#+STARTUP: showall

• Hledger Flow :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: hledger-flow :END:

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• What is it? :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: what-is-it :END:

=hledger-flow= is a command-line program that gives you a guided [[https://hledger.org/][Hledger]] workflow. It is important to note that most of the heavy lifting is done by the upstream =hledger= project. For example, =hledger-flow= cares about where you put your files for long-term maintainability, but the actual conversion to classified accounting journals is done by =hledger=.

=hledger-flow= focuses on automated processing of electronic statements as much as possible, as opposed to manually adding your own hledger journal entries. Manual entries are still possible, it just saves time in the long run to automatically process a statement whenever one is available.

Within =hledger-flow= you will keep your original bank statements around permanently as input, and generate classified Hledger journals each time you run the program. The classification is done with [[https://hledger.org/csv.html][hledger's rules files]], and/or your own script hooks.

Keeping the original statements means that you never have to worry too much about "am I doing this accounting thing right?" or "what happens if I make a mistake?". If you want to change your mind about some classification, or if you made a mistake, you just change your classification rules, and run the program again.

It started when I realized that the scripts I wrote while playing around with [[https://github.com/adept/full-fledged-hledger/wiki][adept's Full-fledged Hledger]] aren't really specific to my own finances, and can be shared.

• Overview of the Basic Workflow :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: overview-of-the-basic-workflow :END:

1. Save an input transaction file (typically CSV) to a [[#input-files][specific directory]].
2. Add an hledger [[#rules-files][rules file]]. Include some classification rules if you want.
3. Run =hledger-flow import=

Add all your files to your favourite version control system.

The generated journal that you most likely want to use as your =LEDGER_FILE= is called =all-years.journal=. This has include directives to all the automatically imported journals, as well as includes for your own manually managed journal entries.

In a typical software project we don't add generated files to version control, but in this case I think it is a good idea to add all the generated files to version control as well - when you inevitably change something, e.g. how you classify transactions in your rules file, then you can easily see if your change had the desired effect by looking at a diff.

• Who should use this? :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: who-should-use-this :END:

=hledger-flow= is intended for you if:

• You are interested in getting started with [[http://hledger.org/][hledger]] or [[https://www.ledger-cli.org/][ledger-cli]] and you wouldn't mind pointers to the right docs along the way.
• You want a way to organise your finances into a structure that will be maintainable over the long term.
• You want to automate as much as possible when dealing with your financial life.
• You don't mind writing some scripts when needed, as long as it saves you time over the long term.
• You want the ability to model your entire financial life in one tool, as opposed to just the parts that some online tool currently supports.
• You appreciate the fact that all your financial information stays within your control.

• About This Documentation

The rest of this file documents how to use =hledger-flow=, and it has probably outgrown what should be in a README file.

If you can spare some time to contribute to this project, please consider converting these docs to something more suitable, such as [[https://github.com/apauley/hledger-flow/issues/47][Read the Docs]].

• How do I install it? :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: how-do-i-install-it :END:

The easiest way to get it running is to download [[https://github.com/apauley/hledger-flow/releases][the latest release]] for your OS (Linux or Mac OS X), and copy the =hledger-flow= executable to a directory in your PATH. Then just run it and see what it tells you to do.

You can also compile it yourself by following the [[https://github.com/apauley/hledger-flow/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.org#build-the-project][build instructions]].

** Windows Support

Currently =hledger-flow= does not work on Windows.

This [[https://github.com/apauley/hledger-flow/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3Awindows][list of issues]] describes some of the details of what doesn't work.

I believe it wouldn't take too much effort to fix those issues, but I'm going to leave Windows support for other contributors.

Please send me some pull requests if you would like =hledger-flow= to work on Windows.

• How Stable is it? :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: how-stable-is-it :END:

We're not close to a 1.0 release yet, which means that we can still make changes if needed.

As an example, the command-line switches we use will probably change over time. Some switches change the behaviour of the program - the default behaviour will probably change between releases. The names of these command-line options can change, or they can be removed when it is no longer needed.

That being said, some parts have been used and tested extensively and are likely to remain stable. Have a look at the "Stability of this Feature" sections in the feature reference below.

