you devise
+budgets and get control over your spending; to squirrel away money
+into virtual savings account without having to physically move money
+around; etc.  As you keep your journal, you are recording information
+about your life and habits, and sometimes that information can start
+telling you things you aren't aware of.  Such is the aim of all good
+accounting tools.
+
+The next step up from a checkbook journal, is a journal that keeps track
+of all your accounts, not just checking.  In such a journal, you record
+not only who gets paid---in the case of a debit---but where the money
+came from.  In a checkbook journal, its assumed that all the money
+comes from your checking account.  But in a general journal, you write
+posting two-lines: the source account and target account.
+@emph{There must always be a debit from at least one account for every
+credit made to another account}.  This is what is meant by
+``double-entry'' accounting: the journal must always balance to zero,
+with an equal number of debits and credits.
+
+
+For example, let's say you have a checking account and a brokerage
+account, and you can write checks from both of them.  Rather than keep
+two checkbooks, you decide to use one journal for both.  In this general
+journal you need to record a payment to Pacific Bell for your monthly
+phone bill, and a transfer (via check) from your brokerage account to
+your checking account.  The Pacific Bell bill is $23.00, let's say, and
+you want to pay it from your checking account.  In the general journal
+you need to say where the money came from, in addition to where it's
+going to.  These transactions might look like this:
+
+@smallexample
+9/29        Pacific Bell                $23.00     $23.00
+            Checking                   $-23.00          0
+9/30        Checking                   $100.00    $100.00
+      (123) Brokerage                 $-100.00          0
+@end smallexample
+
+The posting must balance to $0: $23 went to Pacific Bell, $23 came from
+Checking.  The next entry shows check number 123 written against your
+brokerage account, transfering money to your checking account.  There is
+nothing left over to be accounted for, since the money has simply moved
+from one account to another in both cases.  This is the basis of
+double-entry accounting: money never pops in or out of existence; it is
+always a posting from one account to another.
+
+Keeping a general journal is the same as keeping two separate journals:
+One for Pacific Bell and one for Checking.  In that case, each time a
+payment is written into one, you write a corresponding withdrawal into
+the other.  This makes it easier to write in a ``running balance'',
+since you don't have to look back at the last time the account was
+referenced---but it also means having a lot of journal books, if you
+deal with multiple accounts.
+
+Here is a good place for an aside on the use of the word `account'.
+Most private people consider an account to be something that holds money
+at an institution for them.  LEDGER uses a more general definition
+of the word.  An account is anywhere money can go.  Other finance
+programs use ``categories'', LEDGER uses accounts. So, for
+example, if you buy some groceries at Trader Joe's then more groceries
+at Whole Foods Markets you might assign the transactions like this
+@smallexample
+2011/03/15   Trader Joe's
+      Expenses:Groceries   $100.00
+      Assets:Checking
+2011/03/15   Whole Food Market
+      Expenses:Groceries   $75.00
+      Assets:Checking
+@end smallexample
+In both cases the money goes to the ``Groceries'' account, even though
+the payees were different.  You can set up your accounts in any way you
+choose.
+
+Enter the beauty of computerized accounting.  The purpose of the
+LEDGER program is to make general journal accounting simple, by keeping
+track of the balances for you.  Your only job is to enter the
+postings.  If an individual posting does not balance, LEDGER displays an
+error and indicates the incorrect posting.@footnote{In some
+special cases, it automatically balances this transaction for you.}
+
+In summary, there are two aspects of LEDGER use: updating the journal
+data file, and using the LEDGER tool to view the summarized result of
+your transactions.
+
+And just for the sake of example---as a starting point for those who
+want to dive in head-first---here are the journal transactions from above,
+formatted as the LEDGER program wishes to see them:
+
+@smallexample
+2004/09/29 Pacific Bell
+     Expenses:Pacific Bell              $23.00
+     Assets:Checking
+@end smallexample
+
+The account balances and registers in this file, if saved as
+@file{ledger.dat}, could be reported using:
+
+@smallexample
+$ ledger -f ledger.dat balance
+$ ledger -f ledger.dat register checking
+$ ledger -f ledger.dat register Bell
+@end smallexample
+
+An important difference between LEDGER and other finance packages is
+that journal will never alter your input file.  You can create and edit
+that file in any way you prefer, but journal is only for analyzing the
+data, not for altering it.
+
+
+@node Building the Program, Getting Help, Fat-free Accounting, Introduction to Ledger
+@section Building the program
+
+LEDGER is written in ANSI C++, and should compile on any platform.  It
+depends on the GNU multiprecision integer library (libgmp), and the
+Perl regular expression library (libpcre).  It was developed using GNU
+make and gcc 3.3, on a PowerBook running OS/X.
+
+To build and install once you have these libraries on your system,
+enter these commands:
+
+@smallexample
+./configure && make install
+@end smallexample
+
+@node Getting Help,  , Building the Program, Introduction to Ledger
+@section Getting help
+
+If you need help on how to use LEDGER, or run into problems, you can
+join the LEDGER mailing list at the following Web address:
+
+@smallexample
+http://groups.google.com/group/ledger-cli
+@end smallexample
+
+You can also find help at the @samp{#ledger} channel on the IRC server
+@samp{irc.freenode.net}.
+
+@node Ledger Tutorial , Principles of Accounting, Introduction to Ledger, Top
+@chapter Ledger Tutorial
+
+@menu
+* Start a Journal::             
+* Run Some Reports::            
+* Command Line Quick Reference::  
+@end menu
+
+@node Start a Journal, Run Some Reports, Ledger Tutorial , Ledger Tutorial
+@section Start a Journal File
+
+A journal is a record of your financial transactions and will be central
+to using LEDGER.  For now we just want to get a taste of what LEDGER can
+do.  An example journal is included with the source code distribution,
+called @file{drewr3.dat} (@pxref{Example Data File}).
+Copy it someplace convenient and open up a terminal window in that
+directory.
+
+If you would rather start with your own journal right away please skip
+to @xref{Keeping a Journal}.
+
+@node Run Some Reports, Command Line Quick Reference, Start a Journal, Ledger Tutorial
+@section Run a Few Reports
+
+@menu
+* Balance Report::              
+* Register Report::             
+* Cleared Report::              
+@end menu
+
+@node Balance Report, Register Report, Run Some Reports, Run Some Reports
+@subsection Balance Report
+
+To find the balances of all of your accounts, run this command:
+
+@smallexample
+ledger -f drewr3.dat balance
+@end smallexample
+
+LEDGER will generate:
+
+@smallexample
+         $ -3,804.00  Assets
+          $ 1,396.00    Checking
+             $ 30.00      Business
+         $ -5,200.00    Savings
+         $ -1,000.00  Equity:Opening Balances
+          $ 6,654.00  Expenses
+          $ 5,500.00    Auto
+             $ 20.00    Books
+            $ 300.00    Escrow
+            $ 334.00    Food:Groceries
+            $ 500.00    Interest:Mortgage
+         $ -2,030.00  Income
+         $ -2,000.00    Salary
+            $ -30.00    Sales
+            $ -63.60  Liabilities
+            $ -20.00    MasterCard
+            $ 200.00    Mortgage:Principal
+           $ -243.60    Tithe
+--------------------
+           $ -243.60
+@end smallexample
+
+@noindent Showing you the balance of all accounts.  Options and search terms can pare this down to show only the accounts you want.
+
+A more useful report is to show only your Assets and Liabilities:
+
+@smallexample
+$ ledger -f drewr3.dat balance Assets Liabilities
+         $ -3,804.00  Assets
+          $ 1,396.00    Checking
+             $ 30.00      Business
+         $ -5,200.00    Savings
+            $ -63.60  Liabilities
+            $ -20.00    MasterCard
+            $ 200.00    Mortgage:Principal
+           $ -243.60    Tithe
+--------------------
+         $ -3,867.60
+@end smallexample
+
+
+@node Register Report, Cleared Report, Balance Report, Run Some Reports
+@subsection Register Report
+
+To show all transactions and a running total:
+@smallexample
+ledger -f drewr3.dat register
+@end smallexample
+
+LEDGER will generate:
+
+@smallexample
+10-Dec-01 Checking balance      Assets:Checking          $ 1,000.00   $ 1,000.00
+                                Equity:Opening Balances  $ -1,000.00            0
+10-Dec-20 Organic Co-op         Expense:Food:Groceries      $ 37.50      $ 37.50
+                                Expense:Food:Groceries      $ 37.50      $ 75.00
+                                Expense:Food:Groceries      $ 37.50     $ 112.50
+                                Expense:Food:Groceries      $ 37.50     $ 150.00
+                                Expense:Food:Groceries      $ 37.50     $ 187.50
+                                Expense:Food:Groceries      $ 37.50     $ 225.00
+                                Assets:Checking           $ -225.00            0
+10-Dec-28 Acme Mortgage         Lia:Mortgage:Principal     $ 200.00     $ 200.00
+                                Expe:Interest:Mortgage     $ 500.00     $ 700.00
+                                Expenses:Escrow            $ 300.00   $ 1,000.00
+                                Assets:Checking         $ -1,000.00            0
+11-Jan-02 Grocery Store         Expense:Food:Groceries      $ 65.00      $ 65.00
+                                Assets:Checking            $ -65.00            0
+11-Jan-05 Employer              Assets:Checking          $ 2,000.00   $ 2,000.00
+                                Income:Salary           $ -2,000.00            0
+                                (Liabilities:Tithe)       $ -240.00    $ -240.00
+11-Jan-14 Bank                  Assets:Savings             $ 300.00      $ 60.00
+                                Assets:Checking           $ -300.00    $ -240.00
+11-Jan-19 Grocery Store         Expense:Food:Groceries      $ 44.00    $ -196.00
+                                Assets:Checking            $ -44.00    $ -240.00
+11-Jan-25 Bank                  Assets:Checking          $ 5,500.00   $ 5,260.00
+                                Assets:Savings          $ -5,500.00    $ -240.00
+11-Jan-25 Tom's Used Cars       Expenses:Auto            $ 5,500.00   $ 5,260.00
+                                Assets:Checking         $ -5,500.00    $ -240.00
+11-Jan-27 Book Store            Expenses:Books              $ 20.00    $ -220.00
+                                Liabilities:MasterCard     $ -20.00    $ -240.00
+11-Dec-01 Sale                  Asse:Checking:Business      $ 30.00    $ -210.00
+                                Income:Sales               $ -30.00    $ -240.00
+                                (Liabilities:Tithe)         $ -3.60    $ -243.60
+@end smallexample
+
+@noindent To limit this to a more useful subset, simply add the accounts you are are interested in seeing transactions for:
+
+@smallexample
+$ ledger -f drewr3.dat register Groceries
+10-Dec-20 Organic Co-op         Expense:Food:Groceries      $ 37.50      $ 37.50
+                                Expense:Food:Groceries      $ 37.50      $ 75.00
+                                Expense:Food:Groceries      $ 37.50     $ 112.50
+                                Expense:Food:Groceries      $ 37.50     $ 150.00
+                                Expense:Food:Groceries      $ 37.50     $ 187.50
+                                Expense:Food:Groceries      $ 37.50     $ 225.00
+11-Jan-02 Grocery Store         Expense:Food:Groceries      $ 65.00     $ 290.00
+11-Jan-19 Grocery Store         Expense:Food:Groceries      $ 44.00     $ 334.00
+@end smallexample
+
+@noindent Which matches the balance reported for the @samp{Groceries} account:
+
+@smallexample
+$ ledger -f drewr3.dat balance Groceries 
+            $ 334.00  Expenses:Food:Groceries
+@end smallexample
+
+@noindent  If you would like to find transaction to only a certain payee use @samp{payee} or @@:
+@smallexample
+$ ledger -f drewr3.dat register payee "Organic"
+10-Dec-20 Organic Co-op         Expense:Food:Groceries      $ 37.50      $ 37.50
+                                Expense:Food:Groceries      $ 37.50      $ 75.00
+                                Expense:Food:Groceries      $ 37.50     $ 112.50
+                                Expense:Food:Groceries      $ 37.50     $ 150.00
+                                Expense:Food:Groceries      $ 37.50     $ 187.50
+                                Expense:Food:Groceries      $ 37.50     $ 225.00
+                                Assets:Checking           $ -225.00            0
+@end smallexample
+
+@node Cleared Report,  , Register Report, Run Some Reports
+@subsection Cleared Report
+
+A very useful report is to show what your obligations are versus what
+expenditures have actually been recorded.  It can take several days for
+a check to clear, but you should treat it as money spent.  The
+@samp{cleared} report shows just that:
+
+@smallexample
+$ ledger -f drewr3.dat cleared 
+     $ -3,804.00            $ 775.00                 Assets
+      $ 1,396.00            $ 775.00    10-Dec-20      Checking
+         $ 30.00                   0                     Business
+     $ -5,200.00                   0                   Savings
+     $ -1,000.00         $ -1,000.00    10-Dec-01    Equity:Opening Balances
+      $ 6,654.00            $ 225.00                 Expenses
+      $ 5,500.00                   0                   Auto
+         $ 20.00                   0                   Books
+        $ 300.00                   0                   Escrow
+        $ 334.00            $ 225.00    10-Dec-20      Food:Groceries
+        $ 500.00                   0                   Interest:Mortgage
+     $ -2,030.00                   0                 Income
+     $ -2,000.00                   0                   Salary
+        $ -30.00                   0                   Sales
+        $ -63.60                   0                 Liabilities
+        $ -20.00                   0                   MasterCard
+        $ 200.00                   0                   Mortgage:Principal
+       $ -243.60                   0                   Tithe
+----------------  ----------------    ---------
+       $ -243.60                   0    
+@end smallexample
+
+@noindent The first column shows the outstanding balance, the second column show the ``cleared'' balance.
