2 minute quick start
One of the introductions to hledger; for others, see Get Started.
Here is a sequence of examples, focussed on command-line usage:
$ brew install hledger # or apt, choco, but check Install for freshness
$ cat >main.journal # record a transaction manually from command line
2022-01-01 opening balances as of this date
assets:bank:checking $1000 ; This is a comment.
assets:bank:savings $2000 ; 2+ spaces are required before each amount.
assets:cash $100
liabilities:creditcard $-50
equity:opening/closing balances
^D
$ export LEDGER_FILE=main.journal # use this file by default
$ echo 'export LEDGER_FILE=main.journal' >>~/.profile # and in future sessions
$ hledger add # record a transaction interactively
Adding transactions to journal file main.journal
Any command line arguments will be used as defaults.
Use tab key to complete, readline keys to edit, enter to accept defaults.
An optional (CODE) may follow transaction dates.
An optional ; COMMENT may follow descriptions or amounts.
If you make a mistake, enter < at any prompt to go one step backward.
To end a transaction, enter . when prompted.
To quit, enter . at a date prompt or press control-d or control-c.
Date [2022-02-08]: 2/15
Description: market
Account 1: expenses:food
Amount 1: $50
Account 2: assets:cash
Amount 2 [$-50]:
Account 3 (or . or enter to finish this transaction):
2022-02-15 market
expenses:food $50
assets:cash $-50
Save this transaction to the journal ? [y]:
Saved.
Starting the next transaction (. or ctrl-D/ctrl-C to quit)
Date [2022-02-15]:
$ hledger stats # show journal statistics
Main file : main.journal
Included files :
Transactions span : 2022-01-01 to 2022-02-16 (46 days)
Last transaction : 2022-02-15 (7 days from now)
Transactions : 2 (0.0 per day)
Transactions last 30 days: 0 (0.0 per day)
Transactions last 7 days : 0 (0.0 per day)
Payees/descriptions : 1
Accounts : 6 (depth 3)
Commodities : 1 ($)
Market prices : 0 ()
Run time (throughput) : 0.04s (47 txns/s)
$ hledger bal --monthly # show account balance changes each month
Balance changes in 2022-01-01..2022-02-28:
|| Jan Feb
=================================++==============
assets:bank:checking || $1000 0
assets:bank:savings || $2000 0
assets:cash || $100 $-50
equity:opening/closing balances || $-3050 0
expenses:food || 0 $50
liabilities:creditcard || $-50 0
---------------------------------++--------------
|| 0 0
$ cat >checking.csv # make some CSV data, as if downloaded from a bank
"Date","Note","Amount"
"2022/2/01","GOODWORKS CORP","-1000.00"
"2022/2/22","PROPERTY MGMT CO","500.00"
"2022/2/23","ATM WITHDRAWAL","-100.00"
^D
$ cat >checking.csv.rules # and a rules file to help hledger read it
skip 1
fields date, description, amount
account1 assets:bank:checking
currency $
amount -%amount
if GOODWORKS
account2 income:salary
if PROPERTY
account2 expenses:rent
if ATM WITHDRAWAL
account2 assets:cash
^D
$ hledger import checking.csv # import CSV records as new journal entries
imported 2 new transactions from checking.csv
$ hledger import checking.csv # records already seen are ignored; cf --dry-run
no new transactions found in checking.csv
$ hledger print date:202202 # show transactions in february
2022-02-01 GOODWORKS CORP
assets:bank:checking $1000
income:salary $-1000
2022-02-15 market
expenses:food $50
assets:cash $-50
2022-02-22 PROPERTY MGMT CO
assets:bank:checking $-500
expenses:rent $500
2022-02-23 ATM WITHDRAWAL
assets:bank:checking $-100
assets:cash $100
$ hledger is -M # show a monthly income statement (profit & loss report)
Income Statement 2022-01-01..2022-02-28
|| Jan Feb
===============++============
Revenues ||
---------------++------------
income:salary || 0 $1000
---------------++------------
|| 0 $1000
===============++============
Expenses ||
---------------++------------
expenses:food || 0 $50
expenses:rent || 0 $500
---------------++------------
|| 0 $550
===============++============
Net: || 0 $450
$ hledger bs -M --tree # show monthly asset and liability balances
Balance Sheet 2022-01-31..2022-02-28
|| 2022-01-31 2022-02-28
========================++========================
Assets ||
------------------------++------------------------
assets || $3100 $3550
bank || $3000 $3400
checking || $1000 $1400
savings || $2000 $2000
cash || $100 $150
------------------------++------------------------
|| $3100 $3550
========================++========================
Liabilities ||
------------------------++------------------------
liabilities:creditcard || $50 $50
------------------------++------------------------
|| $50 $50
========================++========================
Net: || $3050 $3500
$ hledger areg checking # show checking's transactions and running balance
Transactions in assets:bank:checking and subaccounts:
2022-01-01 opening balances as:ba:savings, as.. $1000 $1000
2022-02-01 GOODWORKS CORP in:salary $1000 $2000
2022-02-22 PROPERTY MGMT CO ex:rent $-500 $1500
2022-02-23 ATM WITHDRAWAL as:cash $-100 $1400
$ hledger-ui --forecast # start the terminal UI (except on Windows)
$ hledger-ui --tree -f examples/bcexample.hledger # a multicurrency journal
$ hledger-web # start the web UI
$ hledger-web -f examples/bcexample.hledger # from data by Martin Blais