I add future work, ideas and thoughts as [[https://github.com/apauley/hledger-flow/issues][Github issues]] and in [[file:TODO.org]], so have a look there for more clues as to what may likely change.

Let me know if you can think of some improvements.

• Getting Started :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: getting-started :END:

Have a look at the [[file:docs/README.org][detailed step-by-step instructions]].

You can see the example imported financial transactions as it was generated by the step-by-step instructions here:

[[https://github.com/apauley/hledger-flow-example][https://github.com/apauley/hledger-flow-example]]

• Feature Reference :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: feature-reference :END:

** Input Files :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: input-files :END:

Your input files will probably be CSV files with a line for each transaction, although other file types will work fine if you use a =preprocess= or a =construct= script that can read them. These scripts are explained later.

We mostly use conventions based on a predefined directory structure for your input statements.

For example, assuming you have a =savings= account at =mybank=, you'll put your first CSV statement here: =import/john/mybank/savings/1-in/2018/123456789_2018-06-30.csv=.

Some people may want to include accounts belonging to their spouse as part of the household finances: =import/spouse/otherbank/checking/1-in/2018/987654321_2018-06-30.csv=.

*** More About Input Files :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: more-about-input-files :END:

All files and directories under the =import= directory are related to the automatic importing and classification of transactions.

The directory directly under =import= is meant to indicate the owner or custodian of the accounts below it. It mostly has an impact on reporting. You may want to have separate reports for =import/mycompany= and =import/personal=.

Below the directory for the owner we can indicate where an account is held. For a bank account you may choose to name it =import/john/mybank=.

If your underground bunker filled with gold has CSV statements linked to it, then you can absolutely create =import/john/secret-treasure-room=.

Under the directory for the financial institution, you'll have a directory for each account at that institution, e.g. =import/mycompany/bigbankinc/customer-deposits= and =import/mycompany/bigbankinc/expense-account=.

Next you'll create a directory named =1-in=. This is to distinguish it from =2-preprocessed= and =3-journal= which will be auto-generated later.

Under =1-in= you'll create a directory for the year, e.g. =2018=, and within that you can copy the statements for that year: =import/john/mybank/savings/1-in/2018/123456789_2018-06-30.csv=

*** Stability of this Feature :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: stability-of-this-feature :END:

The basic owner/bank/account/year structure has been used and tested fairly extensively, I don't expect a need for it to change.

I'm open to suggestions for improvement though.

** Rules Files :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: rules-files :END:

If your input file is in CSV format, or converted to CSV by your =preprocess= script, then you'll need an [[https://hledger.org/hledger.html#csv-format][hledger rules file]].

=hledger-flow= will try to find a rules file for each statement in a few places. The same rules file is typically used for all statements of a specific account, or even for all accounts of the same specific bank.

• A global rules file for any =mybank= statement can be saved here: =import/mybank.rules=
• A rules file for all statements of a specific account: =import/spouse/bigbankinc/savings/bigbankinc-savings.rules=

*** Statement-specific Rules Files :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: statement-specific-rules-files :END:

What happens if some of the statements for an account has a different format than the others?

This can happen if you normally get your statements directly from your bank, but some statements you had to download from somewhere else, like Mint, because your bank is being daft with older statements.

In order to tell =hledger-flow= that you want to override the rules file for a specific statement, you need to add a suffix, separated by an underscore (=_=) and starting with the letters =rfo= (rules file override) to the filename of that statement.

For example: assuming you've named your statement =99966633_20171223_1844_rfo-mint.csv=.

=hledger-flow= will look for a rules file named =rfo-mint.rules= in the following places:

• in the import directory, e.g. =import/rfo-mint.rules=
• in the bank directory, e.g. =import/john/mybank/rfo-mint.rules=
• in the account directory, e.g. =import/john/mybank/savings/rfo-mint.rules=

*** Example rules file usage :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: example-rules-file-usage :END:

A common scenario is multiple accounts that share the same file format, but have different =account1= directives.

One possible approach would be to include a shared rules file in your account-specific rules file.

If you are lucky enough that all statements at =mybank= share a common format across all accounts, then you can =include= a rules file that just defines the parts that are shared across accounts.

