Lack of help makes it difficult to know how AP -> Import Batch works

[auspex]

Version

1.12.9

What browsers are you seeing the problem on?

Chrome

What happened?

Navigate to AP -> Import Batch;

At the bottom of the form the following is displayed:

The first row of the file contains the field names; each following row will be transformed into a transaction with one AP_MULTI and one expense line. The following fields are expected (in this order):
vendor
amount
curr
fx_rate
account
ap
escription
invnumber
transdate

Incidentally, this is exactly the same as given for AR -> Import Batch, (with 'AR' replacing 'AP') despite the fact that it surely produces an income line, and it must need to be a customer, not a vendor, as well as the field name ap making no sense for an AR transaction (unless it's actually approved).

• Is vendor a vendor number or name? In the case of AR, must I really create a customer for every transaction?
• Isn't curr defaulted to the default currency (and if not, isn't that a bug too?)
• If curr IS the default currency, what should fx_rate be (1?)?
• what is ap?
• escription should presumably be description
• Do I really need to give it an invnumber? Aren't invoice numbers assigned from a sequence?
• What if I have a spreadsheet with lots of other fields? Will they be ignored? If not, why require the header line?

What should have happened?

I would have expected enough information on this screen to enable me to upload a batch without using trial and error.

Chapter 42.3 Batch receipts and payments in Running your business with LedgerSMB is, unfortunately, empty.

[nick-prater]

The missing d on `description was fixed on the master development branch. I have submitted pull requests to backport that fix to 1.11 and 1.12 branches.

I agree that the information on that screen could be improved. I'll check out the import for myself and add some more description that answers your questions.