Journal entries

Purpose

The Écritures comptables screen is the entry journal. Every operation is recorded here as an entry: a header — journal, date, description — and at least two lines, whose total on the debit side equals the total on the credit side.

This is the screen of daily bookkeeping: you post here, you read back here, you correct here.

Who can access this module?

The module is visible to accounts holding the Accounting management right.

Access

• Menu: Accounting management → Journal entries
• Address: /ecritures-comptables
• Screen title: Écritures comptables

The four statuses

Status	Meaning	What you can do with it
Draft	Saved without checks, not yet posted.	Edit, delete.
Validated	Posted.	View, duplicate, reverse.
Anomaly	Flagged by the server as inconsistent.	View, correct.
Cancelled	Entry neutralised by a reversal.	View, duplicate.

A validated entry is not deleted

It is reversed: its opposite is recorded, and the original stays in the journal. The trace is what counts.

The screen

It reads top to bottom: the New entry button, the indicators, the filter bar, then the entries table.

The indicators

Indicator	Content
Drafts pending	The entries not yet validated.
Anomalies to handle	The entries flagged as inconsistent.
Posted — month	The amount posted over the period displayed.
Entries — month	The number of entries of the period displayed.

The last two carry the name of the selected month: they follow the period filter.

The filters

Filter	Content
Search	Covers the description, the number and the party.
Journal	All journals, or one of the journals below.
Status	All statuses, Validated, Draft, Anomaly, Cancelled.
Period	One month, among the last twelve.

The journals available:

Code	Journal
ACH	Purchases
VTE	Sales
BQ	Bank
CAI	Cash
OD	Miscellaneous operations

The period determines what is loaded

The selected month is not a filter on an already-loaded table: it is sent to the server to fetch the entries. Changing month therefore reloads the data. An entry that cannot be found is most often an entry from another month.

The table

Column	Content
Document no.	Assigned at validation. A draft displays —.
Date	The entry date.
Journal	The journal code.
Description	The general description.
Accounts	The accounts moved, separated by a middle dot.
Debit / Credit	The totals of the entry.
Matching	Matched, Partial, Unmatched, or —.
Status	The status of the entry.
Actions	The operations available, depending on the status.

The table shows 25 rows per page, with pagination at the foot of the list.

Posting an entry

The New entry button opens the entry window.

The header

Field	Rule
Journal	Required.
Entry date	Required.
Document number	Not editable: Auto — attribué à la validation.
External reference	Optional — purchase order, external number…
General description	Required. The subject of the entry.

The lines

Each line carries an account, a party where applicable, a line description, and an amount on the debit or the credit side.

The Account field is a search field, not a drop-down list: type a number or a label, and the list filters below the field. The search ignores case and accents — generales finds Générales. The ↑ ↓ arrows run through the list, Enter picks.

Control accounts with no party are not offered

A control account only makes sense during entry if it carries at least one customer or supplier. Those that carry none are removed from the list: there would be no party to associate with them.

The Party field appears only on lines whose account is a control account. It is then required: it identifies the customer or supplier actually moved. On the other lines, the column displays —.

The Add a line button adds one; the 🗑️ icon at the end of a line removes it. The debit and credit totals are recomputed on every keystroke.

The balance banner

Below the lines, a banner states at all times what is missing to validate:

Message	Cause
Une écriture comporte au moins deux lignes.	There is only one line.
Chaque ligne doit porter un compte, un tiers si le compte est collectif, et un montant au débit ou au crédit.	A line is incomplete, or carries an amount on both sides.
Écriture déséquilibrée — écart de …	The totals do not match.
Le montant de l'écriture est nul.	Every line is at zero.
Écriture équilibrée — … au débit et au crédit. Prête à valider.	Everything is in order.

The supporting document

The Joindre un justificatif button attaches a file to the entry. The file name is then displayed, with a Retirer link.

Five megabytes at most

A heavier file is refused: « Le justificatif dépasse 5 Mo. »

Saving

Two buttons, two intentions:

Button	Effect	Conditions
Save as draft	Keeps the entry as it is, even incomplete.	The header is filled in.
Validate the entry	Posts the entry.	Header filled in, at least two lines, all valid, balanced, and a non-zero amount.

The server rechecks the balance

The check displayed in the window does not bind it. If it refuses, the message « Le serveur a refusé l'écriture : elle est déséquilibrée. » appears and the entry is not posted.

View, duplicate, correct

Action	Available when	Effect
👁️ View	Validated, Cancelled, Anomaly	Opens the entry read-only.
📋 Duplicate	Validated, Cancelled	Reopens an editable copy, to be saved as a new entry.
✏️ Edit	Draft	Reopens the draft.
🔧 Correct	Anomaly	Reopens the entry to put it right.
🗑️ Delete	Draft	Deletes the draft, after confirmation.
⭕ Reverse	Validated	Records the opposite entry.
🕐 History	Always	Shows who modified the entry, when and what.

Duplication for repeating entries

A rent, a subscription, a monthly adjustment entry: duplicate the previous one, change the date, validate.

Reversing an entry

The Reverse action asks for a reversal date — proposed as today, editable — then records the opposite entry.

The original entry stays in the journal: it simply moves to Cancelled. That is the essential difference from a deletion, which would erase the trace.

Messages and troubleshooting

Situation	Message	What to do
The table is empty	Aucune écriture ne correspond aux critères sélectionnés.	Clear the search, put the filters back to All, check the month.
Validate stays inactive	See the balance banner	The banner states precisely what is missing.
A control account does not appear in the list	—	It carries no party. Create the party account from the customer or supplier record.
The Party column stays on —	—	The account of the line is not a control account: no party is expected.
The supporting document is refused	Le justificatif dépasse 5 Mo.	Reduce the file before attaching it.
The server refuses validation	Le serveur a refusé l'écriture : elle est déséquilibrée.	Reopen the entry and check the amounts.
The entry does not open	Le chargement de l'écriture a échoué.	Try again; the window does not open empty, as a safeguard.
No history	Aucun mouvement enregistré.	The entry has never been modified since its creation.
The session has expired	Automatic return to the sign-in screen	Sign in again.

Known limitations in this version

• The list of journals is hard-coded in the application: ACH, VTE, BQ, CAI and OD. New ones cannot be created.
• Matching is displayed but cannot be set from this screen.
• No export of the entries is offered.
• No batch entry and no recurring entry template: duplication takes their place.
• The history is shown in a plain message window, without filter or export.
• The attached supporting document cannot be viewed from the list: the entry has to be opened.

See also

• Chart of accounts — the accounts offered during entry, and the party accounts.
• Financial years — the period the entry falls into, and its locking.
• Technical data → Application configuration — the accounting integration with purchases and sales.