Two accounts at =mybank= may have rules files similar to these.

A checking account at mybank:

#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE

Saved as: import/john/mybank/checking/mybank-checking.rules

include ../../../mybank-shared.rules account1 Assets:Current:John:MyBank:Checking #+END_EXAMPLE

Another account at mybank:

#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE

Saved as: import/alice/mybank/savings/mybank-savings.rules

include ../../../mybank-shared.rules account1 Assets:Current:Alice:MyBank:Savings #+END_EXAMPLE

Where =import/mybank-shared.rules= may define some shared attributes:

#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE skip 1

fields date, description, amount, balance

date-format %Y-%m-%d
currency $

#+END_EXAMPLE

Another possible approach could be to use your =preprocess= script to write out a CSV file that has extra fields for =account1= and =account2=.

You could then create the above mentioned global =import/mybank.rules= with the fields defined more or less like this:

#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE fields date, description, amount, balance, account1, account2 #+END_EXAMPLE

*** Stability of this Feature :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: stability-of-this-feature-1 :END:

Rules files are a stable feature within [[http://hledger.org/][hledger]], and we're just using the normal hledger rules files. The account, bank and statement-specific rules files have been used and tested fairly extensively, I don't expect this to change.

Let me know if you think it should change.

** Opening and Closing Balances :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: opening-and-closing-balances :END:

*** Opening Balances :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: opening-balances :END:

=hledger-flow= looks for a file named =YEAR-opening.journal= in each account directory, where =YEAR= corresponds to an actual year directory, eg. 1983 (if you have electronic statements [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_banking#First_online_banking_services_in_the_United_States][dating back to 1983]]). Example: =import/john/mybank/savings/1983-opening.journal=

If it exists the file will automatically be included at the beginning of the generated journal include file for that year.

You need to edit this file for each account to specify the opening balance at the date of the first available transaction.

An opening balance may look something like this:

#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE 2018-06-01 Savings Account Opening Balance assets:Current:MyBank:Savings $102.01 equity:Opening Balances:MyBank:Savings #+END_EXAMPLE

*** A Note of Caution Regarding Closing Balances

When closing your balances it may result in some =hledger= queries showing zero-values, or there could be issues with balance assertions.

Please have a look at the upstream =hledger= documentation on closing balances, e.g here: https://hledger.org/hledger.html#close-usage

Some of the gotchas you may run into are also described in [[https://github.com/apauley/hledger-flow/issues/79][this hledger-flow issue]].

*** Closing Balances :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: closing-balances :END:

Similar to opening balances, =hledger-flow= looks for an optional file named =YEAR-closing.journal= in each account directory. Example: =import/john/mybank/savings/1983-closing.journal=

If it exists the file will automatically be included at the end of the generated journal include file for that year.

A closing balance may look something like this:

#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE 2018-06-01 Savings Account Closing Balance assets:Current:MyBank:Savings $-234.56 = $0.00 equity:Closing Balances:MyBank:Savings #+END_EXAMPLE

*** Example Opening and Closing Journal Files :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: example-opening-and-closing-journal-files :END:

As an example, assuming that the relevant year is =2019= and =hledger-flow= is about to generate =import/john/mybank/savings/2019-include.journal=, then one or both of the following files will be added to the include file if they exist:

1. =import/john/mybank/savings/2019-opening.journal=
2. =import/john/mybank/savings/2019-closing.journal=

The =opening.journal= will be included just before the other included entries, while the =closing.journal= will be included just after the other entries in that include file.

An include file may look like this:

#+BEGIN_SRC sh cat import/john/mybank/savings/2019-include.journal #+END_SRC

#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE ### Generated by hledger-flow - DO NOT EDIT ###

include 2019-opening.journal
include 3-journal/2019/123456789_2019-01-30
include 2019-closing.journal

#+END_EXAMPLE

*** Stability of this Feature :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: stability-of-this-feature-2 :END:

Closing balances sometimes result in [[https://github.com/apauley/hledger-flow/issues/79][unexpected query results]]. In future we may change how/where the generated files include the closing journal.