+
+@node Command Line Quick Reference,  , Run Some Reports, Ledger Tutorial
+@section Command Line Quick Reference
+
+@menu
+* Reporting Commands Quick Reference::  
+* Basic Options Quick Reference::  
+* Report Filtering Quick Reference::  
+* Output Customization Quick Reference::  
+* Commodity Reporting Quick Reference::  
+@end menu
+
+@node Reporting Commands Quick Reference, Basic Options Quick Reference, Command Line Quick Reference, Command Line Quick Reference
+@subsection Reporting Commands
+@multitable @columnfractions .2 .8
+@item @strong{Report} @tab @strong{Description}
+@item @code{balance} @tab Show account balances
+@item @code{register} @tab Show all transactions with running total
+@item @code{print} @tab  Print transaction in a ledger readable format
+@item @code{output} @tab  Similar to print without included transactions
+@item @code{xml} @tab Produce XML output of the register command
+@item @code{emacs} @tab Produce emacs lisp output
+@item @code{equity} @tab Print account balances as transactions
+@item @code{prices} @tab Print price history for matching commodities
+@item @code{pricesdb} @tab Print price history for matching commodities in ledger readable format
+@item @code{xact} @tab  Used to generate transactions based on previous postings
+@end multitable
+
+@node Basic Options Quick Reference, Report Filtering Quick Reference, Reporting Commands Quick Reference, Command Line Quick Reference
+@subsection Basic Options
+@multitable @columnfractions .1 .25 .65
+@item @strong{Short} @tab @strong{Long} @tab @strong{Description}
+@item @code{-h} @tab @code{--help} @tab prints summary of all options
+@item @code{-v} @tab @code{--version} @tab prints version of ledger executable
+@item @code{-f FILE} @tab @code{--file FILE} @tab read @file{FILE} as a ledger file
+@item @code{-o FILE} @tab @code{--output FILE} @tab redirects output to @file{FILE}
+@item @code{-i FILE} @tab @code{--init-file FILE} @tab specify options file
+@item @tab @code{--cache FILE} @tab specify binary cache file 
+@item @code{-a NAME} @tab @code{--account NAME} @tab specify default account name for QIF file postings
+@end multitable
+ 
+@node Report Filtering Quick Reference, Output Customization Quick Reference, Basic Options Quick Reference, Command Line Quick Reference
+@subsection Report Filtering
+@multitable @columnfractions .1 .25 .65
+@item @strong{Short} @tab @strong{Long} @tab @strong{Description}
+@item @code{-c} @tab @code{--current} @tab Display transaction on or before the current date
+@item @code{-b DATE} @tab @code{--begin DATE} @tab Begin reports on or after @code{DATE}
+@item @code{-e DATE} @tab @code{--end DATE} @tab Limits end date od transactions for report
+@item @code{-p STR} @tab @code{--period} @tab Set report period to STR
+@item @code{ } @tab @code{--period-sort} @tab Sort postings within each period
+@item @code{-C} @tab @code{--cleared} @tab Display only cleared postings
+@item @code{-U} @tab @code{--uncleared} @tab Display only uncleared postings
+@item @code{-R} @tab @code{--real} @tab Display only real postings
+@item @code{-L} @tab @code{--actual} @tab Displays only actual postings, not automated
+@item @code{-r} @tab @code{--related} @tab Display related postings
+@item @code{} @tab @code{--budget} @tab Display how close your postings meet your budget
+@item @code{} @tab @code{--add-budget} @tab Shows unbudgeted postings
+@item @code{} @tab @code{--unbedgeted} @tab Shows only unbudgeted postings
+@item @code{} @tab @code{--forecast} @tab Project balances into the future
+@item @code{-l EXPR} @tab @code{--limit EXPR} @tab Limits postings in calculations
+@item @code{-t EXPR} @tab @code{--amount} @tab Change value expression reported in register report
+@item @code{-T EXPR} @tab @code{--total} @tab Change the value expression used for ``totals'' column in register and balance reports
+@end multitable
+
+@node Output Customization Quick Reference, Commodity Reporting Quick Reference, Report Filtering Quick Reference, Command Line Quick Reference
+@subsection Output Customization
+@multitable @columnfractions .15 .4 .45
+@item @strong{Short} @tab @strong{Long} @tab @strong{Description}
+@item @code{-n} @tab @code{--collapse} @tab Collapse transactions with multiple postings
+@item @code{-s} @tab @code{--subtotal} @tab Report register as a single subtotal
+@item @code{-P} @tab @code{--by-payee} @tab Report subtotals by payee
+@item @code{-x} @tab @code{--comm-as-payee} @tab Change the payee of every posting to be the commodity used in that posting
+@item @code{-E} @tab @code{--empty} @tab Include empty accounts in report
+@item @code{-W} @tab @code{--weekly} @tab Report posting totals by week
+@item @code{-Y} @tab @code{--yearly} @tab Report posting totals by year
+@item @code{} @tab @code{--dow} @tab report Posting totals by day of week
+@item @code{-S EXPR} @tab @code{--sort EXPR} @tab Sorts a report using @code{EXPR}
+@item @code{-w} @tab @code{--wide} @tab Assume 132 columns instead of 80
+@item @code{} @tab @code{--head N} @tab Report the first N postings
+@item @code{} @tab @code{--tail N} @tab Report the last N postings
+@item @code{} @tab @code{--pager prog} @tab Direct output @code{prog} pager program
+@item @code{-A} @tab @code{--average} @tab Reports average posting value
+@item @code{-D} @tab @code{--deviation} @tab Reports each posting deviation from the average
+@item @code{-%} @tab @code{--percentage} @tab Show subtotals in the balance report as percentages
+@item @code{} @tab @code{--totals} @tab Include running total in the @code{xml} report
+@item @code{-j} @tab @code{--amount-data} @tab Show only date and value column
+@item @code{-J} @tab @code{--total-data} @tab Show only dates and totals
+@item @code{-d EXPR} @tab @code{--display EXPR} @tab Limit only the display of certain postings
+@item @code{-y STR} @tab @code{--date-format STR} @tab Change the basic date format used in reports
+@item @code{-F STR} @tab @code{--format STR} @tab Set reporting format
+@item @code{} @tab @code{--balance-format STR} @tab
+@item @code{} @tab @code{--register-format STR} @tab
+@item @code{} @tab @code{--print-format STR} @tab
+@item @code{-j register} @tab @code{--plot-amount-format STR} @tab
+@item @code{-J register} @tab @code{--plot-total-format STR} @tab
+@item @code{} @tab @code{--equity-format STR} @tab
+@item @code{} @tab @code{--prices-format STR} @tab
+@item @code{-w register} @tab @code{--wide-register-format STR} @tab
+@end multitable
+
+@node Commodity Reporting Quick Reference,  , Output Customization Quick Reference, Command Line Quick Reference
+@subsection Commodity Reporting
+
+@multitable @columnfractions .1 .25 .65
+@item @strong{Short} @tab @strong{Long} @tab @strong{Description}
+@item @code{} @tab @code{--price-db FILE} @tab Use @file{FILE} for retrieving downloaded commodity prices
+@item @code{-L MINS} @tab @code{--price-exp MINS} @tab Set expected freshness of prices in minutes
+@item @code{-Q} @tab @code{--download} @tab Download quotes using @code{getquote}
+@item @code{-O} @tab @code{--quantity} @tab  Report commodity totals without conversion
+@item @code{-B} @tab @code{--basis} @tab Report cost basis
+@item @code{-V} @tab @code{--market} @tab Report last known market value
+@item @code{-G} @tab @code{--gain} @tab  Report net gain loss for commodities that have a price history
+@end multitable
+
+@node Principles of Accounting, Keeping a Journal, Ledger Tutorial , Top
+@chapter Principles of Accounting
+
+@node Keeping a Journal, Command-line Syntax, Principles of Accounting, Top
+@chapter Keeping a Journal
+
+The most important part of accounting is keeping a good journal.  If you
+have a good journal, tools can be written to work whatever mathematical
+tricks you need to better understand your spending patterns.  Without a
+good journal, no tool, however smart, can help you.
+
+The LEDGER program aims at making journal transactions as simple as
+possible.  Since it is a command-line tool, it does not provide a user
+interface for keeping a journal.  If you like, you may use GnuCash to
+maintain your journal, in which case LEDGER will read
+GnuCash's data files directly.  In that case, read the GnuCash manual
+now, and skip to the next chapter.
+
+If you are not using GnuCash, but a text editor to maintain your
+journal, read on.  LEDGER has been designed to make data transactions as
+simple as possible, by keeping the journal format easy, and also by
+automagically determining as much information as possible based on the
+nature of your transactions.
+
+For example, you do not need to tell LEDGER about the accounts you
+use.  Any time LEDGER sees a posting involving an account it knows
+nothing about, it will create it@footnote{This also means if you
+misspell an account it will end up getting counted separately from what
+you intended.  The provided Emacs major mode provides for automatically
+filling in account names.}.  If you use a commodity that is new to
+LEDGER, it will create that commodity, and determine its display
+characteristics (placement of the symbol before or after the amount,
+display precision, etc) based on how you used the commodity in the
+posting.
+
+@menu
+* Most Basic Entry::            
+* Currency and Commodities::    
+* Structuring Your Accounts::   
+* Advanced Transactions::       
+* File Format::                 
+* Archiving Previous Years ::   
+@end menu
+
+@node Most Basic Entry, Currency and Commodities, Keeping a Journal, Keeping a Journal
+@section The Most Basic Entry
+
+Here is the Pacific Bell example from above, given as a LEDGER
+posting, with the additional of a check number:
+
+@smallexample
+9/29 (1023) Pacific Bell
+    Expenses:Utilities:Phone                   $23.00
+    Assets:Checking                           $-23.00
+@end smallexample
+
+As you can see, it is very similar to what would be written on paper,
+minus the computed balance totals, and adding in account names that work
+better with LEDGER's scheme of things.  In fact, since
+LEDGER is smart about many things, you don't need to specify the
+balanced amount, if it is the same as the first line:
+
+@smallexample
+9/29 (1023) Pacific Bell
+    Expenses:Utilities:Phone                   $23.00
+    Assets:Checking
+@end smallexample
+
+For this transaction, LEDGER will figure out that $-23.00 must come from
+@samp{Assets:Checking} in order to balance the transaction.
+
+Also note the structure of the account entries.  There is an implied
+hierarchy established by separating with colons (see @pxref{Structuring Your Accounts}).
+
+
+
+@strong{The format is very flexible and it isn't necessary that you
+indent and space out things exactly as shown. The only requirements are
+that the start of the transaction (the date typically) is at the
+beginning of the first line of the transaction, and the accounts are
+indented by at least one space.  If you omit the leading spaces in the
+account lines LEDGER will not count the transaction and will not
+give an error.  There must be at least two spaces, or a tab, between the
+amount and the account.  If you do not have adequate separation between
+the amount and the account LEDGER will give an error and stop
+calculating}
+
+@node Currency and Commodities, Structuring Your Accounts, Most Basic Entry, Keeping a Journal
+@section Currency and Commodities
+
+LEDGER is agnostic when it comes to how you value your accounts.
+Dollars, Euros, Pounds, Francs, Shares etc. are just ``commodities''.
+Holdings in stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other financial instruments
+can be labelled using whatever is convenient for you (stock ticker
+symbols are suggested for publicly traded assets).@footnote{you can
+track ANYTHING, even time or distance travelled. As long as it cannot be
+created or destroyed inside your accounting system.}
+
+For the rest of this manual, we will only use the word ``commodities''
+when refering to the units on a transaction value.
+
+This is fundamentally different than many common accounting packages,
+which assume the same currency throughout all of your accounts.  This
+means if you typically operate in Euros, but travel to the US and have
+some expenses, you would have to do the currency conversion BEFORE you
+made the entry into your financial system.  With ledger this is not
+required.  In the same journal you can have entries in any or all
+commodities you actually hold.  You can use the reporting capabilities
+to convert all commodities to a single commodity for reporting purposes
+without ever changing the underlying entry.
+
+For example, the following entries reflect transaction made for a
+business trip to Europe from the US:
+
+@smallexample
+2011/09/23 Cash in Munich
+    Assets:Cash                               E50.00
+    Assets:Checking                          $-66.00
+
+2011/09/24 Dinner in Munich
+    Expenses:Business:Travel                  E35.00
+    Assets:Cash
+@end smallexample
+
+This says that $66.00 came out of checking and turned into 50 Euros. The
+implied exchange rate was $1.32.  Then 35.00 Euros was spent on Dinner
+in Munich.
+
+Running a ledger balance report shows:
+@smallexample
+$ ledger -f example.dat bal 
+             $-66.00
+              E15.00  Assets
+              E15.00    Cash
+             $-66.00    Checking
+              E35.00  Expenses:Business:Travel
+--------------------
+             $-66.00
+              E50.00
+@end smallexample
+
+The top two lines show my current assets as $-66.00 in checking (in this
+very short example I didn't establish opening an opening balance for the
+checking account) and E15.00.  After spending on dinner i have E15.00 in
+my wallet.  The bottom line balances to zero, but is shown in two lines
+since we haven't told ledger to convert commodities.
+
+
+@node Structuring Your Accounts, Advanced Transactions, Currency and Commodities, Keeping a Journal
+@section Structuring your Accounts
+
+There really are no requirements for how you do this, but to preserve
+your sanity we suggest some very basic structure to your accounting
+system.
+
+At the highest level you have five sorts of accounts:
+@enumerate
+@item 
+Expenses: where money goes
+@item 
+Assets: where money sits
+@item
+Income: where moeny comes from
+@item
+Liabilities: money you owe
+@item 
+Equity: the real value of your property. 
