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:

@example
ledger -M --period-sort -At reg ^Expenses
@end example

@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 the section on using
virtual postings 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:

@example
ledger -r register food
@end example

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.