We may also need to suggest some naming conventions for opening and closing balances so that reports can exclude some of these transactions.

It is also possible that we might want to change the name/location of the closing journal, but we'll try to avoid this if possible, because that would require users to rename their existing files.

** Price Files :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: price-files :END:

=hledger-flow= looks for [[https://hledger.org/journal.html#market-prices][price files]] to include in each yearly include file.

For example, the presence of a file named =${BASE}/prices/2020/prices.journal= will result in some extra include file magic.

The rest of this section assumes you'll have a file named =prices/2020/prices.journal= which contains price data for the year 2020. The =prices= directory should be right at the top of your =hledger-flow= base directory, next to the =import= directory.

=hledger-flow= does not care how the price files got there, it only cares that you should have a separate file per year, and that it follows the above naming convention.

Here is an example script which downloads prices and follows the naming convention: https://gist.github.com/apauley/398fa031c202733959af76b3b8ce8197

After running an import with available price files you'll see a line has been added to =import/2020-include.journal=:

#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE include ../prices/2020/prices.journal #+END_EXAMPLE

** Hledger Directives :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: hledger-directives :END:

Hledger allows you to specify some useful [[https://hledger.org/hledger.html#directives][directives]] which affect things such as number formatting.

A convenient place to put these directives within =hledger-flow= is a file named =directives.journal= (in your hledger-flow base directory).

If it exists =hledger-flow= will include it within the =all-years.journal=:

#+BEGIN_SRC sh cat all-years.journal #+END_SRC

#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE

Generated by hledger-flow - DO NOT EDIT

include directives.journal include import/all-years.journal #+END_EXAMPLE

** The =preprocess= Script :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: the-preprocess-script :END:

Sometimes the statements you get from your bank is [[https://github.com/apauley/fnb-csv-demoronizer][less than suitable]] for automatic processing. Or maybe you just want to make it easier for the hledger rules file to do its thing by adding some useful columns.

If you put a script called =preprocess= in the account directory, e.g. =import/john/mybank/savings/preprocess=, then =hledger-flow= will call that script for each input statement.

The =preprocess= script will be called with 4 positional parameters:

1. The path to the input statement, e.g. =import/john/mybank/savings/1-in/2018/123456789_2018-06-30.csv=
2. The path to an output file that can be sent to =hledger=, e.g. =import/john/mybank/savings/2-preprocessed/2018/123456789_2018-06-30.csv=
3. The name of the bank, e.g. =mybank=
4. The name of the account, e.g. =savings=
5. The name of the owner, e.g. =john=

Your =preprocess= script is expected to:

• read the input file
• write a new output file at the supplied path that works with your rules file
• be idempotent. Running =preprocess= multiple times on the same files will produce the same result.

*** Stability of this Feature :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: stability-of-this-feature-3 :END:

Stable and tested.

** The =construct= Script :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: the-construct-script :END:

If you need even more power and flexibility than what you can get from the =preprocess= script and =hledger='s [[https://hledger.org/csv.html][CSV import functionality]], then you can create your own custom script to =construct= transactions exactly as you need them.

At the expense of more construction work for you, of course.

The =construct= script can be used in addition to the =preprocess= script, or on it's own. But since the =construct= script is more powerful than the =preprocess= script, you could tell your =construct= script to do anything that the =preprocess= script would have done.

Save your =construct= script in the account directory, e.g. =import/john/mybank/savings/construct=.

=hledger-flow= will call your =construct= script with 5 positional parameters:

1. The path to the input statement, e.g. =import/john/mybank/savings/1-in/2018/123456789_2018-06-30.csv=
2. A "-" (indicating that output should be sent to =stdout=)
3. The name of the bank, e.g. =mybank=
4. The name of the account, e.g. =savings=
5. The name of the owner, e.g. =john=

Your =construct= script is expected to:

• read the input file
• generate your own =hledger= journal transactions
• be idempotent. Running =construct= multiple times on the same files should produce the same result.
• send all journals to =stdout=. =hledger-flow= will pipe your standard output into =hledger= which will format it and save it to an output file.

You can still use =stderr= in your construct script for any other output that you may want to see.