+@end enumerate
+
+Starting the structure off this way will make it simpler for you to get
+answers to the questions you really need to ask about your finances.
+
+Beneath these top level accounts you can have any level of detail you
+desire.  For example, if you want to keep specific track of how much you spend on
+burgers and fries, you could have the following:
+@smallexample
+Expenses:Food:Hamburgers and Fries
+@end smallexample
+
+
+
+
+@node Advanced Transactions, File Format, Structuring Your Accounts, Keeping a Journal
+@section Advanced Transactions
+@menu
+* Transaction Notes and Tags::  
+* Multiple Account Transactions::  
+* Virtual Transactions::        
+* Automatic Transactions::      
+* Periodic Transactions::       
+* Recording Commodity Lot Prices::  
+* Commodity Pricing Problem::   
+@end menu
+
+@node Transaction Notes and Tags, Multiple Account Transactions, Advanced Transactions, Advanced Transactions
+@subsection Transaction Notes and Tags
+
+LEDGER 3.0 supports entry and transaction ``notes'', which may  
+contain new metadata and tag markers.  Here's an example:
+
+@smallexample
+   2004/05/27 (100) Credit card company
+       ; This is an entry note!
+       ; Sample: Value
+       Liabilities:MasterCard         $20.00
+       ; This is a transaction note!
+       ; Sample: Another Value
+       ; :MyTag:
+       Assets:Bank:Checking
+       ; :AnotherTag:
+@end smallexample
+
+An indented paragraph starting with `;' is parsed as a persistent note  
+for its preceding category.  These notes will get printed back to you  
+with the ``print'' command.  They are accessible to value expressions  
+using the ``note'' variable.
+
+Further, any occurrence of ``:foo:'' in a note will cause a metadata tag  
+for "foo" to be registered for that entry.  You can then search for  
+such transactions using:
+
+@smallexample
+   ledger reg %foo
+   ledger reg tag foo
+@end smallexample
+
+Also, if any word in the note ends (but does not start) with a colon,  
+the remainder of that line will be taken to be the metadata value for  
+that tag.  That is:
+
+@smallexample
+   ; :foo:bar:baz:  <-- These are three tags
+   ; name: value    <-- this is a tag with a value
+@end smallexample
+
+Tags with value can be searched for just like tags.  In addition, you  
+can further limit your tag search by looking for only those tags that  
+have specific values:
+
+@smallexample
+   ledger reg %name=value
+   ledger reg tag name=value
+@end smallexample
+
+The group-by and sort functions also support tags:
+@smallexample
+ledger --group-by "tag('foo')" bal 
+@end smallexample
+Will produce a balance summary of all transanction with tag `foo' group
+by transactions wiht the same value for `foo'.
+
+@smallexample
+ledger reg --sort "tag('foo')" %foo
+@end smallexample
+Produces a register view with the transaction have tag `foo' sorted by
+the tags value.
+
+Comments that occur before an entry, or which starts at column zero, are
+always ignored and are neither searched nor printed back.
+
+If a posting comment is a date (with brackets), it modifies the date for that posting:
+@smallexample
+2010/02/01 Sample
+  Assets:Bank  $400.00
+  Income:Check  $-400.00 ; [2010/01/01]
+@end smallexample
+You can use metadata to override the payee field for individual postings within a transaction: (source)
+
+@smallexample 
+2010/06/17 Sample
+  Assets:Bank  $400.00
+  Income:Check1  $-100.00 ; Payee: Person One
+  Income:Check2  $-100.00 ; Payee: Person Two
+  Income:Check3  $-100.00 ; Payee: Person Three
+  Income:Check4  $-100.00 ; Payee: Person Four
+@end smallexample
+Metadata are normally strings, but you can create metadata of other types:
+
+@smallexample 
+2010/06/17 Sample
+  Assets:Bank  $400.00
+  Income:Check1  $-100.00
+  ; Date:: [2010/09/01]
+  ; Amount:: $100.00
+@end smallexample
+(Note that this Date tag is not the same as the posting date.)
+
+There are now tag/pop directives, to apply metadata to a range of transactions (and their postings). For example, if you wanted a conceptual "page" of transactions relating to business trip to Chicago, you could do this:
+
+@smallexample
+ tag Location: Chicago
+ tag Purpose: Business
+
+ ... transactions go here
+
+ pop
+ pop
+@end smallexample
+It would be as if you'd applied "; Location: Chicago", etc., to every transaction.
+
+@node Multiple Account Transactions, Virtual Transactions, Transaction Notes and Tags, Advanced Transactions
+@subsection Multiple Account Transactions
+
+Often times a transaction needs to be split across several accounts.  This is trivially simple in a LEDGER journal:
+
+@smallexample
+2011/09/15 * Deposit Acme Bytepumps Monthly Paycheck
+    Income:Taxable:Acme Bytepumps Inc.     $-2500.00
+    Assets:Brokerage:Checking                $175.00
+    Assets:Investments:401K Deferred         $250.00
+    Expenses:Tax:Medicare                     $36.25
+    Expenses:Tax:Federal Tax                 $200.00
+    Expenses:Tax:State Tax                    $20.00
+    Expenses:Insurance:Life                   $18.75
+    Assets:Credit Union:Joint Checking     
+@end smallexample
+
+This is an example of a paycheck entry.  THe money comes OUT of your
+income account, and is spent into several other accounts.  The last line
+doesn't require an amount, as ledger will automatically balance the
+transaction (it will be $1800 into the Joint Checking account)
+
+
+@node Virtual Transactions, Automatic Transactions, Multiple Account Transactions, Advanced Transactions
+@subsection Virtual Transactions
+
+
+A virtual posting is when you, in your mind, see money as moving
+to a certain place, when in reality that money has not moved at all.
+There are several scenarios in which this type of tracking comes in
+handy, and each of them will be discussed in detail.
+
+To enter a virtual posting, surround the account name in
+parentheses.  This form of usage does not need to balance.  However,
+if you want to ensure the virtual posting balances with other
+virtual postings in the same transaction, use square brackets.  For
+example:
+
+@smallexample
+10/2 Paycheck
+    Assets:Checking                        $1000.00
+    Income:Salary                         $-1000.00
+    (Debt:Alimony)                          $200.00
+@end smallexample
+
+In this example, after receiving a paycheck an alimony debt is
+increased---even though no money has moved around yet.
+
+@smallexample
+10/2  Paycheck
+    Assets:Checking                        $1000.00
+    Income:Salary                         $-1000.00
+    [Savings:Trip]                          $200.00
+    [Assets:Checking]                      $-200.00
+@end smallexample
+
+In this example, $200 has been deducted from checking toward savings
+for a trip.  It will appear as though the money has been moved from
+the account into @samp{Savings:Trip}, although no money has actually
+moved anywhere.
+
+When balances are displayed, virtual postings will be factored in.
+To view balances without any virtual balances factored in, using the
+@option{-R} flag, for ``reality''.
+
+
+@node Automatic Transactions, Periodic Transactions, Virtual Transactions, Advanced Transactions
+@subsection Automatic Transactions
+
+As a Bahá'í, I need to compute Huqúqu'lláh whenever I acquire assets.
+It is similar to tithing for Jews and Christians, or to Zakát for
+Muslims.  The exact details of computing Huqúqu'lláh are somewhat
+complex, but if you have further interest, please consult the Web.
+
+Ledger makes this otherwise difficult law very easy.  Just set up an
+automated posting at the top of your ledger file:
+
+@smallexample
+; This automated transaction will compute Huqúqu'lláh based on this
+; journal's postings.  Any that match will affect the
+; Liabilities:Huququ'llah account by 19% of the value of that posting.
+
+= /^(?:Income:|Expenses:(?:Business|Rent$|Furnishings|Taxes|Insurance))/
+  (Liabilities:Huququ'llah)               0.19
+@end smallexample
+
+This automated posting works by looking at each posting in the
+ledger file.  If any match the given value expression, 19% of the
+posting's value is applied to the @samp{Liabilities:Huququ'llah}
+account.  So, if $1000 is earned from @samp{Income:Salary}, $190 is
+added to @samp{Liabilities:Huqúqu'lláh}; if $1000 is spent on Rent,
+$190 is subtracted.  The ultimate balance of Huqúqu'lláh reflects how
+much is owed in order to fulfill one's obligation to Huqúqu'lláh.
+When ready to pay, just write a check to cover the amount shown in
+@samp{Liabilities:Huququ'llah}.  That transaction would look like:
+
+@smallexample
+2003/01/01 (101) Baha'i Huqúqu'lláh Trust
+    Liabilities:Huququ'llah          $1,000.00
+    Assets:Checking
+@end smallexample
+
+That's it.  To see how much Huqúq is currently owed based on your
+ledger transactions, use:
+
+@smallexample
+ledger balance Liabilities:Huquq
+@end smallexample
+
+This works fine, but omits one aspect of the law: that Huquq is only
+due once the liability exceeds the value of 19 mithqáls of gold (which
+is roughly 2.22 ounces).  So what we want is for the liability to
+appear in the balance report only when it exceeds the present day
+value of 2.22 ounces of gold.  This can be accomplished using the
+command:
+
+@smallexample
+ledger -Q -t "/Liab.*Huquq/?(a/P@{2.22 AU@}<=@{-1.0@}&a):a" -s bal liab
+@end smallexample
+
+With this command, the current price for gold is downloaded, and the
+Huqúqu'lláh is reported only if its value exceeds that of 2.22 ounces
+of gold.  If you wish the liability to be reflected in the parent
+subtotal either way, use this instead:
+
+@smallexample
+ledger -Q -T "/Liab.*Huquq/?(O/P@{2.22 AU@}<=@{-1.0@}&O):O" -s bal liab
+@end smallexample
+
+In some cases, you may wish to refer to the account of whichever
+posting matched your automated transaction's value expression.  To do
+this, use the special account name @samp{$account}:
+
+@smallexample
+= /^Some:Long:Account:Name/
+  [$account]  -0.10
+  [Savings]    0.10
+@end smallexample
+
+This example causes 10% of the matching account's total to be deferred
+to the @samp{Savings} account---as a balanced virtual posting,
+which may be excluded from reports by using @option{--real}.
+
+Automated transactions can use the full range of value expressions in
+their predicate.  If you wanted to specify a transaction only occur to
+certain accounts that meet cetain value criteria you could specify:
+
+@smallexample
+= /Employees:.*:Payroll$/ and expr (amount >= $1000 and amount < $10000)
+  Expenses:Tax  0.27
+@end smallexample
+In this case, @samp{amount} is tied to the amount of the posting being
+tested.
+
+But, wait! There's more!
+
+In the short example above we calculated the taxes due for income within
+a certain bracket.  But in reality this calculation is more difficult.
+There are different rate for difference marginal incomes and those taxes
+are not easily descirbe by a simple multiplicative coefficient.
+Automated transaction can use value expressions in there posting to
+determine the ammounts.  So to expand the example above for a three tax
+bracket system we could enter:
+
+@smallexample
+= /Employees:.*:Payroll$/ and expr (amount < $10000.00)
+  (Expenses:Tax)  0.1
+= /Employees:.*:Payroll$/ and expr (amount > $10000.00 and amount < $100000.00 )
+  (Expenses:Tax)  ($1000.00 + .15 * (amount - $10000.00))
+= /Employees:.*:Payroll$/ and expr (amount > $100000.00)
+  (Expenses:Tax)  ($13500.00 + .20 * (amount-$100000.00))
+@end smallexample
+
+
+@node Periodic Transactions, Recording Commodity Lot Prices, Automatic Transactions, Advanced Transactions
+@subsection Periodic Transactions
+
+A periodic transaction starts with a ~ followed by a period expression.
+Periodic transactions are used for budgeting and forecasting only, they
+have no effect withouth the @samp{--budget} option specified.
+
+See @ref{Budgeting and Forecasting} for examples and details.
+
+@node Recording Commodity Lot Prices, Commodity Pricing Problem, Periodic Transactions, Advanced Transactions
+@subsection Recording Commodity Lot Prices
+
+If you are tracking investments it is often necessary to keep track of
+specific purchases of a commodity bought at difference prices.  These
+specific purchases are referred to as ``lots''.  Tracking lots using ledger
+requires some additional info in the journal as well as additional
+command-line options when generating reports.
+
+Say you want to record purchase of two separate lots of ACME, then sell
+some shares.  The correct way to do this is:
+
+@smallexample
+2010-09-01 * Buy 2 shares of ACME @@ $100
+   Assets:Broker                                  2 ACME @@ $100.00
+   Assets:Cash
+
+2010-09-10 * Buy 2 share of ACME @@ $110
+   Assets:Broker                                  2 ACME @@ $110.00
+   Assets:Cash
+
+2011-09-20 * Sell 2 shares of ACME @@ $150
+   Assets:Broker                       -1 ACME @{$100.00@} @@ $150.00
+   Assets:Broker                       -1 ACME @{$200.00@} @@ $150.00
+   Assets:Cash
+@end smallexample
+
+To report which lots of commodities you hold, use the
+@samp{--lot-prices} option.  For example, after buying the 2 shares at
+$100 and 1 at $200 it would show you:
+@smallexample
+$ ledger balance --lot-prices Assets:Broker until 2011-09-15
+    2 ACME @{$100.00@}
+    1 ACME @{$200.00@}  Assets:Broker
+@end smallexample
+@noindent without the @samp{--lot-prices} option you would only see the total number of shares you held:
+@smallexample
+$ ledger balance  Assets:Broker until 2011-09-15
+    3 ACME  Assets:Broker
+@end smallexample
+@noindent and after the sale on @samp{2011-09-20} it would show you:
+@smallexample
+$ ledger balance --lot-prices Assets:Broker
+    1 ACME @{$100.00@}  Assets:Broker
+@end smallexample
+
+@node Commodity Pricing Problem,  , Recording Commodity Lot Prices, Advanced Transactions
+@subsection  Commodity Valuation
+
+[THIS SUBSECTION COULD BELONG IN REPORTING SECTION, OR MAYBE EVEN SPLIT BETWEEN THE TWO]
+
+
+Often you will be more interested in the value of your entire holdings, in
+your preferred currency.  It might be nice to know you hold 10,000 shares
+of PENNY, but you are more interested in whether or not that is worth
+$1000.00 or $10,000.00.  However, the current day value of a commodity can
+mean different things to different people, depending on the accounts
+involved, the commodities, the nature of the transactions, etc.
