With -n, the first argument is parsed as a string containing
subarguments. Otherwise, each argument is parsed as a separate
argument.
In short, the -n mode mimicks what happens when the query expr after "="
is parsed for automated expressions. The non -n mode mimicks what
happens at the command line for users.
If you have a typed metadata key which contains an amount, you can use
--inject=KEY to inject a posting with that amount wherever a match
occurs. There are two main forms of usage:
2010-06-18 Sample
; Key:: $100
Expenses:Food $100.00
Assets:Checking
The command would be:
ledger reg --inject=Key
In the above, transactional form, a posting under the account "Key" will
be injected before the first posting reported for this transaction.
It's amount will be $100. This only happens once for the whole
transaction.
It is also possible to associate the key with a posting:
2010-06-18 Sample
Expenses:Food $100.00
; Key:: $100
Assets:Checking
Now the injected posting is generated whenever that particular post is
reported.
If a posting has the metadata field "Payee" set to a string, that will
be used as the payee name for that posting. This affects the register
report, the payees report, and the --by-payee option.
This is useful because sometimes I send, say, 4 checks at a time to my
bank. So on my bank statement, this is all just one amount:
2010-06-17 Sample
Assets:Bank $400.00
Income:Check1 $-100.00
Income:Check2 $-100.00
Income:Check3 $-100.00
Income:Check4 $-100.00
Though it's important that the Assets:Bank posting be a single posting
of $400 value, I'd like for income reports to show whom each check came
from. Now I can say:
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
When I report this, it appears as:
10-Jun-17 Sample Assets:Bank $400.00 $400.00
Person One Income:Check1 $-100.00 $300.00
Person Two Income:Check2 $-100.00 $200.00
Person Three Income:Check3 $-100.00 $100.00
Person Four Income:Check4 $-100.00 0
This shows that they are all in the same transaction (which is why the
date is not repeated), but they have different payees.