*** Stability of this Feature :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: stability-of-this-feature-4 :END:

Stable and tested.

** Manually Managed Journals :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: manually-managed-journals :END:

Not every transaction in your life comes with CSV statements.

Sometimes you just need to add a transaction for that time you loaned a friend some money.

=hledger-flow= looks for =pre-import= and =post-import= files related to each generated include file as part of the import.

You can enter your own transactions manually into these files.

You can run =hledger-flow import --verbose= to see exactly which files are being looked for.

As an example, assuming that the relevant year is =2019= and =hledger-flow= is about to generate =import/john/2019-include.journal=, then one or both of the following files will be added to the include file if they exist:

1. =import/john/manual/2019/pre-import.journal=
2. =import/john/manual/2019/post-import.journal=

The =pre-import.journal= will be included just before the other included entries, while the =post-import.journal= will be included just after the other entries in that include file.

An include file may look like this:

#+BEGIN_SRC sh cat import/john/2019-include.journal #+END_SRC

#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE ### Generated by hledger-flow - DO NOT EDIT ###

include _manual_/2019/pre-import.journal
include mybank/2019-include.journal
include otherbank/2019-include.journal
include _manual_/2019/post-import.journal

#+END_EXAMPLE

*** Stability of this Feature :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: stability-of-this-feature-5 :END:

It works, but the naming of =manual= looks a bit weird. Should it be changed?

• Validating an hledger repository using Github Actions

The following example was contributed by [[https://github.com/amitaibu][Amitai Burstein]]:

#+BEGIN_SRC yaml

.github/workflows/hledger-flow.yml

name: Validate hledger-flow

on: [push]

jobs: build:

runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v1

- name: Install hledger
  run: docker pull dastapov/hledger

- name: Install hledger-flow
  run: curl -L https://github.com/apauley/hledger-flow/releases/download/v0.12.4.0/hledger-flow_Linux_x86_64_v0.12.4.0_4b9b027.tar.gz | tar xvz && mv hledger-flow_Linux_x86_64_v0.12.4.0_4b9b027/hledger-flow .

- name: Grant permissions to create files
  run: chmod 777 -R ./my-finances

- name: Test hledger file
  run: docker run --name="ledger" -v $(pwd):/data dastapov/hledger ./hledger-flow import ./my-finances

#+END_SRC yaml

• Compatibility with Ledger :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: compatibility-with-ledger :END:

When writing out the journal include files, =hledger-flow= sorts the include statements by filename.

[[https://www.ledger-cli.org/][Ledger]] fails any balance assertions when the transactions aren't included in chronological order.

An easy way around this is to name your input files so that March's statement is listed before December's statement.

Another option is to add =--permissive= to any [[https://www.ledger-cli.org/][ledger]] command.

So you should easily be able to use both =ledger= and =hledger= on these journals if you take care to [[https://hledger.org/faq.html#how-is-hledger-different-from-ledger-][avoid the few incompatibilities]] which exists (eg in your rules files or manual journals).

• Project Goals :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: project-goals :END:

My =hledger= files started to collect a bunch of supporting code that weren't really specific to my financial situation.

I want to extract and share as much as possible of that supporting code.

[[https://github.com/adept/full-fledged-hledger/wiki][Adept's]] goals also resonated with me:

• Tracking expenses should take as little time, effort and manual work as possible
• Eventual consistency should be achievable: even if I can't record something precisely right now, maybe I would be able to do it later, so I should be able to leave things half-done and pick them up later
• Ability to refactor is a must. I want to be able to go back and change the way I am doing things, with as little effort as possible and without fear of irrevocably breaking things.

I've given [[https://pauley.org.za/functional-finance-hledger/][a talk]] at [[https://www.meetup.com/lambda-luminaries/events/qklkvpyxmbnb/][Lambda Luminaries Johannesburg]] featuring hledger and hledger-flow.

• Contributing to Hledger Flow

Have a look at the [[file:CONTRIBUTING.org][contribution guidelines]].

• FAQ :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: faq :END:

** How do you balance transfers between 2 accounts when you have statements for both accounts? :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: transfer-2-accounts :END:

*** The Problem

In your primary bank account you've happily been classifying transfers to a secondary account as just =Expenses:OtherAccount=.