+
+When you specify @samp{-V}, or @samp{-X COMM}, you are requesting that
+some or all of the commodities be valuated as of today (or whatever
+@samp{--now} is set to).  But what does such a valuation mean?  This
+meaning is governed by the presence of a @samp{VALUE} metadata
+property, whose content is an expression used to compute that value.
+
+If no VALUE property is specified, each posting is assumed to have a default,
+as if you'd specified a global, automated transaction as follows:
+
+@smallexample
+  = expr true
+    ; VALUE:: market(amount, date, exchange)
+@end smallexample
+This definition emulates the present day behavior of -V and -X (in the case of
+-X, the requested commodity is passed via the string 'exchange' above).
+
+One thing many people have wanted to do is to fixate the valuation of old
+European currencies in terms of the Euro after a certain date:
+
+@smallexample
+  = expr commodity == "DM"
+    ; VALUE:: date < [Jun 2008] ? market(amount, date, exchange) : 1.44 EUR
+@end smallexample
+
+This says: If --now is some old date, use market prices as they were at that
+time; but if --now is past June 2008, use a fixed price for converting Deutsch
+Mark to Euro.
+
+Or how about never re-valuating commodities used in Expenses, since they
+cannot have a different future value:
+
+@smallexample
+  = /^Expenses:/
+    ; VALUE:: market(amount, post.date, exchange)
+@end smallexample
+
+This says the future valuation is the same as the valuation at the time of
+posting.  post.date equals the posting's date, while just 'date' is the value
+of --now (defaults to today).
+
+Or how about valuating miles based on a reimbursement rate during a specific
+time period:
+
+
+@smallexample
+  = expr commodity == "miles" and date >= [2007] and date < [2008]
+    ; VALUE:: market($1.05, date, exchange)
+@end smallexample
+
+In this case, miles driven in 2007 will always be valuated at $1.05 each.  If
+you use -X EUR to expressly request all amounts in Euro, Ledger shall convert
+$1.05 to Euro by whatever means are appropriate for dollars.
+
+Note that you can have a valuation expression specific to a particular posting
+or transaction, by overriding these general defaults using specific metadata:
+
+@smallexample
+
+  2010-12-26 Example
+      Expenses:Food                $20
+      ; Just to be silly, always valuate *these* $20 as 30 DM, no matter what
+      ; the user asks for with -V or -X
+      ; VALUE:: 30 DM
+      Assets:Cash
+@end smallexample
+
+This example demonstrates that your VALUE expression should be as symbolic as
+possible, using terms like 'amount' and 'date', rather than specific amounts
+and dates.  Also, you should pass the amount along to the function 'market' so
+it can be further revalued if the user has asked for a specific currency.
+
+Or, if it better suits your accounting, you can be less symbolic, which allows
+you to report most everything in EUR if you use -X EUR, except for certain
+accounts or postings which should always be valuated in another currency.  For
+example:
+
+@smallexample
+  = /^Assets:Brokerage:CAD$/
+    ; Always report the value of commodities in this account in 
+    ; terms of present day dollars, despite what was asked for 
+    ; on the command-line VALUE:: market(amount, date, '$')
+@end smallexample
+
+I think this scheme, of using predicated value expressions which can be
+generalized in automated transactions, and made specific via transaction and
+posting-based metadata, provides sufficient flexibility to express most of the
+use cases which have occurred on this topic.
+
+
+Ledger presently has no way of handling such things as FIFO and LIFO.
+
+If you specify an unadorned commodity name, like AAPL, it will balance
+against itself.  If --lots are not being displayed, then it will appear
+to balance against any lot of AAPL.
+
+If you specify an adorned commodity, like AAPL @{$10.00@}, it will also
+balance against itself, and against any AAPL if --lots is not specified.
+But if you do specify --lot-prices, for example, then it will balance
+against that specific price for AAPL.
+
+I may, for the sake of reporting *only*, be able to implement some sort
+of guessing strategy, based on the order in which transactions appear in
+the data file...  But I'll have to think about this a lot more, and it
+would be a 3.1 thing.
+
+@smallexample
+> b) I don't see how this VALUE property can differentiate between -V
+> and -B.  Does this imply that you want to get rid of the -B option and
+> simply let users define what VALUE they get with -V?  If so, I think
+> this would be a bad idea... I really like the ability to see different
+> valuation methods using command line options (i.e. -B for cost basis
+> and -V for market value).  (Incidentally, while I initially liked your
+> example of using the posting date for Expenses, I later realized that
+> I sometimes use -V to see what my expenses (in a foreign currency)
+> would have been if I bought everything at today's exchange rate.)
+@end smallexample
+-V and -B are entirely unrelated.  Perhaps I could support a BASIS
+property setting, for customizing -B in the same way VALUE
+customizes -V...
+
+@smallexample
+> c) I never fully understood what -X does exactly but afaik -X is a
+> special version of -V.  However, I believe that -X should _only_ do
+> conversion.  This would allow -X to be combined with other options,
+> such as -X and -V.  Example: let's say I bought 10 shares for 10.00
+> GBP and they are now worth 15.00.  Because my main assets are in EUR,
+> I want to see what those shares are worth in EUR.  Since I'm
+> conservative I want to see the cost basis, i.e. I want to use -B and
+> -X EUR together. (This actually works today but I'm told this is an
+> accident and won't work in all cases.)
+@end smallexample
+-V asks for the present day value of all commodities, and lets Ledger
+pick the target commodity based on its own hueristics.  -X is the same
+as -V, except that it overrides those hueristics and forces the target
+commodity.  (Although, as you've seen, the VALUE property could now
+countermand that).
+
+There are reasons why -X can't be applied to any report.  Mainly it has
+to do with rounding.  For example, let's say I have 10 postings that
+each trade 1 DM, and the value of 1 DM is 0.001 EUR.  If I add all
+10 DM and then apply -X, I get 0.01 EUR.  But if I apply -X to each
+1 DM and *then* total them, I get 0.00 EUR.
+
+This becomes very important to Ledger because -X is applied to totals,
+not just to individual amounts.  I'm going to have to use some magic
+internally to avoid this problem with the VALUE property (in most, but
+not all, cases).
+
+And so, -X gets applied after, when the posting-origin of the
+commodities has been lost -- required information if a basis cost
+calculation is to be deferred.
+
+The alternative would involve ever-growing lists of individual amounts,
+which would slow many parts of Ledger from O(N) to O(N^2).  Plus, it
+still wouldn't solve the rounding problem.
+
+
+> Ledger presently has no way of handling such things as FIFO and LIFO.
+
+Yeah, I know... but I think it's a feature that ledger should
+eventually get (obviously not for 3.0).
+
+@smallexample
+> If you specify an adorned commodity, like AAPL @{$10.00@}, it will also
+> balance against itself, and against any AAPL if --lots is not specified.
+> But if you do specify --lot-prices, for example, then it will balance
+> against that specific price for AAPL.
+> 
+> I may, for the sake of reporting *only*, be able to implement some sort
+> of guessing strategy, based on the order in which transactions appear in
+> the data file...
+@end smallexample
+Why for reporting only?  It seems to me that ledger has all the
+information to do FIFO and LIFO properly (i.e. to remove the right
+commodities from the list).  Let's take this example:
+
+@smallexample
+
+2011-01-01 * Buy AAA
+    Assets:Shares                             5 AAA @ 10.00 EUR
+    Assets:Cash
+
+2011-01-03 * Buy AAA
+    Assets:Shares                             2 AAA @ 10.00 EUR
+    Assets:Cash
+
+2011-01-11 * Buy AAA
+    Assets:Shares                             5 AAA @ 12.00 EUR
+    Assets:Cash
+
+2011-01-21 * Buy AAA
+    Assets:Shares                             5 AAA @ 13.00 EUR
+    Assets:Cash
+@end smallexample
+
+So we end up with (ledger --lots):
+
+@smallexample
+5 AAA @{10.00 EUR@} [2011/01/01]
+2 AAA @{10.00 EUR@} [2011/01/03]
+5 AAA @{12.00 EUR@} [2011/01/11]
+5 AAA @{13.00 EUR@} [2011/01/21]  Assets:Shares
+@end smallexample
+
+So if I sell 6 shares now, according to FIFO, I would do:
+
+@smallexample
+2011-02-01 * Sell AAA
+    Assets:Shares                          -5 AAA @{10.00 EUR@} [2011/01/01] @ 
+13.50 EUR
+    Assets:Shares                          -1 AAA @{10.00 EUR@} [2011/01/03] @ 
+13.50 EUR
+    Assets:Cash
+@end smallexample
+
+ledger --lots:
+
+@smallexample
+1 AAA @{10.00 EUR@} [2011/01/03]
+5 AAA @{12.00 EUR@} [2011/01/11]
+5 AAA @{13.00 EUR@} [2011/01/21]  Assets:Shares
+@end smallexample
+
+According to LIFO, I would do this instead:
+
+@smallexample
+2011-02-01 * Sell AAA
+    Assets:Shares                          -5 AAA @{13.00 EUR@} [2011/01/21] @ 
+13.50 EUR
+    Assets:Shares                          -1 AAA @{12.00 EUR@} [2011/01/11] @ 
+13.50 EUR
+    Assets:Cash
+@end smallexample
+
+In other words, you can manually do FIFO and LIFO with ledger already.
+However, it would be great if ledger would make this easier, e.g. that
+you could specify:
+
+@smallexample
+ 2011-02-01 * Sell AAA
+    Assets:Shares                          -6 AAA @{FIFO@} @ 13.50 EUR
+    Assets:Cash
+@end smallexample
+
+and ledger would iterate through all AAA commodities and take out the
+right ones (after all, it knows the date and price).
+
+The only thing I don't think is possible with ledger at the moment is
+average cost.  I'm also not sure how --lot-dates should behave for
+average cost.
+
+@smallexample
+> There are reasons why -X can't be applied to any report.  Mainly it has
+> to do with rounding.  For example, let's say I have 10 postings that
+> each trade 1 DM, and the value of 1 DM is 0.001 EUR.  If I add all
+> 10 DM and then apply -X, I get 0.01 EUR.  But if I apply -X to each
+> 1 DM and *then* total them, I get 0.00 EUR.
+@end smallexample
+Thanks for the explanation... what I was thinking of is that ledger
+would just produce a report according to -V or -B or whatever and
+*then* convert it with -X.  I use a shell script to do this for now:
+
+@smallexample
+GBP2EUR="117/100"
+
+eurgbp=$(ledger -f $FILE -p "until $YEAR-$NEXT_MONTH-01" -B bal "^assets" 
+"^liabilities" | egrep " (EUR|GBP)$" | tail -n 2)
+eur=$(echo "$eurgbp" | grep "EUR" | sed 's/ EUR//')
+gbp=$(echo "$eurgbp" | grep "GBP" | sed 's/ GBP//')
+eur=$(echo "$eur" | sed 's/\..*//')
+gbp=$(echo "$gbp" | sed 's/\..*//')
+gbpineur=$(($gbp*$GBP2EUR))
+echo "      " $(($eur + $gbpineur)) "   EUR   Total"
+@end smallexample
+
+I'm kinda surprised that you no longer think it's a good idea to split
+-X from -V.  Last time I brought this up on IRC, you thought it was a
+good idea:
+
+@smallexample
+10:44 < johnw> I think having -H, in addition to -X, may make what you want
+ to see both natural and simple
+10:45 < johnw> you'd use -H for income/expense accounts, and -X for
+ assets/liabilities
+10:45 < johnw> -H = historical values
+10:45 < johnw> -X = current exchange values
+10:45 < tbm> so what's the difference between -X and -V again?
+10:45 < johnw> -V is an automated version of -X
+10:45 < johnw> it tries to figure out what the reported commodity should be
+10:45 < johnw> we may then need an automated version of -H, to complete the
+ reflection
+10:46 < johnw> btw, this is just an inside-out version of my "final"
+ feature :)
+10:46 < tbm> why not change the meaning of -X to _only do conversion_?  And
+ then you could combine -X with -B, -V or -H
+10:46 < johnw> instead of having it be syntactic, we're moving the semantic
+ difference to a difference in options
+10:46 < johnw> oh HMM
+10:46 < johnw> -X with -B, -V and -I
+10:46 < johnw> (and -O, incidentally)
+10:46 < johnw> O = amount, B = cost, V = market value, I = price
+10:47 < johnw> that's really an excellent suggestion
+10:48 < johnw> i'd still need a flag to mean "historical" vs "current"
+10:48 < johnw> as well as "target commodity" (-X)
+@end smallexample
+
+@node File Format, Archiving Previous Years , Advanced Transactions, Keeping a Journal
+@section File Format for Users
+
+The ledger file format is quite simple, but also very flexible.  It
+supports many options, though typically the user can ignore most of
+them.  They are summarized below.