But you've recently started processing the statements from the second account as well so that you can classify those expenses more accurately.

And now the balances of these two accounts are all wrong when the statements of each account deals with money transferred between these two accounts.

In =bank1.journal=, imported from =bank1.csv=: #+BEGIN_EXAMPLE 2018/11/09 Transfer from primary account to secondary account Assets:Bank1:Primary $-200 Assets:Bank2:Secondary #+END_EXAMPLE

In =bank2.journal=, imported from =bank2.csv=: #+BEGIN_EXAMPLE 2018/11/09 Transfer from primary account to secondary account Assets:Bank2:Secondary $200 Assets:Bank1:Primary #+END_EXAMPLE

*** The Solution

As soon as you start importing statements for both accounts you will have to introduce an intermediate account for classification between these two accounts.

I use =Assets:Transfers:*=.

And we may have reports looking at these transfers accounts at some point, you should consider using the same names.

The above example then becomes as follows.

In =bank1.journal=, imported from =bank1.csv=: #+BEGIN_EXAMPLE 2019-05-18 Transfer from primary account to secondary account Assets:Bank1:Primary $-200 Assets:Transfers:Bank1Bank2 #+END_EXAMPLE

In =bank2.journal=, imported from =bank2.csv=: #+BEGIN_EXAMPLE 2019-05-18 Transfer from primary account to secondary account Assets:Bank2:Secondary $200 Assets:Transfers:Bank1Bank2 #+END_EXAMPLE

Any posting to =Assets:Transfers:*= indicates an in "in-flight" amount. You would expect the balance of =Assets:Transfers= to be zero most of the time. Whenever it isn't zero it means that you either don't yet have the other side of the transfer, or that something is wrong in your rules.

You could theoretically just use =Assets:Transfers= without any subaccounts, but I found it useful to use subaccounts. Because then the subaccounts can show me where I should look for any missing transfer transaction.

I typically use sorted names as the subaccount (Python code sample):

#+BEGIN_SRC python "Assets:Transfers:" + "".join(sorted(["Bank2", "Bank1"])) #+END_SRC

*** External references

This approach is based on what is described in Full-fledged hledger:
[[https://github.com/adept/full-fledged-hledger/wiki/Adding-more-accounts#lets-make-sure-that-transfers-are-not-double-counted]]

The question was first asked in [[https://github.com/apauley/hledger-flow/issues/51][issue #51]].

** How does =hledger-flow= differ from =Full-fledged Hledger=? :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: how-does-hledger-flow-differ-from-full-fledged-hledger :END:

[[https://github.com/adept/full-fledged-hledger/wiki#full-fledged-hledger-tutorial][Full-fledged Hledger]] is a brilliant system, and hledger-flow continues to learn much from it.

It has great documentation that does an excellent job of not only showing how things can be done, but also why it is such a great idea.

hledger-flow can be seen as a specific implementation of the Full-fledged Hledger system, with a few implementation details that are different.

| Full-fledged Hledger | Hledger Flow | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | FFH is a [[https://github.com/adept/full-fledged-hledger/wiki#full-fledged-hledger-tutorial][tutorial with helper scripts]] that you can start using and adapt to your needs. | I started with FFH, and changed bits and pieces over time to suit my needs. The "owner/bank/account" structure for example. | | | | | FFH is more open-ended: you can start with the basic scripts and over time turn it into something that solves your needs exactly. But you'll also end up with more code that you need to maintain yourself. | Hledger Flow is more opinionated and less open-ended. For example, you have to adopt the "owner/bank/account" structure precisely as specified. But this allows Hledger Flow to do more work for you. | | | | | FFH uses scripts and [[https://shakebuild.com/][Haskell/Shake build files]] that you can easily modify as you go along, but this requires a Haskell runtime to be installed everywhere it needs to run. The included docker image helps to make it less of an issue. | Hledger Flow [[https://github.com/apauley/hledger-flow/releases][distributes a compiled binary]]. This means users or deployment targets don't need extra dependencies installed, they can just run a CLI program. This also provides a clearer distinction between what is provided, and what users need to do. |