+
+The initial character of each line determines what the line means, and
+how it should be interpreted.  Allowable initial characters are:
+
+@table @code
+@item NUMBER
+A line beginning with a number denotes a transaction.  It may be followed
+by any number of lines, each beginning with whitespace, to denote the
+transaction's account postings.  The format of the first line is:
+
+@smallexample
+DATE[=EDATE] [*|!] [(CODE)] DESC
+@end smallexample
+
+If @samp{*} appears after the date (with optional effective date), it
+indicates the transaction is ``cleared'', which can mean whatever the user
+wants it to mean.  If @samp{!} appears after the date, it indicates d
+the transaction is ``pending''; i.e., tentatively cleared from the user's
+point of view, but not yet actually cleared.  If a @samp{CODE} appears
+in parentheses, it may be used to indicate a check number, or the type
+of the posting.  Following these is the payee, or a description of
+the posting.
+
+The format of each following posting is:
+
+@smallexample
+  ACCOUNT  AMOUNT  [; NOTE]
+@end smallexample
+
+The @samp{ACCOUNT} may be surrounded by parentheses if it is a virtual
+posting, or square brackets if it is a virtual posting that
+must balance.  The @samp{AMOUNT} can be followed by a per-unit
+posting cost, by specifying @samp{@@ AMOUNT}, or a complete
+posting cost with @samp{@@@@ AMOUNT}.  Lastly, the @samp{NOTE} may
+specify an actual and/or effective date for the posting by using
+the syntax @samp{[ACTUAL_DATE]} or @samp{[=EFFECTIVE_DATE]} or
+@samp{[ACTUAL_DATE=EFFECTIVE_DATE]}.(See @pxref{Virtual Transactions})
+
+@item =
+An automated transaction.  A value expression must appear after the equal
+sign.
+
+After this initial line there should be a set of one or more
+postings, just as if it were normal transaction.  If the amounts of the
+postings have no commodity, they will be applied as modifiers to
+whichever real posting is matched by the value expression(See @pxref{Automatic Transactions}).
+
+@item ~
+A period transaction.  A period expression must appear after the tilde.
+
+After this initial line there should be a set of one or more
+postings, just as if it were normal transaction.
+
+@item !
+A line beginning with an exclamation mark denotes a command directive.
+It must be immediately followed by the command word.  The supported
+commands are:
+
+@table @samp
+@item !include
+Include the stated journal file.
+
+@item !account
+The account name is given is taken to be the parent of all
+postings that follow, until @samp{!end} is seen.
+
+@item !end
+Ends an account block.
+@end table
+
+@item ;
+A line beginning with a colon indicates a comment, and is
+ignored. Comments will not be returned in a ``print'' response.
+@item indented ; 
+If the semi colon is indented and occurs inside a transaction, it is
+parsed as a persistent note for its preceding category.  These notes or
+tags can be used to augment to reporting and filtering capabilities of
+LEDGER.
+@item Y
+If a line begins with a capital Y, it denotes the year used for all
+subsequent transactions that give a date without a year.  The year should
+appear immediately after the Y, for example: @samp{Y2004}.  This is
+useful at the beginning of a file, to specify the year for that file.
+If all transactions specify a year, however, this command has no effect.
+
+@item P
+Specifies a historical price for a commodity.  These are usually found
+in a pricing history file (see the @option{-Q} option).  The syntax
+is:
+@smallexample
+P DATE SYMBOL PRICE
+@end smallexample
+
+@item N SYMBOL
+Indicates that pricing information is to be ignored for a given
+symbol, nor will quotes ever be downloaded for that symbol.  Useful
+with a home currency, such as the dollar ($).  It is recommended that
+these pricing options be set in the price database file, which
+defaults to @file{~/.pricedb}.  The syntax for this command is:
+@smallexample
+N SYMBOL
+@end smallexample
+
+@item D AMOUNT
+Specifies the default commodity to use, by specifying an amount in the
+expected format.  The @command{transaction} command will use this commodity
+as the default when none other can be determined.  This command may be
+used multiple times, to set the default flags for different
+commodities; whichever is seen last is used as the default commodity.
+For example, to set US dollars as the default commodity, while also
+setting the thousands flag and decimal flag for that commodity, use:
+@smallexample
+D $1,000.00
+@end smallexample
+
+@item C AMOUNT1 = AMOUNT2
+Specifies a commodity conversion, where the first amount is given to
+be equivalent to the second amount.  The first amount should use the
+decimal precision desired during reporting:
+@smallexample
+C 1.00 Kb = 1024 bytes
+@end smallexample
+
+@item i, o, b, h
+These four relate to timeclock support, which permits LEDGER to read
+timelog files.  See the timeclock's documentation for more info on the
+syntax of its timelog files.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Archiving Previous Years ,  , File Format, Keeping a Journal
+@section Archiving Previous Years
+
+
+After a while, your journal can get to be pretty large.  While this will
+not slow down LEDGER---it's designed to process journals very
+quickly---things can start to feel ``messy''; and it's a universal
+complaint that when finances feel messy, people avoid them.
+
+Thus, archiving the data from previous years into their own files can
+offer a sense of completion, and freedom from the past.  But how to best
+accomplish this with the ledger program?  There are two commands that
+make it very simple: @command{print}, and @command{equity}.
+
+Let's take an example file, with data ranging from year 2000 until 2004.
+We want to archive years 2000 and 2001 to their own file, leaving just
+2003 and 2004 in the current file.  So, use @command{print} to output
+all the earlier transactions to a file called @file{ledger-old.dat}:
+
+@smallexample
+ledger -f ledger.dat -b 2000 -e 2001 print > ledger-old.dat
+@end smallexample
+
+To delete older data from the current ledger file, use @command{print}
+again, this time specifying year 2002 as the starting date:
+
+@smallexample
+ledger -f ledger.dat -b 2002 print > x
+mv x ledger.dat
+@end smallexample
+
+However, now the current file contains @emph{only} postings from 2002
+onward, which will not yield accurate present-day balances, because the
+net income from previous years is no longer being tallied.  To
+compensate for this, we must append an equity report for the old ledger
+at the beginning of the new one:
+
+@smallexample
+ledger -f ledger-old.dat equity > equity.dat
+cat equity.dat ledger.dat > x
+mv x ledger.dat
+rm equity.dat
+@end smallexample
+
+Now the balances reported from @file{ledger.dat} are identical to what
+they were before the data was split.
+
+How often should you split your ledger?  You never need to, if you
+don't want to.  Even eighty years of data will not slow down ledger
+much---and that's just using present day hardware!  Or, you can keep
+the previous and current year in one file, and each year before that
+in its own file.  It's really up to you, and how you want to organize
+your finances.  For those who also keep an accurate paper trail, it
+might be useful to archive the older years to their own files, then
+burn those files to a CD to keep with the paper records---along with
+any electronic statements received during the year.  In the arena of
+organization, just keep in mind this maxim: Do whatever keeps you
+doing it.
+
+
+
+
+@node Command-line Syntax, Basic Reporting Commands, Keeping a Journal, Top
+@chapter Command-line Syntax
+
+
+@menu
+* Basic Usage::                 
+* Detailed Options Description::  
+* Period Expressions::          
+@end menu
+
+@node Basic Usage, Detailed Options Description, Command-line Syntax, Command-line Syntax
+@section Basic Usage
+
+This chapter describes LEDGER's features and options. You may wish to
+survey this to get an overview before diving in to the @ref{Ledger
+Tutorial} and more detailed examples that follow.
+
+LEDGER has a very simple command-line interface, named---enticingly
+enough---@command{ledger}.  It supports a few reporting commands, and
+a large number of options for refining the output from those commands.
+The basic syntax of any ledger command is:
+
+@smallexample
+ledger [OPTIONS...] COMMAND [ARGS...]
+@end smallexample
+
+After the command word there may appear any number of arguments.  For
+most commands, these arguments are regular expressions that cause the
+output to relate only to postings matching those regular expressions.
+For the @command{transaction} command, the arguments have a special
+meaning, described below.
+
+The regular expressions arguments always match the account name that a
+posting refers to.  To match on the payee of the transaction instead,
+precede the regular expression with @samp{payee} or @@.  For example, the
+following balance command reports account totals for rent, food and
+movies, but only those whose payee matches Freddie:
+
+@smallexample
+ledger bal rent food movies payee freddie
+@end smallexample
+@noindent or
+@smallexample
+ledger bal rent food movies @@freddie
+@end smallexample
+
+There are many, many command options available with the
+@command{ledger} command, and it takes a while to master them.
+However, none of them are required to use the basic reporting
+commands.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+@node Detailed Options Description, Period Expressions, Basic Usage, Command-line Syntax
+@section Detailed Option Description
+
+With all of the reports, command-line options are useful to modify the
+output generated.  The basic form for most commands is:
+
+@smallexample
+ledger [OPTIONS] COMMAND [REGEXPS...] [-- [REGEXPS...]]
+@end smallexample
+
+The @var{OPTIONS} and @var{REGEXPS} expressions are both optional.
+You could just use @samp{ledger balance}, without any options---which
+prints a summary of all accounts.  But for more specific reporting, or
+to change the appearance of the output, options are needed.
+
+@subsection Basic options
+
+These are the most basic command options.  Most likely, the user will
+want to set them using environment variables (see @ref{Environment Variables}),
+instead of using actual command-line options:
+
+@option{--help} (@option{-h}) prints a summary of all the options, and
+what they are used for.  This can be a handy way to remember which
+options do what.  This help screen is also printed if ledger is run
+without a command.
+
+@option{--version} (@option{-v}) prints the current version of ledger
+and exits.  This is useful for sending bug reports, to let the author
+know which version of ledger you are using.
+
+@option{--file FILE} (@option{-f FILE}) reads FILE as a ledger file.
+This command may be used multiple times.
+Typically, the environment variable
+@env{LEDGER_FILE} is set, rather than using this command-line option.
+
+@option{--output FILE} (@option{-o FILE}) redirects output from any
+command to @var{FILE}.  By default, all output goes to standard
+output.
+
+@option{--init-file FILE} (@option{-i FILE}) causes FILE to be read by
+ledger before any other ledger file.  This file may not contain any
+postings, but it may contain option settings.  To specify options
+in the init file, use the same syntax as the command-line, but put each
+option on it's own line.  Here's an example init file:
+
+@smallexample
+--price-db ~/finance/.pricedb
+--cache /tmp/ledger-cache
+
+; ~/.ledgerrc ends here
+@end smallexample
+
+Option settings on the command-line or in the environment always take
+precedence over settings in the init file.
+
+@option{--cache FILE} identifies FILE as the default binary cache
+file.  That is, if the ledger files to be read are specified using the
+environment variable @env{LEDGER_FILE}, then whenever a command is
+finished a binary copy will be written to the specified cache, to
+speed up the loading time of subsequent queries.  This filename can
+also be given using the environment variable @env{LEDGER_CACHE}, or by
+putting the option into your init file.  The @option{--no-cache}
+option causes LEDGER to always ignore the binary cache.
+
+@option{--account NAME} (@option{-a NAME}) specifies the default
+account which QIF file postings are assumed to relate to.
+
+@subsection Report filtering
+
+These options change which postings affect the outcome of a
+report, in ways other than just using regular expressions:
+
+@option{--current}(@option{-c}) displays only transactions occurring on or
+before the current date.
+
+@option{--begin DATE} (@option{-b DATE}) constrains the report to
+transactions on or after @var{DATE}.  Only transactions after that date will be
+calculated, which means that the running total in the balance report
+will always start at zero with the first matching transaction.  (Note: This
+is different from using @option{--display} to constrain what is
+displayed).
+
+@option{--end DATE} (@option{-e DATE}) constrains the report so that
+transactions on or after @var{DATE} are not considered.  The ending date
+is inclusive.
+
+@option{--period STR} (@option{-p STR}) sets the reporting period
+to @var{STR}.  This will subtotal all matching transactions within each
+period separately, making it easy to see weekly, monthly, quarterly,
+etc., posting totals.  A period string can even specify the
+beginning and end of the report range, using simple terms like ``last
+june'' or ``next month''.  For more using period expressions, see
+@ref{Period Expressions}.
+
+@option{--period-sort EXPR} sorts the postings within each
+reporting period using the value expression @var{EXPR}.  This is most
+often useful when reporting monthly expenses, in order to view the
+highest expense categories at the top of each month:
+
+@smallexample
+ledger -M --period-sort -At reg ^Expenses
+@end smallexample
+
+@option{--cleared} (@option{-C}) displays only postings whose transaction
+has been marked ``cleared'' (by placing an asterix to the right of the
+date).
+
+@option{--uncleared} (@option{-U}) displays only postings whose
+transaction has not been marked ``cleared'' (i.e., if there is no asterix to
+the right of the date).
+
+@option{--real} (@option{-R}) displays only real postings, not virtual.
+(A virtual posting is indicated by surrounding the account name with
+parentheses or brackets; see @ref{Virtual Transactions} for more
+information).
+
+@option{--actual} (@option{-L}) displays only actual postings, and
+not those created due to automated postings.
+
+@option{--related} (@option{-r}) displays postings that are
+related to whichever postings would otherwise have matched the
+filtering criteria.  In the register report, this shows where money
+went to, or the account it came from.  In the balance report, it shows
+all the accounts affected by transactions having a related posting.
+For example, if a file had this transaction:
+
+@smallexample
+2004/03/20 Safeway
+    Expenses:Food                       $65.00
+    Expenses:Cash                       $20.00
+    Assets:Checking                    $-85.00
+@end smallexample
+
+And the register command was:
+
+@smallexample
+ledger -r register food
+@end smallexample
+
+The following would be output, showing the postings related to the
+posting that matched:
+
+@smallexample
+2004/03/20 Safeway              Expenses:Cash               $-20.00      $-20.00
+                                Assets:Checking              $85.00       $65.00
+@end smallexample
+
+@option{--budget} is useful for displaying how close your postings
+meet your budget.  @option{--add-budget} also shows unbudgeted
+postings, while @option{--unbudgeted} shows only those.
+@option{--forecast} is a related option that projects your budget into
+the future, showing how it will affect future balances.
+@xref{Budgeting and Forecasting}.
+
+@option{--limit EXPR} (@option{-l EXPR}) limits which postings
+take part in the calculations of a report.
+
+@option{--amount EXPR} (@option{-t EXPR}) changes the value expression
+used to calculate the ``value'' column in the @command{register}
+report, the amount used to calculate account totals in the
+@command{balance} report, and the values printed in the
+@command{equity} report.  @xref{Value Expressions}.
+
+@option{--total EXPR} (@option{-T EXPR}) sets the value expression
+used for the ``totals'' column in the @command{register} and
+@command{balance} reports.
+
+@menu
+* Search Terms::                
+* Output Customization::        
+* Commodity Reporting::         
+* Environment Variables::       
+@end menu
+
+@node Search Terms, Output Customization, Detailed Options Description, Detailed Options Description
+@subsection Search Terms
+
+Valid LEDGER invocations look like:
+@smallexample
+ ledger [OPTIONS] <COMMAND> <SEARCH-TERMS>
+@end smallexample
+
+Where @samp{COMMAND} is any command verb (@pxref{Basic Reporting Commands}), @samp{OPTIONS} can occur
+anywhere, and @samp{SEARCH-TERM} is one or more of the following:
+
+@smallexample
+ word              search for any account containing 'word'
+ TERM and TERM     boolean AND between terms
+ TERM or TERM      boolean OR between terms
+ not TERM          invert the meaning of the term
+ payee word        search for any payee containing 'word'
+ @@word             shorthand for 'payee word'
+ desc word         alternate for 'payee word'
+ note word         search for any note containing 'word'
+ &word             shorthand for 'note word'
+ tag word          search for any metadata tag containing 'word'
+ tag word=value    search for any metadata tag containing 'word'
+                   whose value contains 'value'
+ %word             shorthand for 'tag word'
+ %word=value       shorthand for 'tag word=value'
+ meta word         alternate for 'tag word'
+ meta word=value   alternate for 'tag word=value'
+ expr 'EXPR'       apply the given value expression as a predicate
+ '=EXPR'           shorthand for 'expr EXPR'
+ \( TERMS \)     group terms; useful if using and/or/not
+@end smallexample
+
+So, to list all transaction that charged to ``ffod'' but not ``dining'' for any payee other than ``chang'' the following three commands would be equivalent:
+
+@smallexample
+ ledger reg food not dining @@chang
+ ledger reg food and not dining and not payee chang
+ ledger reg food not dining expr 'payee =~ /chang/'
+@end smallexample
+
+@node Output Customization, Commodity Reporting, Search Terms, Detailed Options Description
+@subsection Output Customization
+
+These options affect only the output, but not which postings are
+used to create it:
+
+@option{--collapse} (@option{-n}) causes transactions in a
+@command{register} report with multiple postings to be collapsed
+into a single, subtotaled transaction.
+
+@option{--subtotal} (@option{-s}) causes all transactions in a
+@command{register} report to be collapsed into a single, subtotaled
+transaction.
+
+@option{--by-payee} (@option{-P}) reports subtotals by payee.
+
+@option{--comm-as-payee} (@option{-x}) changes the payee of every
+posting to be the commodity used in that posting.  This can be
+useful when combined with other options, such as @option{-s}.
+
+@option{--empty} (@option{-E}) includes even empty accounts in the
+@command{balance} report.
+
+@option{--weekly} (@option{-W}) reports posting totals by the
+week.  The week begins on whichever day of the week begins the month
+containing that posting.  To set a specific begin date, use a
+period string, such as @samp{weekly from DATE}.  @option{--monthly}
+(@option{-M}) reports posting totals by month; @option{--yearly}
+(@option{-Y}) reports posting totals by year.  For more complex
+period, using the @option{--period} option described above.
+
+@option{--dow} reports postings totals for each day of the week.
+This is an easy way to see if weekend spending is more than on
+weekdays.
+
+@option{--sort EXPR} (@option{-S EXPR}) sorts a report by comparing
+the values determined using the value expression @var{EXPR}.  For
+example, using @option{-S -UT} in the balance report will sort account
+balances from greatest to least, using the absolute value of the
+total.  For more on how to use value expressions, see @ref{Value
+Expressions}.
+
+@option{--wide} (@option{-w}) causes the default @command{register}
+report to assume 132 columns instead of 80.
+
+@option{--head} causes only the first N transactions to be printed.  This
+is different from using the command-line utility @command{head}, which
+would limit to the first N postings.  @option{--tail} outputs only
+the last N transactions.  Both options may be used simultaneously.  If a
+negative amount is given, it will invert the meaning of the flag
+(instead of the first five transactions being printed, for example, it
+would print all but the first five).
+
+@option{--pager} tells LEDGER to pass its output to the given pager
+program---very useful when the output is especially long.  This
+behavior can be made the default by setting the @env{LEDGER_PAGER}
+environment variable.
+
+@option{--average} (@option{-A}) reports the average posting
+value.
+
+@option{--deviation} (@option{-D}) reports each posting's
+deviation from the average.  It is only meaningful in the
+@command{register} and @command{prices} reports.
+
+@option{--percentage} (@option{-%}) shows account subtotals in the
+@command{balance} report as percentages of the parent account.
+
+@option{--totals} include running total information in the
+@command{xml} report.
+
+@option{--amount-data} (@option{-j}) changes the @command{register}
+report so that it outputs nothing but the date and the value column,
+and the latter without commodities.  This is only meaningful if the
+report uses a single commodity.  This data can then be fed to other
+programs, which could plot the date, analyze it, etc.
+
+@option{--total-data} (@option{-J}) changes the @command{register}
+report so that it outputs nothing but the date and totals column,
+without commodities.
+
+@option{--display EXPR} (@option{-d EXPR}) limits which postings
+or accounts or actually displayed in a report.  They might still be
+calculated, and be part of the running total of a register report, for
+example, but they will not be displayed.  This is useful for seeing
+last month's checking postings, against a running balance which
+includes all posting values:
+
+@smallexample
+ledger -d "d>=[last month]" reg checking
+@end smallexample
+
+The output from this command is very different from the following,
+whose running total includes only postings from the last month
+onward:
+
+@smallexample
+ledger -p "last month" reg checking
+@end smallexample
+
+Which is more useful depends on what you're looking to know: the total
+amount for the reporting range (@option{-p}), or simply a display
+restricted to the reporting range (using @option{-d}).
+
+@option{--date-format STR} (@option{-y STR}) changes the basic date
+format used by reports.  The default uses a date like 2004/08/01,
+which represents the default date format of @samp{%Y/%m/%d}.  To
+change the way dates are printed in general, the easiest way is to put
+@option{--date-format FORMAT} in the LEDGER initialization file
+@file{~/.ledgerrc} (or the file referred to by @env{LEDGER_INIT}).
+
+@option{--format STR} (@option{-F STR}) sets the reporting format for
+whatever report ledger is about to make.  @xref{Format Strings}.
+There are also specific format commands for each report type:
+
+@itemize
+@item @option{--balance-format STR}
+@item @option{--register-format STR}
+@item @option{--print-format STR}
+@item @option{--plot-amount-format STR} (-j @command{register})
+@item @option{--plot-total-format STR} (-J @command{register})
+@item @option{--equity-format STR}
+@item @option{--prices-format STR}
+@item @option{--wide-register-format STR} (-w @command{register})
+@end itemize
+
+@node Commodity Reporting, Environment Variables, Output Customization, Detailed Options Description
+@subsection Commodity Reporting
+
+These options affect how commodity values are displayed:
+
+@option{--price-db FILE} sets the file that is used for recording
+downloaded commodity prices.  It is always read on startup, to
+determine historical prices.  Other settings can be placed in this
+file manually, to prevent downloading quotes for a specific, for
+example.  This is done by adding a line like the following:
+
+@smallexample
+; Don't download quotes for the dollar, or timelog values
+N $
+N h
+@end smallexample
+
+@option{--price-exp MINS} (@option{-L MINS}) sets the expected
+freshness of price quotes, in minutes.  That is, if the last known
+quote for any commodity is older than this value---and if
+@option{--download} is being used---then the Internet will be
+consulted again for a newer price.  Otherwise, the old price is still
+considered to be fresh enough.
+
+@option{--download} (@option{-Q}) causes quotes to be automagically
+downloaded, as needed, by running a script named @command{getquote}
+and expecting that script to return a value understood by ledger.  A
+sample implementation of a @command{getquote} script, implemented in
+Perl, is provided in the distribution.  Downloaded quote price are
+then appended to the price database, usually specified using the
+environment variable @env{LEDGER_PRICE_DB}.
+
+There are several different ways that ledger can report the totals it
+displays.  The most flexible way to adjust them is by using value
+expressions, and the @option{-t} and @option{-T} options.  However,
+there are also several ``default'' reports, which will satisfy most
+users basic reporting needs:
+
+@table @code
+@item -O, --quantity
+Reports commodity totals (this is the default)
+
+@item -B, --basis
+Reports the cost basis for all postings.
+
+@item -V, --market
+Reports the last known market value for all commodities.
+
+@item -G --gain
+Reports the net gain/loss for all commodities in the report that have
+a price history.
+@end table
+
+@node Environment Variables,  , Commodity Reporting, Detailed Options Description
+@subsection Environment variables
+
+Every option to ledger may be set using an environment variable.  If
+an option has a long name such @option{--this-option}, setting the
+environment variable @env{LEDGER_THIS_OPTION} will have the same
+affect as specifying that option on the command-line.  Options on the
+command-line always take precedence over environment variable
+settings, however.
+
+Note that you may also permanently specify option values by placing
+option settings in the file @file{~/.ledgerrc}, for example:
+
+@smallexample
+--cache /tmp/.mycache
+--pager /bin/cat
+
+@end smallexample
+
+@node Period Expressions,  , Detailed Options Description, Command-line Syntax
+@section Period Expressions
+
+A period expression indicates a span of time, or a reporting interval,
+or both.  The full syntax is:
+
+@smallexample
+[INTERVAL] [BEGIN] [END]
+@end smallexample
+
+The optional @var{INTERVAL} part may be any one of:
+
+@smallexample
+every day
+every week
+every monthly
+every quarter
+every year
+every N days     # N is any integer
+every N weeks
+every N months
+every N quarters
+every N years
+daily
+weekly
+biweekly
+monthly
+bimonthly
+quarterly
+yearly
+@end smallexample
+
+After the interval, a begin time, end time, both or neither may be
+specified.  As for the begin time, it can be either of:
+
+@smallexample
+from <SPEC>
+since <SPEC>
+@end smallexample
+
+The end time can be either of:
+
+@smallexample
+to <SPEC>
+until <SPEC>
+@end smallexample
+
+Where @var{SPEC} can be any of:
+
+@smallexample
+2004
+2004/10
+2004/10/1
+10/1
+october
+oct
+this week  # or day, month, quarter, year
+next week
+last week
+@end smallexample
+
+The beginning and ending can be given at the same time, if it spans a
+single period.  In that case, just use @var{SPEC} by itself.  In that
+case, the period @samp{oct}, for example, will cover all the days in
+october.  The possible forms are:
+
+@smallexample
+<SPEC>
+in <SPEC>
+@end smallexample
+
+Here are a few examples of period expressions:
+
+@smallexample
+monthly
+monthly in 2004
+weekly from oct
+weekly from last month
+from sep to oct
+from 10/1 to 10/5
+monthly until 2005
+from apr
+until nov
+last oct
+weekly last august
+@end smallexample
+
+
+@node Basic Reporting Commands, Budgeting and Forecasting, Command-line Syntax, Top
+@chapter Basic Reporting Commands
+@menu
+* balance::                     
+* register::                    
+* print::                       
+* output::                      
+* xml::                         
+* emacs::                       
+* equity::                      
+* prices::                      
+* xact::                        
+@end menu
+
+@node balance, register, Basic Reporting Commands, Basic Reporting Commands
+@section balance
+
+The @command{balance} command reports the current balance of all
+accounts.  It accepts a list of optional regexps, which confine the
+balance report to the matching accounts.  If an account contains
+multiple types of commodities, each commodity's total is reported
+separately.
+
+@node register, print, balance, Basic Reporting Commands
+@section register
+
+The @command{register} command displays all the postings occurring
+in a single account, line by line.  The account regexp must be
+specified as the only argument to this command.  If any regexps occur
+after the required account name, the register will contain only those
+postings that match.  Very useful for hunting down a particular
+posting.
+
+The output from @command{register} is very close to what a typical
+checkbook, or single-account ledger, would look like.  It also shows a
+running balance.  The final running balance of any register should
+always be the same as the current balance of that account.
+
+If you have Gnuplot installed, you may plot the amount or running
+total of any register by using the script @file{report}, which is
+included in the LEDGER distribution.  The only requirement is that you
+add either @option{-j} or @option{-J} to your register command, in
+order to plot either the amount or total column, respectively.
+
+@node print, output, register, Basic Reporting Commands
+@section print
+
+The @command{print} command prints out ledger transactions in a textual
+format that can be parsed by LEDGER.  They will be properly formatted,
+and output in the most economic form possible.  The ``print'' command
+also takes a list of optional regexps, which will cause only those
+postings which match in some way to be printed.
+
+The @command{print} command can be a handy way to clean up a ledger
+file whose formatting has gotten out of hand.
+
+@node output, xml, print, Basic Reporting Commands
+@section output
+
+The @command{output} command is very similar to the @command{print}
+command, except that it attempts to replicate the specified ledger
+file exactly.  The format of the command is:
+
+@smallexample
+ledger -f FILENAME output FILENAME
+@end smallexample
+
+Where @file{FILENAME} is the name of the ledger file to output.  The
+reason for specifying this command is that only transactions contained
+within that file will be output, and not an included transactions (as can
+happen with the @command{print} command).
+
+@node xml, emacs, output, Basic Reporting Commands
+@section xml
+
+The @command{xml} command outputs results similar to what
+@command{print} and @command{register} display, but as an XML form.
+This data can then be read in and processed.  Use the
+@option{--totals} option to include the running total with each
+posting.
+
+@node emacs, equity, xml, Basic Reporting Commands
+@section emacs
+
+The @command{emacs} command outputs results in a form that can be read
+directly by Emacs Lisp.  The format of the sexp is:
+
+@smallexample
+((BEG-POS CLEARED DATE CODE PAYEE
+  (ACCOUNT AMOUNT)...)  ; list of postings
+ ...)                   ; list of transactions
+@end smallexample
+
+@node equity, prices, emacs, Basic Reporting Commands
+@section equity
+
+The @command{equity} command prints out accounts balances as if they
+were transactions.  This makes it easy to establish the starting balances
+for an account, such as when @ref{Archiving Previous Years}.
+
+@node prices, xact, equity, Basic Reporting Commands
+@section prices
+
+The @command{prices} command displays the price history for matching
+commodities.  The @option{-A} flag is useful with this report, to
+display the running average price, or @option{-D} to show each price's
+deviation from that average.
+
+There is also a @command{pricesdb} command which outputs the same
+information as @command{prices}, but does in a format that can be
+parsed by LEDGER.
+
+@node xact,  , prices, Basic Reporting Commands
+@section xact
+
+The @command{xact} commands simplifies the creation of new transactions.
+It works on the principle that 80% of all postings are variants of
+earlier postings.  Here's how it works:
+
+Say you currently have this posting in your ledger file:
+
+@smallexample
+2004/03/15 * Viva Italiano
+    Expenses:Food                       $12.45
+    Expenses:Tips                        $2.55
+    Liabilities:MasterCard             $-15.00
+@end smallexample
+
+Now it's @samp{2004/4/9}, and you've just eating at @samp{Viva
+Italiano} again.  The exact amounts are different, but the overall
+form is the same.  With the @command{xact} command you can type:
+
+@smallexample
+ledger xact 2004/4/9 viva food 11 tips 2.50
+@end smallexample
+
+This produces the following output:
+
+@smallexample
+2004/04/09 Viva Italiano
+    Expenses:Food                       $11.00
+    Expenses:Tips                        $2.50
+    Liabilities:MasterCard             $-13.50
+@end smallexample
+
+It works by finding a past posting matching the regular expression
+@samp{viva}, and assuming that any accounts or amounts specified will
+be similar to that earlier posting.  If LEDGER does not succeed in
+generating a new transaction, an error is printed and the exit code is set
+to @samp{1}.
+
+There is a shell script in the distribution's @file{scripts} directory
+called @file{xact}, which simplifies the task of adding a new transaction
+to your ledger.  It launches @command{vi} to confirm that the transaction
+looks appropriate.
+
+Here are a few more examples of the @command{xact} command, assuming
+the above journal transaction:
+
+@smallexample
+ledger xact 4/9 viva 11.50
+ledger xact 4/9 viva 11.50 checking # (from `checking')
+ledger xact 4/9 viva food 11.50 tips 8
+ledger xact 4/9 viva food 11.50 tips 8 cash
+ledger xact 4/9 viva food $11.50 tips $8 cash
+ledger xact 4/9 viva dining "DM 11.50"
+@end smallexample
+
+
+@menu
+* Budgeting and Forecasting::   
+@end menu
+
+@node Budgeting and Forecasting, Value Expressions, Basic Reporting Commands, Top
+@chapter Budgeting and Forecasting
+
+
+@node Value Expressions, Format Strings, Budgeting and Forecasting, Top
+@chapter Value Expressions
+
+Value expressions are an expression language used by LEDGER to
+calculate values used by the program for many different purposes:
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+The values displayed in reports
+@item
+For predicates (where truth is anything non-zero), to determine which
+postings are calculated (@option{-l}) or displayed (@option{-d}).
+@item
+For sorting criteria, to yield the sort key.
+@item
+In the matching criteria used by automated postings.
+@end enumerate
+
+Value expressions support most simple math and logic operators, in
+addition to a set of one letter functions and variables.  A function's
+argument is whatever follows it.  The following is a display predicate
+that I use with the @command{balance} command:
+
+@smallexample
+ledger -d /^Liabilities/?T<0:UT>100 balance
+@end smallexample
+
+The effect is that account totals are displayed only if: 1) A
+Liabilities account has a total less than zero; or 2) the absolute
+value of the account's total exceeds 100 units of whatever commodity
+contains.  If it contains multiple commodities, only one of them must
+exceed 100 units.
+
+Display predicates are also very handy with register reports, to
+constrain which transactions are printed.  For example, the following
+command shows only transactions from the beginning of the current month,
+while still calculating the running balance based on all transactions:
+
+@smallexample
+ledger -d "d>[this month]" register checking
+@end smallexample
+
+This advantage to this command's complexity is that it prints the
+running total in terms of all transactions in the register.  The following,
+simpler command is similar, but totals only the displayed
+postings:
+
+@smallexample
+ledger -b "this month" register checking
+@end smallexample
+
+@menu
+* Variables::                   
+@end menu
+
+@node Variables,  , Value Expressions, Value Expressions
+@section Variables
+
+Below are the one letter variables available in any value expression.
+For the register and print commands, these variables relate to
+individual postings, and sometimes the account affected by a
+posting.  For the balance command, these variables relate to
+accounts---often with a subtle difference in meaning.  The use of each
+variable for both is specified.
+
+@table @code
+@item t
+This maps to whatever the user specified with @option{-t}.  In a
+register report, @option{-t} changes the value column; in a balance
+report, it has no meaning by default.  If @option{-t} was not
+specified, the current report style's value expression is used.
+
+@item T
+This maps to whatever the user specified with @option{-T}.  In a
+register report, @option{-T} changes the totals column; in a balance
+report, this is the value given for each account.  If @option{-T} was
+not specified, the current report style's value expression is used.
+
+@item m
+This is always the present moment/date.
+@end table
+
+@subsection Posting/account details
+
+@table @code
+@item d
+A posting's date, as the number of seconds past the epoch.  This
+is always ``today'' for an account.
+
+@item a
+The posting's amount; the balance of an account, without
+considering children.
+
+@item b
+The cost of a posting; the cost of an account, without its
+children.
+
+@item v
+The market value of a posting, or an account without its children.
+
+@item g
+The net gain (market value minus cost basis), for a posting or an
+account without its children.  It is the same as @samp{v-b}.
+
+@item l
+The depth (``level'') of an account.  If an account has one parent,
+it's depth is one.
+
+@item n
+The index of a posting, or the count of postings affecting an
+account.
+
+@item X
+1 if a posting's transaction has been cleared, 0 otherwise.
+
+@item R
+1 if a posting is not virtual, 0 otherwise.
+
+@item Z
+1 if a posting is not automated, 0 otherwise.
+@end table
+
+@subsection Calculated totals
+
+@table @code
+@item O
+The total of all postings seen so far, or the total of an account
+and all its children.
+
+@item N
+The total count of postings affecting an account and all its
+children.
+
+@item B
+The total cost of all postings seen so far; the total cost of an
+account and all its children.
+
+@item V
+The market value of all postings seen so far, or of an account and
+all its children.
+
+@item G
+The total net gain (market value minus cost basis), for a series of
+postings, or an account and its children.  It is the same as
+@samp{V-B}.
+@end table
+
+@section Functions
+
+The available one letter functions are:
+
+@table @code
+@item -
+Negates the argument.
+
+@item U
+The absolute (unsigned) value of the argument.
+
+@item S
+Strips the commodity from the argument.
+
+@item A
+The arithmetic mean of the argument; @samp{Ax} is the same as
+@samp{x/n}.
+
+@item P
+The present market value of the argument.  The syntax @samp{P(x,d)} is
+supported, which yields the market value at time @samp{d}.  If no date
+is given, then the current moment is used.
+@end table
+
+@section Operators
+
+The binary and ternary operators, in order of precedence, are:
+
+@enumerate
+@item @samp{* /}
+@item @samp{+ -}
+@item @samp{! < > =}
+@item @samp{& | ?:}
+@end enumerate
+
+@section Complex expressions
+
+More complicated expressions are possible using:
+
+@table @code
+@item NUM
+A plain integer represents a commodity-less amount.
+
+@item @{AMOUNT@}
+An amount in braces can be any kind of amount supported by ledger,
+with or without a commodity.  Use this for decimal values.
+
+@item /REGEXP/
+@item W/REGEXP/
+A regular expression that matches against an account's full name.  If
+a posting, this will match against the account affected by the
+posting.
+
+@item //REGEXP/
+@item p/REGEXP/
+A regular expression that matches against a transaction's payee name.
+
+@item ///REGEXP/
+@item w/REGEXP/
+A regular expression that matches against an account's base name.  If
+a posting, this will match against the account affected by the
+posting.
+
+@item c/REGEXP/
+A regular expression that matches against the transaction code (the text
+that occurs between parentheses before the payee name).
+
+@item e/REGEXP/
+A regular expression that matches against a posting's note, or
+comment field.
+
+@item (EXPR)
+A sub-expression is nested in parenthesis.  This can be useful passing
+more complicated arguments to functions, or for overriding the natural
+precedence order of operators.
+
+@item [DATE]
+Useful specifying a date in plain terms.  For example, you could say
+@samp{[2004/06/01]}.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Format Strings, Journal File Format, Value Expressions, Top
+@chapter Format Strings
+
+Format strings may be used to change the output format of reports.
+They are specified by passing a formatting string to the
+@option{--format} (@option{-F}) option.  Within that string,
+constructs are allowed which make it possible to display the various
+parts of an account or posting in custom ways.
+
+Within a format strings, a substitution is specified using a percent
+character (@samp{%}).  The basic format of all substitutions is:
+
+@smallexample
+%[-][MIN WIDTH][.MAX WIDTH]EXPR
+@end smallexample
+
+If the optional minus sign (@samp{-}) follows the percent character,
+whatever is substituted will be left justified.  The default is right
+justified.  If a minimum width is given next, the substituted text
+will be at least that wide, perhaps wider.  If a period and a maximum
+width is given, the substituted text will never be wider than this,
+and will be truncated to fit.  Here are some examples:
+
+@smallexample
+%-P     a transaction's payee, left justified
+%20P    The same, right justified, at least 20 chars wide
+%.20P   The same, no more than 20 chars wide
+%-.20P  Left justified, maximum twenty chars wide
+@end smallexample
+
+The expression following the format constraints can be a single
+letter, or an expression enclosed in parentheses or brackets.  The
+allowable expressions are:
+
+@table @code
+@item %
+Inserts a percent sign.
+
+@item t
+Inserts the results of the value expression specified by @option{-t}.
+If @option{-t} was not specified, the current report style's value
+expression is used.
+
+@item T
+Inserts the results of the value expression specified by @option{-T}.
+If @option{-T} was not specified, the current report style's value
+expression is used.
+
+@item |
+Inserts a single space.  This is useful if a width is specified, for
+inserting a certain number of spaces.
+
+@item _
+Inserts a space for each level of an account's depth.  That is, if an
+account has two parents, this construct will insert two spaces.  If a
+minimum width is specified, that much space is inserted for each level
+of depth.  Thus @samp{%5_}, for an account with four parents, will
+insert twenty spaces.
+
+@item (EXPR)
+Inserts the amount resulting from the value expression given in
+parentheses.  To insert five times the total value of an account, for
+example, one could say @samp{%12(5*O)}.  Note: It's important to put
+the five first in that expression, so that the commodity doesn't get
+stripped from the total.
+
+@item [DATEFMT]
+Inserts the result of formatting a posting's date with a date
+format string, exactly like those supported by @code{strftime}.  For
+example: @samp{%[%Y/%m/%d %H:%M:%S]}.
+
+@item S
+Insert the pathname of the file from which the transaction's data was read.
+
+@item B
+Inserts the beginning character position of that transaction within the file.
+
+@item b
+Inserts the beginning line of that transaction within the file.
+
+@item E
+Inserts the ending character position of that transaction within the file.
+
+@item e
+Inserts the ending line of that transaction within the file.
+
+@item D
+By default, this is the same as @samp{%[%Y/%m%/d]}.  The date format
+used can be changed at any time with the @option{-y} flag, however.
+Using @samp{%D} gives the user more control over the way dates are
+output.
+
+@item d
+This is the same as the @samp{%D} option, unless the transaction has an
+effective date, in which case it prints
+@samp{[ACTUAL_DATE=EFFECTIVE_DATE]}.
+
+@item X
+If a posting has been cleared, this inserts @samp{*} followed by a
+space; otherwise nothing is inserted.
+
+@item Y
+This is the same as @samp{%X}, except that it only displays a state
+character if all of the member postings have the same state.
+
+@item C
+Inserts the checking number for a transaction, in parentheses, followed by
+a space; if none was specified, nothing is inserted.
+
+@item P
+Inserts the payee related to a posting.
+
+@item a
+Inserts the optimal short name for an account.  This is normally used
+in balance reports.  It prints a parent account's name if that name
+has not been printed yet, otherwise it just prints the account's name.
+
+@item A
+Inserts the full name of an account.
+
+@item W
+This is the same as @samp{%A}, except that it first displays the
+posting's state @emph{if the transaction's posting states are not
+all the same}, followed by the full account name.  This is offered as
+a printing optimization, so that combined with @samp{%Y}, only the
+minimum amount of state detail is printed.
+
+@item o
+Inserts the ``optimized'' form of a posting's amount.  This is
+used by the print report.  In some cases, this inserts nothing; in
+others, it inserts the posting amount and its cost.  It's use is
+not recommend unless you are modifying the print report.
+
+@item n
+Inserts the note associated with a posting, preceded by two spaces
+and a semi-colon, if it exists.  Thus, no none becomes an empty
+string, while the note @samp{foo} is substituted as @samp{ ; foo}.
+
+@item N
+Inserts the note associated with a posting, if one exists.
+
+@item /
+The @samp{%/} construct is special.  It separates a format string
+between what is printed for the first posting of a transaction, and
+what is printed for all subsequent postings.  If not used, the
+same format string is used for all postings.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Journal File Format, Extending with Python, Format Strings, Top
+@chapter Journal File Format for Developers
+
+This chapter offers a complete description of the journal data format,
+suitable for implementors in other languages to follow.  For users,
+the chapter on keeping a journal is less extensive, but more typical
+of common usage (@pxref{Keeping a Journal}).
+
+Data is collected in the form of @dfn{transactions} which occur in one
+or more @dfn{journal files}.  Each transaction, in turn, is made up of
+one or more @dfn{postings}, which describe how @dfn{amounts} flow from
+one @dfn{account} to another.  Here is an example of the simplest of
+journal files:
+
+@smallexample
+2010/05/31 Just an example
+    Expenses:Some:Account                $100.00
+    Income:Another:Account
+@end smallexample
+
+In this example, there is a transaction date, a payee, or description
+of the transaction, and two postings.  The postings show movement of
+one hundred dollars from an account within the Income hierarchy, to
+the specified expense account.  The name and meaning of these accounts
+in arbitrary, with no preferences implied, although you will find it
+useful to follow standard accounting practice (@pxref{Principles of
+Accounting}).
+
+Since an amount is missing from the second posting, it is assumed to
+be the inverse of the first.  This guarantee the cardinal rule of
+double-entry accounting: the sum of every transaction must balance to
+zero, or it is in error.  Whenever Ledger encounters a @dfn{null
+posting} in a transaction, it uses it to balance the remainder.
+
+It is also typical---though not enforced---to think of the first
+posting as the destination, and the final as the source.  Thus, the
+amount of the first posting is typically positive.  Consider:
+
+@smallexample
+2010/05/31 An income transaction
+    Assets:Checking       $1,000.00
+    Income:Salary
+
+2010/05/31 An expense transaction
+    Expenses:Dining         $100.00
+    Assets:Checking
+@end smallexample
+
+@emph{Note:} It is important to note that there must be at least two spaces between
+the end of the post and the beginning of the amount (including and
+commdity designator).
+
+@section Specifying amounts
+
+The heart of a journal is the amounts it records, and this fact is
+reflected in the diversity of amount expressions allowed.  All of them
+are covered here, though it must be said that sometimes, there are
+multiple ways to achieve a desired result.
+
+@subsection Integer amounts
+
+In the simplest form, bare decimal numbers are accepted:
+
+@smallexample
+2010/05/31 An income transaction
+    Assets:Checking        1000.00
+    Income:Salary
+@end smallexample
+
+Such amounts may only use an optional period for a decimal point.
+These are referred to as @dfn{integer amounts} or @dfn{uncommoditized
+amounts}.  In most ways they are similar to @dfn{commoditized
+amounts}, but for one signficant difference: They always display in
+reports with @dfn{full precision}.  More on this in a moment.  For
+now, a word must be said about how Ledger stores numbers.
+
+Every number parsed by Ledger is stored internally as an
+infinite-precision rational value.  Floating-point math is never used,
+as it cannot be trusted to maintain precision of values.  So, in the
+case of @samp{1000.00} above, the internal value is @samp{100000/100}.
+
+While rational numbers are great at not losing precision, the question
+arises: How should they be displayed?  A number like @samp{100000/100}
+is no problem, since it represents a clean decimal fraction.  But what
+about when the number @samp{1/1} is divided by three?  How should one
+print @samp{1/3}, an infinitely repeating decimal?
+
+Ledger gets around this problem by rendering rationals into decimal at
+the last possible moment, and only for display.  As such, some
+rounding must, at times, occur.  If this rounding would affect the
+calculation of a running total, special accommodation postings are
+generated to make you aware it has happened.  In practice, it happens
+rarely, but even then it does not reflect adjustment of the
+@emph{internal amount}, only the displayed amount.
+
+What has still not been answered is how Ledger rounds values.  Should
+@samp{1/3} be printed as @samp{0.33} or @samp{0.33333}?  For
+commoditized amounts, the number of decimal places is decided by
+observing how each commodity is used; but in the case of integer
+amounts, an arbitrary factor must be chosen.  Initially, this factor
+is six.  Thus, @samp{1/3} is printed back as @samp{0.333333}.
+Further, this rounding factor becomes associated with each particular
+value, and is carried through mathematical operations.  For example,
+if that particular number were multiplied by itself, the decimal
+precision of the result would be twelve.  Addition and subtraction do
+not affect precision.
+
+Since each integer amount retains its own display precision, this is
+called @dfn{full precision}, as opposed to commoditized amounts, which
+always look to their commodity to know what precision they should
+round to, and so use @dfn{commodity precision}.
+
+@subsection Commoditized amounts
+
+A @dfn{commoditized amount} is an integer amount which has an
+associated commodity.  This commodity can appear before or after the
+amount, and may or may not be separated from it by a space.  Most
+characters are allowed in a commodity name, except for the following:
+
+@itemize
+@item Any kind of whitespace
+@item Numerical digits
+@item Punctuation: @samp{.,;:?!}
+@item Mathematical and logical operators: @samp{-+*/^&|=}
+@item Bracketing characters: @samp{<>[]()}@{@}
+@item The at symbol: @samp{@@}
+@end itemize
+
+And yet, any of these may appear in a commodity name if it is
+surrounded by double quotes, for example:
+
+@smallexample
+100 "EUN+133"
+@end smallexample
+
+If a @dfn{quoted commodity} is found, it is displayed in quotes as
+well, to avoid any confusion as to which part is the amount, and which
+part is the commodity.
+
+Another feature of commoditized amounts is that they are reported back
+in the same form as parsed.  If you specify dollar amounts using
+@samp{$100}, they will print the same; likewise with @samp{100 $} or
+@samp{$100.000}.  You may even use decimal commas, such as
+@samp{$100,00}, or thousand-marks, as in @samp{$10,000.00}.
+
+These display characteristics become associated with the commodity,
+with the result being that all amounts of the same commodity are
+reported consistently.  Where this is most noticeable is the
+@dfn{display precision}, which is determined by the most precise value
+seen for a given commodity.  In most cases.
+
+Ledger makes a distinction by @dfn{observed amounts} and unobserved
+amounts.  An observed amount is critiqued by Ledger to determine how
+amounts using that commodity should be displayed; unobserved amounts
+are significant in their value only---no matter how they are
+specified, it does not change how other amounts in that commodity will
+be displayed.
+
+An example of this is found in cost expressions, covered next.
+
+@section Posting costs
+
+You have seen how to specify either a commoditized or an integer
+amount for a posting.  But what if the amount you paid for something
+was in one commodity, and the amount received was another?  There are
+two main ways to express this:
+
+@smallexample
+2010/05/31 Farmer's Market
+    Assets:My Larder           100 apples
+    Assets:Checking                $20.00
+@end smallexample
+
+In this example, you have paid twenty dollars for one hundred apples.
+The cost to you is twenty cents per apple, and Ledger calculates this
+implied cost for you.  You can also make the cost explicit using a
+@dfn{cost amount}:
+
+@smallexample
+2010/05/31 Farmer's Market
+    Assets:My Larder           100 apples @@ $0.200000
+    Assets:Checking
+@end smallexample
+
+Here the @dfn{per-unit cost} is given explicitly in the form of a cost
+amount; and since cost amount are @emph{unobserved}, the use of six
+decimal places has no effect on how dollar amounts are displayed in
+the final report.  You can also specify the @dfn{total cost}:
+
+@smallexample
+2010/05/31 Farmer's Market
+    Assets:My Larder           100 apples @@@@ $20
+    Assets:Checking
+@end smallexample
+
+These three forms have identical meaning.  In most cases the first is
+preferred, but the second two are necessary when more than two
+postings are involved:
+
+@smallexample
+2010/05/31 Farmer's Market
+    Assets:My Larder           100 apples        @@ $0.200000
+    Assets:My Larder           100 pineapples    @@ $0.33
+    Assets:My Larder           100 "crab apples" @@ $0.04
+    Assets:Checking
+@end smallexample
+
+Here the implied cost is @samp{$57.00}, which is entered into the null
+posting automatically so that the transaction balances.
+
+@subsection Primary commodities
+
+In every transaction involving more than one commodity, there is
+always one which is the @dfn{primary commodity}.  This commodity
+should be thought of as the exchange commodity, or the commodity used
+to buy and sells units of the other commodity.  In the fruit examples
+above, dollars are the primary commodity.  This is decided by Ledger
+on the placement of the commodity in the transaction:
+
+@smallexample
+2010/05/31 Sample Transaction
+    Expenses               100 secondary
+    Assets                  50 primary
+
+2010/05/31 Sample Transaction
+    Expenses               100 secondary @@ 0.5 primary
+    Assets
+
+2010/05/31 Sample Transaction
+    Expenses               100 secondary @@@@ 50 primary
+    Assets
+@end smallexample
+
+The only case where knowledge of primary versus secondary comes into
+play is in reports that use the @option{-V} or @option{-B} options.
+With these, only primary commodities are shown.
+
+If a transaction uses only one commodity, this commodity is also
+considered a primary.  In fact, when Ledger goes about ensures that
+all transactions balance to zero, it only ever asks this of primary
+commodities.
+
+@node Extending with Python, Example Data File, Journal File Format, Top
+@chapter Extending with Python
+
+@node Example Data File, Miscellaneous Notes, Extending with Python, Top
+@appendix Example Journal File: drewr.dat
+ The following journal file is included with the source distribution of
+ ledger.  It is called @file{drewr.dat} and exhibits many ledger
+ features, include automatic and virtual transactions, 
+@smallexample
+; -*- ledger -*-
+
+= /^Income/
+  (Liabilities:Tithe)                    0.12
+
+~ Monthly
+  Assets:Checking                     $500.00
+  Income:Salary
+
+2003/12/01 * Checking balance
+  Assets:Checking                   $1,000.00
+  Equity:Opening Balances
+
+2003/12/20 Organic Co-op
+  Expenses:Food:Groceries             $ 37.50  ; [=2004/01/01]
+  Expenses:Food:Groceries             $ 37.50  ; [=2004/02/01]
+  Expenses:Food:Groceries             $ 37.50  ; [=2004/03/01]
+  Expenses:Food:Groceries             $ 37.50  ; [=2004/04/01]
+  Expenses:Food:Groceries             $ 37.50  ; [=2004/05/01]
+  Expenses:Food:Groceries             $ 37.50  ; [=2004/06/01]
+  Assets:Checking                   $ -225.00
+
+2003/12/28=2004/01/01 Acme Mortgage
+  Liabilities:Mortgage:Principal    $  200.00
+  Expenses:Interest:Mortgage        $  500.00
+  Expenses:Escrow                   $  300.00
+  Assets:Checking                  $ -1000.00
+
+2004/01/02 Grocery Store
+  Expenses:Food:Groceries             $ 65.00
+  Assets:Checking
+
+2004/01/05 Employer
+  Assets:Checking                   $ 2000.00
+  Income:Salary
+
+2004/01/14 Bank
+  ; Regular monthly savings transfer
+  Assets:Savings                     $ 300.00
+  Assets:Checking
+
+2004/01/19 Grocery Store
+  Expenses:Food:Groceries             $ 44.00
+  Assets:Checking
+
+2004/01/25 Bank
+  ; Transfer to cover car purchase
+  Assets:Checking                  $ 5,500.00
+  Assets:Savings
+  ; :nobudget:
+
+2004/01/25 Tom's Used Cars
+  Expenses:Auto                    $ 5,500.00
+  ; :nobudget:
+  Assets:Checking
+
+2004/01/27 Book Store
+  Expenses:Books                       $20.00
+  Liabilities:MasterCard
+
+2004/02/01 Sale
+  Assets:Checking:Business            $ 30.00
+  Income:Sales
+
+@end smallexample
+
+@node Miscellaneous Notes,  , Example Data File, Top
+@appendix Miscellaneous Notes
+
+Various notes from the discussion list that I haven't incorporated in to the main body of the documentation.
+
+@menu
+* Cookbook::                    
+@end menu
+
+@node Cookbook,  , Miscellaneous Notes, Miscellaneous Notes
+@section Cookbook
+
+@subsection Invoking Ledger
+
+@smallexample
+ledger --group-by "tag('trip')" bal
+legder reg --sort "tag('foo')" %foo
+ledger cleared VWCU NFCU Tithe Misentry
+ledger register Joint --uncleared
+ledger register Checking  --sort d  -d 'd>[2011/04/01]' until 2011/05/25
+@end smallexample
+@subsection Ledger Files
+
+@smallexample
+= /^Income:Taxable/ 
+  (Liabilities:Tithe Owed)    -0.1
+= /Noah/ 
+  (Liabilities:Tithe Owed)    -0.1
+= /Jonah/ 
+  (Liabilities:Tithe Owed)    -0.1
+= /Tithe/
+  (Liabilities:Tithe Owed)    -1.0
+@end smallexample
+
+@bye